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Workout of the Week: Visualization - The Virtual Workout
By: Pierre-Olivier Dorego (2006/02/09)
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Workout Type: Technique
Exertion Level: Easy
Skier Level: Any
Technique: N/A
Season: Competitive
Terrain: Flats

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Equipment:

Description:

When it comes to skiing, we do a lot of physical training, but we don’t do nearly enough mental training. That’s why I thought I’d propose a Visualization exercise. There’s a few thing you can visualize that will help your skiing. Visualize, yourself doing a certain technique movement, visualize yourself winning a race… And I’m going to talk about is visualizing a race course.

This skill is really important to master, it’s greatly underestimated. Lots of racers will race on a course without really knowing what’s coming up. The best way to learn a new course is to first get a map of it the week before the race. Study it, try to see where the major inclines are, both downhills and uphills. When you arrive at race site, one or two days before the actual race, you will want to go ski the course with the map and a pen. You’ll mark the actual place of every hill and other technical details such as curves, bumps, laps… Once back at the hotel, or for most of us the motel, look at your map one last time and go eat. Once you’re done eating it’s time to write down what you remember about the course on a peace of paper, if you can complete the course, you’re done for that part, if not, continue work on it… Ok now do you remember the hard downhills you were supposed to mark on your map, close your eyes and imagine yourself going down them. Think of the line you’re going to take trough the curves, think of were you could pass someone else…


Comments:

So that’s my take on course visualization. Like I’ve said before, knowing what’s coming up on the race course is a real advantage. I hope that by reading this a few racers will realize that and take advantage of visualization.

P-O

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