Ski Racing: Staying Healthy, Rested, and Motivated All Season Long
One of the most important ideas I emphasize in my work with racers is consistency. In fact, it’s consistency that makes the great racers, like Tina Maze and Ted Ligety, so great. Day in and day out, week in and week out, month in and month out, and year in and year out, they are […]
Read MoreSki Racing: Four Things That Will Improve Your Training
Over the past six weeks I’ve worked on- and off-snow with a handful of top juniors individually and four of the leading junior programs in the U.S. As usual, I learned things in my work with the athletes and coaches that always remind me of what I would call the “little big things” in ski […]
Read MoreSki Racing: 11 Laws of Prime Training
Many racers I’ve come across don’t seem to believe that training is that important because it doesn’t really “count,” meaning there are no results or points gained from it. But, the reality is that training is hugely important because whatever you do in training is what you will do in a race. Another way to […]
Read MoreSki Racing is a Leap of Faith
As I discussed in my last post, regret is one of the worst emotion you can experience after a race day, season, career or life. I also described how much of the work I’m doing these days with ski racers is as focused on developing the right attitude toward racing as it is on learning […]
Read MoreSki Racing: Don’t Have Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda in Your Ski Racing
Over the last few decades, I have worked with many ski racers, from juniors to World Cuppers. One thing I have noticed is that the most powerful work I do with racers isn’t your typical mental training where I teach them about positive thinking, mental imagery, routines, and how to stay intense and focused (though […]
Read MoreSki Racing: Threat vs. Challenge
I have found that a simple distinction appears to lie at the heart of whether racers are able to ski their best or crumble under the weight of expectations and tough conditions on race day: Do they view the race as a threat or a challenge. What happens when you are threatened by something (think […]
Read MoreSki Racing: Build a Positive and High-performing Ski Team Culture
Because ski racing isn’t a team sport in the usual sense of the word, little is attention is given to the influence that individual athletes can have on a ski team, whether healthy or toxic. Nor do we often think about how a team in ski racing can have a significant effect on the performances […]
Read MoreSki Racing: Your First Days Back on Snow
Greetings from beautiful Loveland, Colorado, where the air is thin, snow is amazing (kudos to John Hale and his crew!), the nights are cold, and the days are warm and sunny (in other words, ideal conditions for early season skiing). I’m out here this week and again next week working with racers as they put […]
Read MoreSki Racing: “Money in the Bank, Baby!”: Final Prep for Race Season
It’s hard to believe that we are only weeks away from the start of any ski season. The snow guns are blasting in Colorado and I will be on snow with athletes in ten days. For some of you, I’m sure you’re excited to be able to snap into your skis again after being off […]
Read MoreSki Racing: Next Season Starts…NOW!
Note: This article is an encore presentation of an article I wrote at the end of last season. The race season is finally over. After a long and demanding winter, you’re probably tired of skiing (regardless of whether the season was a triumph or a disappointment). It’s time to hang up your skis, pack away […]
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