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One of the most overlooked training activities is mental preparation for competition.
It is important to get a positive mental attitude even when under stress that is generated by competition. This section looks at various techniques that can be employed to get a racer's mind prepared for a race.
Create routines
Setting up a routine for competition is an easy way to make a stressful situation feel more normal and keep you more relaxed, reducing anxiety. Every racer should have a routine which is identical from one competition to the next. Typically (arrive, warm-up, prepare skis, course inspect, eat a banana, go up to the top 10 minutes, stretch, warm muscles up, helmet, poles, adjust guards, jumping, deep breathing, focus, get in gate, Go!) By doing this at every race it lets you focus on the race and avoids panic over a missed item such a bib. So why not as part of the race routine remember 6 things: gloves, bib, poles, helmet, guards and skis.
Preparation
To ensure you have everything possible stacked in your favour you need to ensure your edges are sharp, your bases of your skies waxed and polished. Ideally you need at least two pairs of skis at a race; a race pair and a practice pair. Before each run prepare your equipment. Check binding settings regularly particularly if you are growing - test your bindings in a start gate to ensure you don't pop-out at the start. Check your cloths and bib to ensure you don't get snagged on anything. Check shin pads, arm guards, helmet. - You don't want to be fiddling with straps as you approach the start gate. You want to be as ready as possible! Get this into a routine - always put things on in the same order and roughly the same time before a race.
Visualisation
In anticipation for your run you can prepare your mind for the run. In the lead up to the race you can rehearse in your mind what it will feel like on the race day so you get use to the feeling of anxiety and nerves. Visualise the atmosphere and the tension in advance, then when you get to the race day you will feel less nerves or anxious.
On the race day itself, use visualisation during and after course inspection to anticipate the turns and rhythm of the course. Imagine what it will be like to ski the course. Imagine the turns, terrain and the speed you will be travelling, so that when you come to actually ski the course it will be as if you have already had two or three runs on the course.
Then again when you prepare mentally for a Duel Slalom the whole team needs to be prepared and visualise the order, tension and the starts. Practice the scenario.
Focus
As you prepare for your run you need to heighten your awareness, and concentrate. Talk to yourself to remind yourself what you are focusing on, replay the images in your mind over and over again of actually skiing the course. Feel your senses become more alert as you prepare and get in gate. Slow time down in your mind so that a second feels like 3 seconds - As you rehearse things over and over again you can focus in on detail of a turn and extend time mentally in your mind that would otherwise happen in a split second. Pretend to be light on your feet and be in a state of reactiveness - like a goalie posed to save a penalty. Imagine that you have lighting reaction.
Positive attitude
Encourage yourself - keep reminding yourself how good you have become over the last few months that you have put the effort in to do a good run - Imagine it is Christmas or the best day of your life. Take a positive approach to preparing - be excited internally yet calm externally. Look forward to the run - be eager for each gate in particular as you step out of the start gate.
Dealing with a bad run
Inevitably you will at some point ski out or have a bad run - but make sure you learn from it in a positive way - Question why you skied out and make sure you find the correction for the next run. Go slightly slower - ski within your limits next time. But above all, stay positive. There is no need to get stressed by it. Do you remember what you had for a Sunday lunch a year ago - No! Same with a bad run learn from it and then forget it and focus on what you are going to do to on your next run.
Stress control
Depending on your personality racing will either make you feel more excited as you get nervous or make you become more introvert as the race approaches. Either way use breathing out techniques counting backwards from 10. Use talking to yourself as technique described earlier to focus as you approach your run. Make sure you warm up before your run - walk up the slope to warm up the muscles - feel light and springy in your feet as you prepare to launch yourself down the slope. Remind yourself of what you want to achieve, a particular time rather than 1st. Other people can get better as well - and you will be much happier with yourself if you have reached your target time, but not come first for all those races you almost won!
Sportsmanship
At the end of the day sport is about having fun, it may be the adrenaline rush you get, or the buzz of good run, or being with friends - Remember nobody likes a sore loser - throwing sticks and swearing just makes you look frustrated and draws even more attention to yourself - Nobody will have any sympathy for you if you behave badly or are irritable after a poor performance. To get the best out of the team - encourage each other - pat each other on the back and enjoy being with friends.