Goal setting is a simple and practical mental tool you can use to maintain a high level of motivation in your ski racing. For some very elemental reason, people respond to goals in a very deep and personal way. The experience of setting a goal, working toward a goal, and achieving a goal has a [...]
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 [...]
Ski racing is one of the most difficult sports to master because it’s one of the few that you can’t do locally all year round. Think of sports like baseball, tennis, swimming, the list goes on. You could conceivably practice these sports literally every day, thus giving you the reps you need far sooner compared [...]
It happens every winter. In December, January, and February, I get calls from national team athletes and parents of young racers who are struggling mentally in their ski racing, and they have big races coming up. They want me to somehow fix them quickly. Though I think I’m pretty good at what I do, I’m [...]
Yes, the 2022-23 race season is over and you are looking back at it with either pride or disappointment. Whichever emotion you feel, please do feel it (deeply) for a little while, then put the past behind you and turn your gaze to the future, meaning next season. Being the best ski racer you can [...]
Road.cc, the highly respected cycling website, just published a very complimentary review of my latest book, The Complete Guide to Cycling Psychology, co-written with Mark Beaumont, the world's greatest adventure cyclist. Highlights of the review: Insightful read for both recreational and competitive cyclists, combining theory and real-life examples Well structured – split into manageable sections [...]
With COVID-19 in our rearview mirror this past race season, ski racing in the U.S. and worldwide returned to some semblance of normalcy, with training and race opportunities again in abundance. Unfortunately, at the same time, another global problem, namely, climate change, has made training and racing more challenging, with too much snow in the [...]
Let’s begin with an exercise: I don’t want you to think about a pink elephant. What did you do? Well, you thought of a pink elephant, of course. But don’t think about a pink elephant, don’t think about a pink elephant, don’t think about a pink elephant! Does that help you not think about a [...]
In two recent posts, I discussed the training and race situations in which you want to listen to your body and when you want to ignore your body. In this article, I’m going to share with you some ideas about listening to your mind. I’ve just finished my fifth week of a six-week high-volume, high-intensity [...]
This article offers you a “two-fer!” I will describe my own personal experience with bike fitness testing while also highlighting the psychological benefits of the technology behind it. I’ve been doing FTP testing for three years now. Since beginning to work with my coach, Dr. Greg Rhodes, the last two tests involved a more sophisticated [...]
