7 11, 2019

Lindsey Vonn Embraces Her Humanity

By | November 7th, 2019|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , |0 Comments

A wonderful article about Lindsey Vonn that describes the physical, psychological, and emotional challenges she faced as one of history's greatest ski racers and following her retirement. A nice reminder that those whom we revere from afar are as human as we are (to paraphrase a well-known saying, Lindsey "puts her speed suit on one [...]

28 12, 2018

What’s Right about U.S. Ski Racing

By | December 28th, 2018|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

I’ve been involved in U.S. ski racing for—Yikes!—more than 50 years. I started as a “Chipmunk” at Mad River Glen, then moved on to the Valley Junior Racing Club (at then Glen Ellen, pre-GMVS), Burke Mountain Academy, Middlebury College, the University of Colorado, and even two seasons on the old pro tour. Since then, I’ve [...]

13 04, 2015

Next Race Season Starts…NOW!

By | April 13th, 2015|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Note: This article is an encore presentation of a previously published article that never gets old. 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 your gear, [...]

30 03, 2015

Points aren’t the Only Criterion of a Successful Season

By | March 30th, 2015|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

With the season drawing to a close, it is, for every racer, a time of reckoning in which you look back and evaluate what kind of season you had: one to be proud of or one to reflect back on with disappointment and perhaps regret. One of the primary criteria that racers use to judge [...]

16 03, 2015

Finish the Season Strong (No Matter How it’s Going)

By | March 16th, 2015|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , , , |0 Comments

Note: This article is an encore representation of a topic that never gets old. It’s hard to believe, but there is only about a month of the race season left. After many days of training and racing, the end is in sight. At this late point in the season, you will have fallen into one [...]

20 01, 2015

Lindsey Vonn’s Starting Gate Intensity

By | January 20th, 2015|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: |1 Comment

You want to see an aggressive mindset and intensity? Watch the first 10 seconds of this video of Lindsey's World Cup SG victory (scroll down). Notice the pole clicking, breathing, constant movement, pole-strap-adjustment "twitch", and attacking out of the start to the first gate.  

12 01, 2015

Race Like You Train or Train Like You Race?

By | January 12th, 2015|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

One of the first questions that I ask racers and coaches I work with is: Should you race like you train or train like you race? By far, the most frequent response is: You should race like you train. This answer seems perfectly reasonable if you think about it. When you train, you’re relaxed, feel [...]

15 12, 2014

5 Reasons Ski Racers Don’t Do Mental Training

By | December 15th, 2014|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |1 Comment

Over the many years that I’ve been working in the field of sport psychology, I have championed the benefits of mental training for our sport to thousands of ski racers. This work has ranged from talks to junior programs to ongoing consulting with individual athletes and teams. As many of you know from my dozens [...]

3 10, 2014

Ski Racers, Get Up to Speed for This Season: A Review

By | October 3rd, 2014|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Hopefully, you’ve spent the summer getting ready for this winter of racing. If so, you should be stronger, better technically, and more mentally prepared than ever before. You're now entering the final stage of preparations for the upcoming race season with a final period of conditioning followed by getting back on snow and tuning up [...]

12 05, 2014

Encore of Mental Training Starts in the Gym

By | May 12th, 2014|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Here's an encore representation of one of my favorite ski racing posts. You can begin to develop your mental skills in the gym.