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POSTED IN 01/10
Kristina Trygstad-Saari
Contributing Editor
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Sport, as with any time-consuming and rigorous endeavor, requires a fine balance of mind and body. Maintaining this balance can be a delicate matter, but doing so is crucial for long-term success and general well-being.
The physical intensity of ski racing is obvious; athletes train up to 900 hours per year in order to attain optimal fitness. However, the mind plays an equally, if not more, important role in the process of training and competing, and it is important to be as actively in touch with your mind-set just as you would with your body.
Although sports psychology is a complicated field, there are simple ways to “train” the mental side of sport and maintain a healthy outlook on training and racing.
The simple task of getting back to the basics and figuring out why you really enjoy skiing and ski racing can be a jumpstart to a healthy outlook on the sport; knowing why you are putting mental and physical energy into a given activity is a start to a solid psychological foundation.
This self-understanding can have a tremendous impact on your overall performance, both in your daily training routine as well as during the competition season.
Given the individual aspect of cross-country skiing, each athlete must be self-motivated; it is up to the athlete to identify where his or her motivation comes from and knowing why you do something is the first step in discovering the root of motivation.
As simple as it seems, take a minute and do some self-interrogation. Ask yourself why you ski and why you race. Is it your intense competitive appetite or do you simply love the healthy lifestyle?
Do you need to accomplish athletic goals to be fulfilled or are you content with being a relaxed participant?
Do you train for the process or are you strictly goal-oriented?
These are the questions we must ask ourselves, first, to have faith in what we are doing, and second, to be able to formulate goals.
Once we are aware of why we are putting our energy into skiing we can feel confident throughout the training process, especially during the challenging times. Understanding why will also give us insight into what we need to accomplish to be satisfied and content with our effort.
Individual sports give us the liberty to decide how far we want to go and what we want to attain for ourselves. We have the freedom to set our own goals, and it is important to understand that there is no “ultimate goal” but rather endless possibilities for what we can do through skiing.
As in any career, there will always be times of frustration and self-doubt, and these are the moments when we must be confident in our plan and reassure ourselves of what we intend to accomplish.
Motivation wavers, and having a mental “off” day can be distressing; having confidence in your goals can be difficult during these moments, but these are the times when it is most important to know why the sport is important to you.
This process of constant self-inquisition and self-reminding is key in keep your motivational momentum rolling, and being in touch with your motivational level on a daily basis will only make you more aware of what you need to do to keep this motivation high. Think of it as building up motivational reserves to dig into on the days when motivation is lacking.
Triggering positive mental energy might take something as simple as visualizing that perfect classic track when you’re out on a grueling roller ski.
These “triggers” will vary from athlete to athlete, but the key is being able to visualize something that reminds you of why you are out there.
I decided to focus on this simple concept of self-reflection because I wanted to share something that has helped me turn my skiing career around.
The intensity of the sport can pose many, many challenges for the athlete and it is crucial to be able to overcome these obstacles.
Although my career has taken an entirely different path than I had anticipated, I have finally comes to terms with what skiing means to me and why I have dedicated so much energy, especially mental energy, to this sport.
Sure, there are always going to be times when I’m unsure of this commitment, but knowing why I’m out there provides reasons to stay out there. I have had my share of ups and downs with racing but have come out of it all knowing the importance of skiing to my sense of self-fulfillment. I know why I complete each workout and why I start each race.
Even the bad days play a part in knowing why you’re out there. The obstacles help to confirm your belief in yourself, giving you greater strength in the long run. The ability to draw from this self-understanding is what allows you to overcome the inevitable challenges along the way.
On any given day, your mental outlook will have a tremendous influence on your physical performance and ability to focus; having confidence in what you are doing and why you are doing it is a major step in the right direction. A little self-reflection can carry you a long way. And the trail will be better for it.
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