Cross Country Skiing

Commit with your whole heart, no matter the timing - advice for success

Hey Michael. What is my single best piece of advice in life? I really like this quote that my mom shared with me years ago about basically if you have a committed heart, you're going to make something happen. Even if the conditions aren't perfect because often times in life, the timings never exactly right? You know, like, for example, at the Olympics, I had food poisoning 30 hours before the timing was not right? But if you really want something to happen, it's Worth committing your whole heart to it and committing everything you have and really going after it. So essentially if something is worth doing to you then go all in and really just commit to it because then, you know, that you've really tried and you've given it your absolute best shot and you don't have to wonder, you know, what, if I had tried this, what if I had just done it, you know, you know, I tried it. Here's what happened. And you get to live at peace with that answer. So, even if If it's not the outcome you wanted, you know that you gave yourself the best chance of success in whatever it is that you're going after. So yeah. Basically the advice I would give is if you if you want to commit to something commit with your full heart. Even if the timing isn't right and just see how far you can take it.

If you want to commit to something, commit with your full heart and see how far you can take it.

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My single best advice in life is to have a committed heart. This quote, shared by my mom, has stuck with me over the years. It means that if you truly want something to happen, even if the conditions aren't perfect or the timing isn't right, it's worth committing your whole heart to it and giving it everything you have.

Life often presents imperfect circumstances, just like when I had food poisoning before the Olympics. But if something is truly worth doing to you, then go all in and commit to it wholeheartedly. By doing so, you can rest assured knowing that you've given it your absolute best effort. You won't have to wonder what if because you'll have tried and can live at peace with the outcome.

Even if the result isn't what you desired, you'll know that you gave yourself the best chance of success in pursuing what you truly wanted. So, my advice is to commit with your full heart, even if the timing isn't right, and see how far you can take it.

How do you handle being in so much pain during a race?

Mastering Mental Toughness: Overcoming Pain in Endurance Sports

Hey, so how do I handle being in so much pain during a race? This is like the mother of all questions for cross-country, skiing and Endurance Sports. And honestly, honestly, it's really mental because physically your body has its own limits, but your brain has its own idea of what it can do or not do. So the biggest thing is I come up with a mantra and a mental goal Before the Race, well, before the race starts of what am I going to say to myself? When the going gets really hard, What am I going to remind myself of? And usually it will be something like how do I want to feel the Finish? Because when I crossed that Finish Line at the end of the race, I want to be able to honestly look back and know that I could not have given more of myself and I'm the only one who's ever going to know but I'm going to also be my harshest critic, right? And so I want to look back and know without a shadow of a doubt. I left it all out there. I don't have to wonder what if I tried as hard as I could and I did. Back down. I went all in on this especially if it's a relay where my teammates career goals are on the line, not just mine. So that's one thing. And then the other thing I do is in the moment, I try to really break it down to being in the moment. So if your 5K into a 10k race and you're in a lot of pain, I don't worry about how am I going to get through the next 5K? I just think about right here, right now, how fast can I see up this hill? The pace that I think I can sustain and sometimes I literally break Down to 10 seconds. And I just count to ten over and over again because you can do 10 seconds of anything. And then I try to reset and ski the next 10 seconds as well. And efficiently as I can,

To handle being in a lot of pain during a race, I come up with a mantra and a mental goal before the race starts. During the race, I try to break it down to being in the moment and counting to ten over and over again.

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Handling intense pain during a race, especially in endurance sports like cross-country skiing, is primarily a mental challenge. While your body has its physical limits, your brain plays a crucial role in determining what you can push through. 

To cope with the pain, I develop a mantra and mental goal before the race begins. I remind myself of how I want to feel at the finish line. I strive to give my absolute best, leaving no doubt that I couldn't have given more. Being my own harshest critic, I want to know that I went all-in and didn't hold back, especially in team relays where my teammates' goals are at stake too.

In the midst of the race, I focus on being in the present moment. Instead of worrying about the remaining distance, I break it down into smaller increments. For example, if I'm 5 kilometers into a 10-kilometer race and experiencing significant pain, I don't think about how to get through the next 5 kilometers. Instead, I concentrate on the current moment and set a pace that I believe I can sustain. Sometimes, I even break it down to counting to ten repeatedly, focusing on each ten-second interval. This helps me reset and ski as efficiently as possible.

By employing these mental strategies, I can navigate the intense pain and push through the challenges of the race.

How do you deal with anxiety about living up to high expectations, from yourself or others? 

