Photos: athletes running Eliteam and Mikaela Shiffrin lifting Peter Lange

The off-season is underway, and you’ll likely hit the gym and the slopes in the next few months.

Though getting the miles on snow is very important, a key focus during the prep season should be building your fitness, which is the foundation for all your other ski racing efforts. Because ski racing has evolved into a power sport in the last few decades, you’ll need the necessary strength, agility, and stamina to achieve your goals, no matter how good you are technically, tactically, or mentally.

The problem is that, for most young racers, conditioning isn’t all that fun; it can be downright tiring, boring, and, yes, painful. You may not be too psyched to work out as hard as you should. I have heard this complaint twice recently from young racers I’m working with. Both knew they should be in the gym regularly, but when it came time to head out the door, they couldn’t pull the trigger as often as they knew they should. Plus, when they got to the gym, they couldn’t seem to push themselves as hard as they knew they should.

Don’t feel too bad if you think this way because even the most successful and committed racers don’t always enjoy their time in the gym. Whether it’s Ted, Lindsey, Mikaela, or Bode, conditioning isn’t always fun and is often excruciating. Each of them makes a choice and you can choose too.

Pay Now or Pay Later

Before I describe some practical strategies you can use to get and stay motivated this off-season, I want to share a perspective that I hope will be a wake-up call and act as a kick in the pants for when you’re just not feeling your conditioning mojo. I call it “You pay now or pay later.” Let me explain.

You will pay for what you do or do not do this off-season during the next race season in one way or another. You can pay now in the currency of fatigue and pain by committing daily to your conditioning and putting in your best effort in all your workouts.

There are several benefits to paying now. First, your ROI (Return on Investment) will be significant because your higher fitness level will improve your ability to ski fast. Second, all that suffering will make you feel tough and confident when you get in the starting gate next winter (a former coach of mine at Burke, Chris Jones, told me years after I graduated that a lot of the conditioning we did wasn’t physically necessary, but he wanted us to believe that we were the strongest and toughest athletes on the hill).

The alternative is to pay later in the currency of emotional pain. I’m talking about the disappointment, frustration, and regret you will feel after a race, a race season, or your career because, as you reflect, you realize that your ski racing might have turned out differently if you had paid earlier in physical currency during your prep-period workouts.

And here is the kicker that should convince you it’s better to pay now than later. The physical pain won’t last much longer than the end of the workout. However, the emotional pain you will feel from failing to achieve your goals because you didn’t pay earlier can last a lifetime.

Getting Motivated

I hope my explanation of ‘pay now or pay later’ is enough to get you out of bed or off the couch and into the gym with a passionate determination to put in the time and effort necessary to achieve your ski racing goals. It’s easy to say you want to pay now, but that bed or couch can be hard to resist when it’s time to get up and head to the gym. So, here are a few practical strategies you can employ to help you start to pay now.

Focus on your long-term goals 

To be your best, you must put a lot of time and effort into your ski racing preparations. But, as I noted above, there will be times when you don’t feel that motivated. Also, during a set of power cleans, your body will yell at your mind to “STOP!!” because it hurts so much. If your mind listens to your body, you will ease up or give up.

You must ensure your mind controls your body, not vice versa. When your body says “STOP!!”, your mind must say “GO, GO, GO!!”

When you feel this way, focus on your long-term goals. Remind yourself why you’re working so hard. Imagine precisely what you want to accomplish and tell yourself that the only way you’ll be able to reach your goals is to continue to work hard.

Try to generate the feelings of inspiration and pride you will experience when you reach your goals. This technique will distract you from the discomfort, help you focus on what you want to achieve, and generate positive thoughts and emotions that will get you through the challenging parts of conditioning.

Also, imagine how you would feel—lousy!—if you didn’t achieve your goals due to lack of effort. That alone should get you off your butt and into the gym!

Make it fun

Conditioning doesn’t have to be repetitive and boring workout routines in the gym. These days, with an emphasis on functional fitness, you can make significant physical gains while doing things you love. No, bowling and golf probably won’t cut it. However, road cycling, mountain biking, trail running, parkour, motocross, Crossfit, gymnastics, yoga, and martial arts, among others, can help you build your fitness while having a great time. Adding some variety to your workout program can remove some of the monotony of physical training and enable you to look forward to your workout sessions.

Have a training partner

It’s challenging to be always highly motivated on your own. Some days, you don’t feel like getting out there. Also, no matter how hard you push yourself, you will work much harder if someone pushes you. That someone can be a coach, personal trainer, or parent. However, the best person to have is a regular training partner with a comparable skill level with whom you can work together to accomplish your goals. The chances are that one of you will be motivated on any given day. Even if you’re not psyched to do five sets of squats, you will still exert a significant effort because your partner pushes you to do those last few painful reps in each set.

Focus on your most significant competitor

Another way to motivate yourself is to think about your most significant competitor. Identify your biggest competitor and put their name or photo where you can see it daily. Ask yourself, “Am I working harder than them?” Remind yourself that only by working your hardest will you have a chance to beat your most significant competitor next season.

A big part of staying motivated involves generating positive emotions associated with your efforts and achieving your goals. A way to keep those feelings is with motivational cues such as inspirational phrases and photographs. If you come across a quote or a picture that moves you, place it where you can see it regularly, such as in your bedroom or on your refrigerator door. Look at it periodically and allow yourself to experience the emotions it creates. These reminders and the associated emotions will inspire and motivate you to continue working hard toward your ski racing goals.

Motivational cues

A big part of staying motivated involves generating positive emotions associated with your efforts and achieving your goals. A way to maintain those feelings is with motivational cues such as inspirational phrases and photographs. If you come across a quote or a picture that moves you, place it where you can see it regularly, such as in your bedroom or on the refrigerator door. Look at it periodically and allow yourself to experience the emotions it creates. These reminders and the associated emotions will inspire and motivate you to continue working hard toward your ski racing goals.

Daily questions 

Every day, you should ask yourself two questions. When you get up in the morning, ask, “What can I do today to become the best ski racer I can be?” Before you sleep, ask, “Did I do everything possible today to become the best ski racer I can be?” These two questions will remind you daily of your goals and challenge you to be motivated to become your best.

The heart of motivation

A final point about motivating yourself during prep-season conditioning: The techniques I’ve just described effectively increase your short-term motivation. Motivation, though, is not something that can be given to you. Instead, motivation must ultimately come from within. Whether you ski race because you want to win an Olympic gold medal someday, have fun competing, love skiing with your friends, or enjoy seeing what you are capable of, you must feel it deeply and express it every time you work out. You must want to be the best ski racer you can be. You have to want it really badly!

So, the choice is yours. Do you want to pay now or pay later?