The First Races Shouldn’t Define Your Season (Unless You Let Them)
The start of the race season is emotionally charged. Months of preparation suddenly turn into results on Live Timing. For some racers, the season begins with confidence-building performances. For others, it starts with frustration, disappointment, or even futility. In all cases, it’s far too early in the season to think too much about what those […]
Read MoreWhat Every Ski-Racing Parent Needs to Know at the Start of the Ski Racing Season
The start of the ski racing season is exciting, stressful, and emotionally charged—not just for racers, but for their parents too. Early races bring expectations, comparisons, and questions that can quietly shape how a season unfolds. Often, at a conscious or unconscious level, parents say to themselves: “It’s time to collect my ROI.” And when […]
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Why Swimming Is So Hard for Triathletes (and How to Get Better at It)
For most triathletes, swimming is the most frustrating discipline. Not because they are lazy or unmotivated, but because swimming is fundamentally different from cycling and running in ways many triathletes do not fully appreciate. Understanding why swimming is so challenging is the first step toward improving it. Why Swimming Is So Difficult We humans live […]
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How to Stay Motivated and Engaged During a Long Triathlon Off-Season
One of the biggest off-season challenges in triathlon isn’t fitness. It’s staying engaged when training feels repetitive, lacking in urgency, and far removed from race day. Many athletes interpret a drop in motivation as a problem. It isn’t. It’s normal. What does become a problem is relying on motivation to get through this phase of […]
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Why Ski Racers Plateau — And How to Break Through a Performance Ceiling
Every racer reaches a point in their skiing where improvement stalls. You train hard. You ski well. You feel like you’re doing “everything right.” Yet the results remain flat, or sometimes even go south You feel stuck. The confidence that once came easily begins to shake. Coaches say you’re “close,” but nothing seems to change. […]
Read MoreThe Courage to Go “Full Gas” in Ski Racing
In ski racing, precision, technique, and preparation matter — but they are only the foundation. The truth is that winning at the highest levels of our sport requires something more: the courage to take risks. The greatest racers in the world win not because they avoid mistakes — but because they accept the possibility of […]
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Speed in Ski Racing is an Acquired Skill
When most people think about speed in alpine skiing, they picture downhillers charging the Streif in Kitzbühel or the Lauberhorn in Wengen. But the truth is that speed is not limited to the traditional speed events. Every alpine discipline—from slalom to downhill—requires the ability to ski at the fastest possible speed you can control. And […]
Read MoreGood Skiing vs. Fast Skiing: You Choose
If you spend time around a training hill, you’ll hear coaches tell athletes to “ski well,” “clean it up,” or “make good turns.” For young racers, this messaging often creates a misunderstanding that lasts years, sometimes an entire career: Good skiing and fast skiing are not the same thing. You can ski beautifully, in balance, […]
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7 Lessons Learned from a Level-Up 2025 Triathlon Season
There’s an old saying: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Well… I may be an old-ish dog, but triathlon keeps proving that there’s always more to learn. What I love most about this sport is that the lessons are endless — sometimes painful, often humbling, always valuable. This year delivered some of my […]
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Beyond Expectations: Dr. Jim Taylor’s World Championships & 2025 Season Wrap-Up
I just returned from the 2025 World Triathlon Championships in Wollongong, Australia, where both my races — the Sprint and the Mixed Relay — couldn’t have gone any better. My goal at every race is simple: to finish knowing I left it all out on the course. Mission accomplished! The Races Sprint Race:I finished 7th […]
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