It’s hard to believe the summer, what I consider Phase I of the ski racing prep period, is almost over. Hopefully, the summer was devoted to building the foundation for your success next winter. In all likelihood, your efforts focused on three areas. First, you engaged in an intensive physical conditioning program. The reality of [...]
I competed last week in the World Triathlon Sprint Championships held in Hamburg, Germany. I raced in the Sprint and Mixed Team Relay events. These two races were one of four “A” race series that are my focus this season. I entered the events completely healthy for the first time in several years and my [...]
As I noted in my last “I Practice What I Preach” post, I was feeling a fair amount of anxiety and worry in the weeks leading up to the 2023 USAT Multisport National Championships in Texas that was held less than two weeks ago. Those nerves were coming from “outcome expectations” I had created in [...]
A fundamental question you need to ask is: “What do I need to do to be totally prepared to ski my best on race day?” If you ask the top-ten men and women on the World Cup, you will probably get 20 different answers. But, having asked this question of many world-class ski racers, I [...]
The dictionary definition of attitude is “The way you think and feel about something…a way of thinking and feeling that affect a person’s behavior.” You hold attitudes about your ski racing that have a direct impact on how you train and how you race. Moreover, you may not even be aware of some of these [...]
The sports community is now deep into what is certainly the strangest competitive year ever, overshadowed, of course, by the Covid-19 pandemic. The predominant emotion I have seen in my work with athletes and in conversations with many more athletes on and off the field of play is…frustration. For many athletes, it feels like a [...]
The ski racing community is now deep into what is certainly the strangest race season ever, overshadowed, of course, by the Covid-19 pandemic. The predominant emotion I have seen in my work with athletes and in conversations with many more racers on and off the hill is…frustration. For many racers, it feels like a lost [...]
Back in December, I wrote an article titled, Parker Biele is My Hero, in which I expressed my admiration for this young ski racer who, against significant physical odds and bucking our somewhat inflexible U.S. ski racing culture, has continued to progress and find success at the ripe old age of 21 (written ironically). I [...]
Because ski racing isn’t a team sport in the usual sense of the word, less attention is given in our sport, compared to traditional team sports such as soccer or hockey, to the role of team culture on how individual racers perform. The simple reality of ski racing is that how you ski on race [...]
I was recently interviewed by Ahmann Carter, the founder of the Ideas X People podcast. The podcast focuses on my ideas related to performance psychology. Here are some of the specifics: Common performance obstacles The difficulty and rewards in working towards your goals, regardless of your outcome The importance of identity and intrinsic motivation in [...]
