One of the most consistent challenges I face while training is knowing when to push harder versus when to take a step back.
I’m naturally a bit stubborn and really dislike accepting defeat (which is what taking a step back sometimes feels like to me), so I often fall victim to attempting to just ‘try harder' when things start to go wrong. This works in some cases, but often with skiing, this has led to me digging an even deeper hole for myself.
This can manifest itself in many different ways, but recently I've been struggling with this when it comes to how many runs to take.
I used to simply just take as many runs as possible in a session. But recently I’ve realized that this isn’t always the most productive approach and quality > quantity is a real thing!
So now that I have to consciously decide how many runs to take (instead of just automatically taking as many as possible), I’m faced with the very difficult decision every day of just how many runs is the magic number.
This gets a bit more complicated for me during intense speed training because I don't just have to think about 'is this run going to be productive or not’, but I also have to take safety into consideration. Going 80 MPH requires a bit more focus and commitment, and naturally the stakes are a little higher as well.
This has been particularly challenging recently with downhill training, because we only get about 8-10 downhill training days total in a prep period, so every run makes a MASSIVE difference. But I've been in a bit of pain since my crash last week and my body is definitely working in overdrive to heal, so I'm not able to push my body as much as I'd like or am used to. And so I've struggled even more to know how hard to push.
As I reach the end of each of our sessions, I've found myself going back and forth in my mind: should I take another run, should I not? Can I make progress or is my body too tired. Do I have the mental energy to ski a full length downhill run safely? Is the fact that I’m asking myself these questions a bad sign?
Unfortunately, there's no definitive answer to these questions. And that's why it’s such a challenging decision!
There are certainly sometimes when the only option is to push more, try harder, dig deeper (ie. in the middle of a race series), but there are also times when this no longer becomes productive.
As someone who is naturally inclined to just keep pushing through, I will admit that there’s definitely been some days that I regret taking that last run (but there are other days that my last run is the fastest even when I am exhausted!). I’ve been using my Oura ring data to be a bit more objective with just how well I’m recovering, but honestly it’s been hard to hold my self accountable even when the numbers start dropping off and telling me I need to tone down the volume.
I (think) I'm getting a little bit better at knowing when the diminishing returns on productivity start to happen, while also finding the energy to dig deep and get as much out of every day as possible, but this is certainly a work in progress for me, so I’d gladly accept any advice or tips :)
Quick Update: The Zermatt-Cervinia speed races both got cancelled, so it turns out that staying in Copper for extra training was a good idea, which is always nice when luck works on your side. So the first women’s speed races will be St. Moritz Dec 6-10.
Trish - I thoroughly enjoy reading your updates from the road and absorb every word. I really respect your self analysis skills. Keep at it. You are a winner. Wishing you a super season from all the Andisons.