Last week we published an article by Liz Stephen of the US Ski Team. She talked about training – keeping it interesting, training hard, training fun. And then she lets us know what it is all about –
“I climb a rope” Liz writes, and goes on to say:
“The sport we have chosen is one in which we must be among, if not the, most fit people in the world. Sure, this means physical training, but I believe that we must be mentally tough beyond all else. We must be able to get to what I call the red zone, the level of mental intensity where stars appear and thoughts wash away. I can’t get there in every race or time trial, perhaps with great success only a few times a year. But I’m trying to get there more often. The point is, I believe the mind needs to be trained as aggressively as the body, with the pure goal of getting tougher. So I climb a rope. After every strength session I climb, hand over hand, no feet, and try to reach the top. That’s it. Some days I make it, and some days I don’t, but the task is always the same: To get tougher. Do pull-ups until you can’t feel your arms, and then do another one. Run through a blackberry patch without stopping. Swim in a glacial lake because it’s cold. Bungee jump. It doesn’t matter what it is, it just matters that you push yourself. Leave your comfort zone. Every 5 days or 6 weeks, or 24 hours, that challenge is there, staring you in the face, and the only question that is whether you’re in, or you are ALL IN.”
So what do YOU do to get tougher – to push your limits and leave that comfort zone? Write to us at info@fasterskier.com, and we will publish the responses.
Related on FasterSkier.com:
What’s your Rope?
