On Tour With Kaylin: Prep your mind for success

The November Colorado camp is what I like to call a double-edged sword or even a paradox. I love it because there is so much excitement with the competition season right around the corner; the buzz and flurry of everyone trying to reap maximum benefits during this last little block of preparation. Yet I also dislike this camp because there is so much excitement with the competition season right around the corner.
 
THE NOVEMBER Colorado camp is what I like to call a double-edged sword or even a paradox. I love it because there is so much excitement with the competition season right around the corner; the buzz and flurry of everyone trying to reap maximum benefits during this last little block of preparation. Yet I also dislike this camp because there is so much excitement with the competition season right around the corner.
    No, you did not misread that. I love competing, but with racing comes anxiety and pressure. I don’t care if you are the most relaxed, nonchalant individual on the planet: Once you get to a certain level of competition, everyone wants to win. That want alone is a sign that you have put a certain amount of pressure on yourself, even if it is only through the vehicle of expectations. I continually struggle with this mental aspect of ski racing and probably will for the rest of my career. I have learned how to deal with it better as I mature, but it is still in the back of my mind at the beginning of every season: Will I do well? I hope I’m not slow, etc.
    I think that young racers are always surprised to hear that many of the things I worry about when it comes to racing are the exact same things that they fret over. When you are a professional and race World Cup, some may argue that there is more at stake. I disagree. I wanted to win just as badly when I was a J3 as I do now. That hasn’t changed. Take heed parents, and be sensitive when your child is dealing with disappointment because even if it is just a little regional race to you it may have felt like a World Cup to them.
    I am a huge proponent of keeping things in perspective, but everyone deserves a little time to be sad if they don’t reach a goal or perform as well as they would have liked. However, after you give them sufficient time to mull it over, remind them that it is just sliding down a hill on two wooden boards. That’s what my dad always told me, and when ski racing is put that way it reminds you that it would be ridiculous to measure your self worth on such flimsy terms.
    When the race season arrives I always try to relax and remember to have fun with skiing.  What I get to do is so awesome — hundreds of people perfectly prepare a hill for me to ski down as fast as I can. I know plenty of die-hard skiers who would commit crimes to have that privilege.  So, when I start to feel a little anxious about how I am going to do, I remind myself that I have worked really hard and done everything I could in this prep period to be successful. That bolsters my confidence and helps me relax.
    Worrying the night before a race is purely wasted energy because nothing you can do at that point will aid you the next day. That was all set in stone months before. But feeling a little nervous right before your run isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It is simply a reminder that you are doing something you care about. When I get in the start gate, all I focus on is the course and I trust that I will do it well because I have prepared for that moment. If the race doesn’t go according to plan and I am not fast, it is for a reason. A key step on my road to improving is recognizing that I made a mistake and then learning from it so that I’m less likely to do it next time. My otherwise disappointing performance then becomes a stepping stone that will hopefully help me succeed in the future. Every sport is filled with its many clichés, and I am guilty of using them. If you do your best at that moment on that particular day, that is all you can ask of yourself.
    Good luck to everyone this ski season, and I urge you to do your best in whatever endeavor you choose, whether it is skiing or otherwise. That is what I always try to do.
    For now, Kaylin

Thanks to my sponsors:
Volkl, Tecnica, Marker

U.S. Ski Teamer Kaylin Richardson will contribute to skiracing.com all season. Also check out Kaylin as part of Down Time: The Summer Sessions, our Web video series debuting in November. Got a question for Kaylin? E-mail  info@skiracing.com with the subject line KAYLIN.