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Articles
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Mental Toughness
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Jim Safianuk
http://www.new-dating.com/search.php
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Being tough mentally will put you in control of your thoughts. You need to tell yourself over and over that you're in charge, not the ski hill. This will help develop the right attitude and keep a lid on you anxieties.
Focus
Focus allows you to break up the run into smaller tasks so you can zoom in on the next two or three turns. The pause, approach, divide and conquer technique should help you pick a line, set the tone, and focus on the immediate.
Pause: Take a moment or two to size up the terrain and pick a line appropriate for your skill level. If you wait too long you will give your subconscious mind a chance to take control. To avoid this anxiety trap, stop, survey the terrain, pick a line, and push off with your poles. This sequence should take between five and ten seconds to complete.
Approach: Develop the correct turn radius early. This should occur within the first three or four turns. This sets the rhythm and gets your legs pumping. You want to be moving at a constant speed with good balance over your skis.
Divide and Conquer: This method will break up a difficult run into manageable tasks. After the approach always look two or three turns ahead if you are on the steeps, two or three bumps ahead if you are in a mogul field, or two or three trees ahead if you are on a glade run. Looking ahead will allow you to quickly alter your course for any unusual conditions. This technique takes practice to learn, but once mastered, will prove invaluable.
Summing Up
The mind and body have to work in unison to ski black diamond runs safely and effectively. Condition your body in the preseason for peak performance on the slopes. To ski strong, you have to be strong. In addition, strive to master the mind techniques in stages. You need to be mentally tough and focused to keep your anxieties in check.
Make an effort to ski thirty percent of all runs on more difficult terrain with an even split between steeps, glades, and moguls. You will know when you have reached an expert level because you will be the one in the descent of that forty degree, un-groomed, glade run.
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Jim Safianuk
http://www.new-dating.com/search.php
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