We’ve discovered a major problem with my skiing.  (I know there are many) …so I suppose saying we made a discovery into a major flaw with my ski training would be more suited.

What is this significant discovery you might ask?

Well turns out I don’t think when I ski.  and when I say don’t think…I mean I don’t think about skiing!  Or atleast very rarely.

Its great, I can go on 3 or even 4 hour workouts and be content, no ipod hanging from my ears.  Just me and my wandering mind.  I’ll think about barns I see and how cool it would be to live in a barn.  Turtles and how neat they are as I dodge pieces of the unfortunate ones on the road.  I’ll think about the books I’m reading.  An assignment that is due.  The money I don’t have. I’ll think about mountains I want to hike and if its hot I’ll obsess about water.  If I’m hungry my thoughts turn to food which always leads to an odd intense craving for sprite and popsicles.

I let my mind roam as I breeze along only to look at my watch and discover that I’ve already been moving along for an hour.  Great right?  ….guess not.

I’m spending all this effort into training.  Into getting better, faster, fitter, stronger, tougher… and I’m missing a key component thats screaming at me.  I don’t think.  Atleast not about the right things. I lack focus.  A focus that I need to find if I want to make the improvements I so desperately seek.

I was told recently, “Corrine I’m just asking you to think about skiing for two hours!  You have another 12 hours in a day to think about turtles and pie!”  Yep. I need to find my focus.

I’ve found that I focus really well in training sessions that are broken into sections.  Combos, intervals, strength specific skiing.  Built in focus, I manage to think about my arms and legs and core and ankle bend until I get distracted by the next shiny object.

It might seem small. or obvious. you might be fighting the urge right now to shake me and scream “WHY HAS THIS TAKEN YOU SOOO LONG!?!?!”  but I swear I’m working on it.  I’m trying.  I’m using my mind for good.  and hopefully, slowly, it will get easier for me to stay focused through out my work outs and really benefit from this new found concentration.

I ask you to kindly remind me every once in a while. To focus.  To ask what I’m thinking about when my technique gets lazy.  Prompt me back to focus, and I’ll do my best to install the blinders.