Conquering anxiety: Setting goals, seeking support, celebrating wins

Hi Elena. This is a really great question and it's a tough one. It can be really hard to manage anxiety with these high expectations internally and externally. So here's some of the things that I do and I hope they're helpful. One of the biggest things is at the start of every race season. I sit down in the spring with my coach and I make a master goal list. I have my goals for the whole season. Here's what I want to work on and they're pretty much all processed go. Balls. Yeah, there's some outcome goals like I want to, you know, compete at World chance. You know, I want to try to be consistently scoring points in the world cup but mostly it's well, how am I going to do that? You know, how do I need to train, what technique things do? I need to work on and then how am I going to do that? So let's say, I need to get better at herringbone in classic, that means I need to create on snow opportunities. So when I am on snow, I really focus on that and maybe every time I classic ski, I spend 10 minutes. It's just doing some herringbone drills and I specifically asked coaches for feedback and I get video and I review the video. So then I have this plan, you know, I have this goal, I have this plan and it's very defined. And so one of the best things is I make this big goal list and then I've shared it with myself and also, with the people on my team who are around me, who want to support me, they know what I'm working towards, and that also really helps, because then the expectations, you know, I've had a chance to set up Here are my expectations. Here's what I'm working on. I love for your help for you, to support me in these things. But here's what's important to me. So that hopefully they know. Okay, if these are the things she's working towards, I'm not going to say well here's what I think you should be working towards. I'm going to support you in what you've clearly set out, you know, as your goals for you, and then the other side of that is, if their process goals, celebrate the wins along the way, make sure that we don't lose the celebration of small, Winds, I think that's really important. So, every time you take a step towards your goals, really like write it down Journal about it, share it with your coach, share it with a friend celebrate, all those winds along the way to make sure that it's not only the big Milestones, that we celebrate and look forward to. And that helps me a lot to manage those expectations because I feel like I'm in charge of them.

When it comes to managing anxiety with high expectations, I like to make a master goal list at the start of every season and share it with people who are supporting me. I also focus on celebrating all the small wins along the way towards my goals.

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Dealing with anxiety about living up to high expectations, whether from yourself or others, can be challenging. Here are some strategies that I find helpful:

First, I start each race season by sitting down with my coach to create a master goal list. This list includes both outcome goals, like competing at World Championships, and process goals, such as specific training techniques I need to work on. By focusing on the process, I can develop a clear plan for improvement.

Sharing my goals with my support team is also important. They know what I'm working towards and can provide the right kind of support. This helps manage expectations because they understand what I have set out to achieve and can offer assistance accordingly.

Additionally, celebrating small wins along the way is crucial. I make sure to acknowledge and appreciate every step I take towards my goals. Whether it's writing it down in a journal or sharing it with my coach or a friend, celebrating these milestones helps maintain motivation and prevents solely focusing on the big achievements.

By setting clear goals, sharing them with my support team, and celebrating progress, I feel more in control of managing expectations and reducing anxiety.

Breaking Free: Overcoming Self-Criticism and Embracing Imperfection

Have I ever been too hard on myself? Oh boy. Have I ever one of the biggest things I struggled with actually, especially during my eating disorder time or the time, when it was the hardest for me, was the fact that I was, I was trying to be perfect. I felt like, I had to be the perfect athlete. I'd eat, you know, perfect Athlete Nutrition. I had to do everything perfectly, every training session had to be the best ever, and that's just not realistic. That's just not Human. And I think I really, really struggled with that. I was putting these unrealistic expectations on myself and then of course, not living up to them because I'm not perfect, I'm a human. And so I think that was, that was a really hard time for me. And I think I realized I need to accept myself for who I am and let go of the things that, you know, I let go of these unrealistic standards and, you know, still have goals. Still work towards all these things, but celebrate the little victories along the way. And I think sometimes, when we lose our way, it's, you know, you're only allowed to celebrate these major Milestones. Then, I don't missing all these awesome. Awesome small victories along the way. So I think one of the things I've learned and tried to absorb is celebrate. All the steps along the way, don't just wait till the end to celebrate, like, celebrate all the little things and that helps me to not be so hard on myself, but But, do you answer your question? Yes, I have definitely been too hard on myself many times and I try to learn from it.

Yes, I have been too hard on myself in the past. In order to be kinder to myself, I have tried to learn to celebrate the small victories along the way instead of waiting until major milestones are achieved.

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Have I ever been too hard on myself? Absolutely. One of the biggest struggles I faced, especially during my eating disorder period, was the constant pressure to be perfect. I felt like I had to be the ideal athlete, following a perfect nutrition plan and delivering flawless training sessions. But that level of perfection is simply unrealistic and not human.

