So today, we had a “time trial” of sorts on the Nor-Am hill we are set to race on this Saturday. It was something just to get us into the mind set of racing and see where we stack up so to speak. We ran top-to-bottom on a 50+ second course which honestly, makes you feel like puking at the end of your run with this thin Colorado mountain air. The star names joining our group for this day of hard breathing were Espen Lysdahl of the DU ski team, and of course, the great Mark Engel of the US C-Team.
Lets get straight to the point. I got my, (excuse my french,) ass handed to me. I got up there, put my ear buds in, got all amped up, and got into my usual mind set. F-ing ATTACK! Kill it, win, win, win. Should have known this by now but, wow, that mind set tooootally doesn’t even come close to working. My skiing today, compared with any other day I have trained was pretty damn shameful. Dropping my inside hand, my timid stance, and acting like the front of the boot was a horrible place to be as I chunder below yet another gate. Where did that leave me where the times were concerned? Over a second off of Mark, and +2 from Espen. Totally awesome! Hahah, daaamit! (I’ll spare you the videos, but if you really want to see them just go to “Follow me” >> Sprongo.)
But it actually, really was kind of awesome. I wasn’t racing. I was training. I was getting into the mind set I thought I should be in and, well that went horribly wrong. I learned I need to take it easy and not get so “psyched up”. I learned that when I chill out and am not being timed, things work out a lot better. I wen’t up for a fourth run today, (some called it quits at 3), and without timing or video (of course) I sent it. It was 15 times better than any of the skiing I had previously done that day and more importantly, re-instilled my confidence that I can actually ski slalom.
I learned that at my first race of the season this Saturday, I’ll leave the earbuds at home.
-Tucker
Life.Love.Skiing. 