Over the last few years, I’ve established great relationships with some outstanding sports companies. I’ve partnered with them because they embody what I value in sports-related products: innovation, superior quality, and leading-edge performance. In a series of posts, I’m re-introducing these exceptional companies and people to you so you will consider adding what they have [...]
As I noted in a previous article, I’m obsessed with triathlon. After an abbreviated 2020 season (I got in three races), I have set some pretty big goals for 2021. A part of my deep commitment to being the fastest I can be this coming season involved installing power meters on both my bikes and [...]
The off-season is now underway and you are probably hitting the gym and, hopefully, hitting the slopes soon as well some time in the next few months. Though getting the miles on snow is very important, a key focus during the off-season should be on building your fitness that acts as the foundation for all [...]
Just about every sport has an off-season during which a key focus should be on building your fitness that acts as the foundation for all of your other sports efforts. Because all aspects of sports preparation have become so sophisticated in the last decade or so, regardless of your sport, without the necessary strength, agility, [...]
If you’re reading this article, I’m guessing you’re pretty serious about your ski racing. I’m also assuming that, despite being serious about your racing, you do it because it’s big-time fun. Improving, the competition, hanging with your friends, travel, achieving your goals, and, yes, even getting on the podium, all make ski racing a fun [...]
If you’re at all serious about your ski racing, this past summer should have been devoted to the process of making yourself the best ski racer you can be. There is one thing that you better have done and another thing that you likely will have done this past summer: engage in an intensive physical [...]
Most sport psychologists work with athletes on the mental side of their sport in an office setting (usually one hour per week), providing them with mental tools that they can use during training and competitions. This approach makes about as much sense as a coach offering their racers technical instruction and then telling them to [...]
I recently had an old article I wrote (but don't think I ever posted on my blog) published on a running website. Given the time of the year, I thought it was timely and might be of interest to many of my followers.
A nice article in the New York Times describes research that confirmed what many of us already knew, namely, that listening to our favorite music during intense workouts increases our efforts. Surprisingly, the research reported that music didn't make the workouts any less unpleasant or bearable, just that people try harder. It was not clear [...]
Just about every sport has an off-season during which a key focus should be on building your fitness that acts as the foundation for all of your other sports efforts. Because all aspects of sports preparation have become so sophisticated in the last decade or so, regardless of your sport, without the necessary strength, agility, and stamina, you have little chance of achieving your athletic goals no matter how good you are technically, tactically, or mentally. The problem is that, for most young athletes, conditioning isn't all that fun, in fact, it can be downright tiring, boring, and, yes, painful. Which means that you may not be entirely psyched to work out as much or as hard as you should. I heard this complaint twice recently from young athletes I’m working with. Both knew they should be in the gym regularly, but when it came time to head out the door, they just couldn't pull the trigger as often as they know they should. Plus, when they got to the gym, they just couldn't seem to push themselves as hard as they knew they should. If you feel this way, don’t feel too bad because even the most successful and committed athletes don’t always enjoy their time in the gym. Even for the world’s best athletes, conditioning isn't always fun and it is usually really painful. But each of them make a choice and you can too.
