Nordic Combined Canada

Hi,

My name is Wesley Savill, and this is my Blog.

The Nordic Combined is a very difficult sport, combining the quick twitch explosion of the Ski Jumping and the endurance and power of the Cross Country skiing. I requires a very special athlete to be able to succeed at the top level. Not only is it extremely physically demanding but the combination of the two is very mentally straining as well.

Carole (Scott’s Wife/team nutritionist) suggested to me before leaving on this trip to Grand Prix that I read a few books on sports psychology, so on the reading list is Thinking Body, Dancing Mind. TaoSports for extraordinary performance (Chungliang Al Hung, Jerry Lynch, Bantam books, 1994), a book on mental fortitude and the ability to perform at your best. It has provided a lot of incite into the inner workings of something that in the past has not received a lot of development. I looked forward to introducing some of the ideas that I have learned into my training and competition routines.

This past week in Oberstdorf was my first opportunity to test out some of my new mental preparations. The results however expected are very good to see. I was very happy with how quickly I was able to adapt to a hill that I have never jumped before, an then progress with my jumping just another little step forward. So carrying these newfound skills into the competition I had a renewed sense of confidence and prowess that I had not experienced in all my years of competing.

The first event was the perfect opportunity to test my mental strength when arriving to the hill with the winds starting to swirl, and having had the opportunity to watch this all day. I was able to get past my typical mental blocks and get to the top of the hill in a much better mental position to jump and perform(not that it mattered though since they ended up using the provisional jump from the day before). The ski was one thing that I was very nervous for, the race was very difficult from the getgo since I have not had a race that I have been at all happy with. It started much the same as all the races this summer before, slow, weak and lacking tempo, however at lap 3(of 6) I was able to find a little rhythm and strength. This was a very good feeling to have, and gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of the race but two laps later I was lapped by the leader and forced to pull out. This didn’t phase me though

The Sunday was a little different day, after a better jump and a little luck from the wind gods I found myself at the start line in a better place to ski from. So in preparation for this ski I made a few changes to the warm up, and mental attitude to help me do a little better then the day before. It started really well, feeling good and ready to ski, but three-quarters through the first lap I lost my balance going round a corner and flew off the side of the track off a little roll and through some thistles. Not what I would call the best race strategy, but I found the strength to pick myself up off the ground and finish the race. Not the best day I have ever had, but I learned a lot about myself and the mental and physical strength that is required.

The events in Oberstdorf have taught me how to better play the mental game, the mental strength that I need to perform better. I am very happy with what I have learned so far and am looking forward to taking these techniques and taking them to the next level. I hope that these new techniques will continue to develop and mold me into a much more mentally fit athlete and continue to improve my skiing as it has this past weekend.

Thanks,

Wesley Savill

Ps. I understand that this is a week old, I have just been having a few technical problems