Wouldn’t it be great if ski racing had a formula that you could follow to be successful? Imagine if you had a list of things you simply needed to do (for example: get into shape, hone your technical and tactical skills, get your equipment dialed in, tune your skis) and, voila, you would have a 100 percent chance of skiing your fastest and getting the results you want.
Don’t you wish that ski racing was like, say, taking a test in school? There is a formula for that, at least to some degree. You pay attention in class, do your homework, and study diligently for the test. Assuming the test is fair, you have a near 100 percent chance that you will perform up to your capabilities on the test. As a general rule for most students, what you put into school is what you get out of school.
Frustratingly, ski racing just doesn’t work that way. There aren’t the same certainties in ski racing. You can do everything right and you still may not get the results you want. But, one thing is clear. If you don’t do everything you can, you will have zero chance of achieving your ski racing goals.
Which brings us to another supremely frustrating aspect of ski racing. Not only is there no formula for success, there is also no timetable for success. Ski racing just doesn’t unfold the way you want it to when you want it to.
The good news is that you may get great results when you least expect them. That is always a big bonus for your efforts, but it’s definitely not something to count on. The bad news is that the results you want often take much longer than you had hoped for or expected. And, the really bad news is that those results that you devote so much time and effort to achieving may never materialize – that is the inherent risk of giving your heart and soul to ski racing.
The reason why ski racing has no formula and no timetable is that it is a sport that is incredibly unpredictable and largely uncontrollable. There is no way to tell how long it will take to reach your goals or if, in fact, you ever will.
Think of all of those things that create this massive uncertainty and uncontrollability, both within and outside of you. Though you can work out in the gym maniacally, you can’t really control your physical development; you will grow when your body is ready to grow. There is also fatigue, burnout, illness, and injury. Technical and tactical progress definitely comes in fits and starts and doesn’t always immediately translate into results. And don’t even get me started on how unpredictable the mental side of ski racing is, a fact I know firsthand from my own racing days and in my current work with racers.
As far as the external factors that add to the maelstrom that we call ski racing, the list is long. Weather, snow conditions, the course, the terrain, elevation, other competitors, start number, equipment failure, and just plain bad luck can all conspire to ruin a race or a season in which you are supremely prepared to ski your best and get the results you want.
It’s actually quite remarkable that, with all of the uncertainty that ski racing entails, anyone is able to put together one or two runs of a ski race. Yet, we see amazing skiing, though rarely truly flawless skiing, from kids as young as U10s up to the likes of Mikaela Shiffrin, Anna Fenninger, Marcel Hirscher, and Ted Ligety. This realization should give you hope because it shows that it actually is possible to overcome all of those factors that are outside of your control and find success in ski racing (however you define it).
So, in the absence of a clear formula or a defined timetable and in face of all this uncertainty and unpredictability, what can you do to keep yourself committed to your goals? Here are a few ideas.
Let your passion drive you. Your love for the experience of ski racing (e.g., training, travel, teammates, racing) must override your love of results.
Have goals, not expectations. It’s okay to set goals for yourself because they can motivate you. But expectations can create anxiety and pressure that prevent you from ever achieving your goals.
Be patient. Ski racing success can’t be rushed. Instead, give yourself the time to achieve your ski racing goals (it usually takes longer than you think it will).
Have trust. Believe in every aspect of your ski racing including your natural ability, effort, coach, equipment, and program.
Have hope. As I’ve discussed, there is no guarantee that your best efforts will be rewarded with fast skiing, good results, and accomplishing all of your ski racing goals. But hope, namely, the basic belief that if you give your best effort good things will happen, will take you as far as you can go.
Have perspective. If your ski racing doesn’t work out the way you want it to, take the long and broad view of everything you got out of ski racing including amazing experiences, meeting great people, and powerful life lessons that will serve you well throughout your life.
