These are instructions, it’s a framework. Make it your own…

Let’s start with a goal, a big goal: U-18 Cup, World Juniors, NCAA’s… Becoming an Astronaut

• To get there you will need to ‘win’ races at Senior Nationals. Maybe you don’t need to be first but you will need to place pretty high overall.
• To do that you’d need to ski faster than a lot of other skiers. Fast skiers.
• Being able to ski faster than other fast skiers means you probably need to be on or very near the podium at other races like super Qs.
• To be faster than those fast skiers you probably need to be on the podium at races like JNQs.
• To podium at JNQs you need to ski the fastest.
• To ski the fastest you need to be 1% faster than the next fastest skier.
• If that skier is 2% faster than you on a downhill, you need to be 3% faster than them on the uphill.
• To be 3% faster on the uphill you need to stay in v2 for 20 seconds longer.
• If you can do 20 seconds you can probably do 30 right?
• To stay in v2 30 seconds longer you need to be able to sustain that pace
• To sustain that pace you need the ability to believe that you can sustain it.
• To be able to believe it you need train for it. To have been there before and know you can do it now
• You also need to believe that 30 seconds matters and makes a difference. That the pain is worth it. That the pain is what actually gets you there and sets you apart
• To stay in the pain longer you need to optimize your technique. To be more efficient, use less energy, and stay there longer.
• Optimizing technique… if you weren’t 2% slower on the down, 3% faster on the up puts you 5% farther out.
• 5% farther out puts you closer to that next fastest skier.

This may not be totally correct, or in the right order. There are likely many more points to be added here and there and in between. The more bits you can add in between probably everywhere. 

For example:

• To sustain the  30 you need to have fueled the body.
• To fuel the body you need to make sure the right foods are available, there to eat and drink
• To be mentally tough you need a good warmup
• To get a good warmup you need a warmup plan
• And soforth..

The main point is this. You should be setting big audacious goals. You should even think beyond your big goals to the ones farther out. Maybe just making World Jr’s is good but what about beyond that? 

BUT – you can’t set big goals and then just hope they happen. I know this is obvious and you probably already know it, but I think it’s sometimes easier to look to those big goals and gloss over the inbetweens. If you can point them out, line them up, and knock them out you ARE ON THE PATH.

So set up your own goal ladder. Break it down as deep as you want. Then start knocking each one off. 

This ladder doesn’t start this spring after the season. It starts today.