I placed these unattainable expectations on myself and, as a result, constantly fell short. It was a challenging time for me. Eventually, I realized that I needed to accept myself for who I am and let go of these unrealistic standards. I learned to celebrate the little victories along the way, rather than only focusing on major milestones. By doing so, I could appreciate and acknowledge the progress I made.

To answer your question, yes, I have been too hard on myself numerous times. However, I strive to learn from those experiences and remind myself to celebrate all the steps along the way. This mindset shift has helped me be kinder to myself and avoid unnecessary self-criticism.

Are eating disorders common in professional athletes? What do you think contributes to this?

Athlete Eating Disorders: Genetics, Environment & External Pressures

Yeah, they are common. I think some of the factors that contribute are because they say like genetics loads, the gun and environment pulls the trigger. So if you are someone, who is already genetically more primed to have an eating disorder and then you happen to be in a sport that is a, maybe it's an endurance sport, where power-to-weight ratio is a big factor, maybe you're in an aesthetic Sport with judging like figures skating or gymnastics. I think there are external pressures that can help, you know, pull those Eating Disorders to the surface and a lot of athletes. I also think a lot of the same factors that make you a prime candidate for an eating disorder, like maybe very type. A maybe you have a lot of perfectionistic Tendencies. Those are also things that can help you in athletics, you know, that sort of that, that Very strong drive that desire to get it right. Do everything work more and harder. Those things can serve you on Sports but they can also be the same things that you're eating disorder can thrive on and use to help survive. So I think those are the things that contribute to it and the single biggest thing, I think to helping get out of an eating disorder is asking for help going to medical professionals and You know, as soon as you realize something might be going on ask for help. Don't wait the sooner that you can start reaching out for help and working with a professional to get to the root of why you feel like you need to use these behaviors the sooner. You can start on recovery.

Eating disorders are common in sports due to genetic and environmental factors such as a power-to-weight ratio focus in endurance sports, and judging criteria in aesthetic sports. The best way to start recovering from an eating disorder is to reach out for help right away and work with a professional to get to the root of why you feel like you need to use these behaviors.

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Yes, eating disorders are common in professional athletes. Several factors contribute to this phenomenon. Genetics play a role, as individuals who are genetically predisposed to eating disorders may be more susceptible. The environment in which athletes find themselves can also contribute. For example, endurance sports that emphasize power-to-weight ratio or aesthetic sports with judging criteria like figure skating or gymnastics can create external pressures that exacerbate eating disorders.

Additionally, many athletes who are prone to eating disorders may possess traits that are beneficial in their sport. Traits such as being highly driven, perfectionistic, or having a strong work ethic can serve them well in athletics. However, these same traits can also fuel and enable eating disorder behaviors.

Seeking help is crucial for recovery from an eating disorder. It is important to reach out to medical professionals as soon as one realizes that something may be wrong. The sooner individuals seek help and work with professionals to address the root causes of their behaviors, the sooner they can begin the journey towards recovery.

What do you think are some general keys to success?

Keys to Success: Set Goals, Make a Plan, Build Your Team

Hi, Joanne has some general keys to success that I found to be really helpful. Our first of all, have some goals, and a plan. So you wouldn't just get in the car with no idea of where you're going, or maybe. I don't know. But personally, I like to have a road map. I like to know I'm trying to get from point A to point B. Here's my plan. Here's how I'm going to get there. That really helps me to have some Direction, with whatever it is that I'm talking like, have a plan and then, Build your team. And so, I don't, I really don't think anything important in life is ever achieved alone. And so I think it's really important to know, hey, who's my support network? Who are my teammates in this? Who's my coach, you know, if it's whether it's a project work initiative, musical Endeavor, or a sporting thing, you know, you still want someone to instruct you and guide you and help you and give you feedback when you need it and you want teammates to have your back and support you along the way.

Have some goals, a plan, and build a team. Having a plan and support network is important to achieve anything in life.

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Some general keys to success, as Joanne mentioned, are having goals and a plan. It's important to know where you're headed and how you're going to get there. Just like you wouldn't get in a car without a destination in mind, having a roadmap can provide direction and clarity.

Another key is building your team. Achieving anything significant in life is rarely done alone. It's crucial to have a support network and teammates who can provide guidance, feedback, and support. Whether it's a project, a musical endeavor, or a sports activity, having someone to instruct and guide you, as well as teammates who have your back, can make a significant difference.

By having clear goals, a well-thought-out plan, and a strong support system, you can set yourself up for success in various areas of life.

Jessie Diggins answers your Cross Country Skiing questions. See all the advice Jessie Diggins has and get answers to your own Cross Country Skiing questions.