Looking Forward
When I am on, I mean really on it in a race coarse, looking forward is all I can remember really doing. My break-through race series a couple years ago, I can still close my eyes and see the gates coming at me in G.S. I didn’t inspect any different that week. I didn’t visualize any differently than I normally do after inspection. I just pushed out of the starting gate looked ahead and knew I had the skill to make the turns I needed all the way down.
In my opinion, my eyes are still my best asset to my skiing.( One of the few things I didn’t get from my Dad.) Looking ahead and being able to react to the situation is still what I do very well. But last season, somewhere along the way, I started to let mistakes or misfortunes get to me while on the hill. Where I was looking started to be blinded by where I had been. The mistake that I had made and recovered from earlier in a run would cause me to eventually not finish farther down the hill. In my mind I had to make the time up. I was still looking ahead but my decision were altered because my mind was holding onto the past. The worst part was I started to let previous races or experiences take over my skiing. Before I knew it, I had allowed myself to take away one of the things that I do best.
Tom Sell and I had a long talk about it this summer. Looking ahead became a major focus for me every run. Letting the mistake go and focusing on turn ahead. Letting the bad run go and looking to the next run ahead. Letting the bad day go, taking what I learned from it and looking at the day ahead of me. I finished a record about of runs for me at the New Zealand camp. My skiing was better then ever after that camp. And most of all, I was having way more fun at that camp.
Yesterday I was in the training center getting my knee worked on and working hard to get the muscles around my knee to start working again. I was kind of down a little bit. There were Nor Am slaloms going on, and as I sat there and all I wanted to do was race them. But fantasizing about racing wasn’t going to get my leg working again. So I opened my eyes and looked ahead.
Until next time….keep it smooth..
Will
In my opinion, my eyes are still my best asset to my skiing.( One of the few things I didn’t get from my Dad.) Looking ahead and being able to react to the situation is still what I do very well. But last season, somewhere along the way, I started to let mistakes or misfortunes get to me while on the hill. Where I was looking started to be blinded by where I had been. The mistake that I had made and recovered from earlier in a run would cause me to eventually not finish farther down the hill. In my mind I had to make the time up. I was still looking ahead but my decision were altered because my mind was holding onto the past. The worst part was I started to let previous races or experiences take over my skiing. Before I knew it, I had allowed myself to take away one of the things that I do best.
Tom Sell and I had a long talk about it this summer. Looking ahead became a major focus for me every run. Letting the mistake go and focusing on turn ahead. Letting the bad run go and looking to the next run ahead. Letting the bad day go, taking what I learned from it and looking at the day ahead of me. I finished a record about of runs for me at the New Zealand camp. My skiing was better then ever after that camp. And most of all, I was having way more fun at that camp.
Yesterday I was in the training center getting my knee worked on and working hard to get the muscles around my knee to start working again. I was kind of down a little bit. There were Nor Am slaloms going on, and as I sat there and all I wanted to do was race them. But fantasizing about racing wasn’t going to get my leg working again. So I opened my eyes and looked ahead.
Until next time….keep it smooth..
Will
They say everything happens for a reason, except we never really figure out what that reason is or was? Will you have many great seasons ahead; you will only get better as the days come.
Reality is, how many athletes on or has been on the ski team and has not had knee problems?? Getting healthy and staying healthy is what keeps you focused.
You are getting to experience the life of skiing that most ski racers can only dream about! With that keep your chin up and get your knee strong again!!
Keep a smile on your face!!
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Dear Will,
I believe you are more of an inspiration when you are hurt or down than when you are racing well (not that I don't wish for you that you could be racing and racing well.)
I am in the Burlington,VT airport and they are calling my flight so I better go. We just dropped Wyatt off at Middlebury and spent some time with Forrest. Forrest is doing well and Wyatt, when we left him, a bit like a little lost lamb.
I think I will forward him your blog.
Take care. You are growing into quite a man!
Love, Olivette
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