Mental training makes a champion

Mental Nygaard
In long-distance skiing, as in all endurance sports, physical fitness is a key factor in an athlete’s performance, but without great mental capacity, one cannot succeed. The skier must be mentally strong and tactically skilled to defeat their competitors. Some are born fearless fighters, and others crumble under pressure, but one can continually develop their mental resources.
In long-distance skiing, as in all endurance sports, physical fitness is a key factor in an athlete’s performance, but without great mental capacity, one cannot succeed. The skier must be mentally strong and tactically skilled to defeat their competitors. Some are born fearless fighters, and others crumble under pressure, but one can continually develop their mental resources.

Mental training is a term in today’s sports that all professional athletes are familiar with. Many athletes perform mental exercises in their daily training programs but do not focus on developing their mental resources. Mental training uses various techniques and methods to strengthen an athlete’s mental capacity

Fundamentally, mental training deals with the direct effect of psychological processes on movement. This includes specific cognitive strategies to optimize movements. This is achieved by repeatedly going through the movement or performance in one’s mind but without performing it simultaneously.

The broader concept of mental training used today also includes all the emotional states related to competitive sports. The comprehensive definition of mental training includes areas such as concentration, motivation, mental strength, and mental preparation for competition.

Naturally, each athlete has different mental strengths and weaknesses, but generally, stage fright or the stresses brought on by performance pressures during competitions are an athlete’s worst enemy. Mental training can help remember one’s peak performance when it matters most during the competition. As the competition approaches, the athlete can return to that best competition situation and visualize that moment’s emotional state. Meditative music can also be used to achieve optimal relaxation before the competition.

It is also important to remember that the tension before a race and the stress brought on by performance pressures are essential for the athlete so they can tune into their upcoming performance. Athletes experience a similar pre-performance tension as many performing artists, who have admitted to suffering from severe stage fright before the moment of truth. 

If this state of mind disappears entirely so one no longer feels nervous, the performance may become too routine. Then, the body does not tune to the “right frequency,” and the performance may turn out to be a lax, half-hearted effort. The be-all and end-all is to learn to control the tension and turn it into a positive resource that allows squeezing everything out of oneself. Tension and stage fright are part of sports and performance, so one must learn to enjoy them. Many retired athletes say it is precisely the pre-competition state they miss most in their ‘civilian’ life.

Mental training also ensures that the athlete’s focus does not wane during the race. One of the most important goals of mental training in long-distance skiing is to keep the mind, so to speak, together without forgetting its current goals, which can quickly fade from the mind after hours of skiing. The skier must stay focused for a long time; sometimes, the mind can shift to mundane things. Specific mental exercises can prevent this unwanted loss of concentration. In addition, mental training can also have a positive impact on other areas of life. For example, it trains concentration and decisiveness in school or work life.

Here are some helpful mental exercises that can help you become a stronger skier. The founder of the German Mental Trainer Academy, famous mental coach Andreas Mamerow, has a couple of great tips for those who want to strengthen their mental capacity.

Clear goals: Clearly formulated goals lead to better performance in competition. Vague goals are often in the way of athletes and teams. Athletes and teams know what they are training for and how they can achieve it only when clear goals are set.

Learn to activate your potential: Remembering the feeling that arises when you have achieved your peak sports performance can help you in competitive situations.

Positive affirmations: These help cope with failures while staying motivated. Write short, positively formulated sentences in the first person and present tense. Example: “I think positively,” “I am focused.”

Say “stop”: This exercise helps stop negative moods and lack of self-confidence. As soon as you realize you’re thinking: “I’ll never make it” or “Others are much better than I am,” imagine a stop sign and say to yourself, “Stop!”

Correct self-assessment: Mental strength exercises often involve practicing realistic self-assessment, such as anticipatory training. A possible exercise for this could be as follows: how long can you hold your breath? Then, make an estimate and check how long you can hold your breath. The more accurate your original estimate is, the better you can assess your sports performance. When you know precisely what you have and don’t, you can accurately measure your performance. It gives you a lot of self-confidence.

This article was originally published in July 2022 and updated today. Read more articles related to training here on ProXCskiing.com

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