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EVENTS
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
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Need to be mentally aware
Updated: Tuesday May 29, 2001 4:04 PM
Jen Davidson, 29, is one of the top brakemen in the world. The Utah native has paired with driver Jean Racine for the past three seasons to form a powerful bobsled team. For more on Davidson and Racine see bobsledgirl.com. The two-time World Cup champions are in the process of training for the 2002 Salt Lake Games. Check out Davidson's diary on CNNSI.com as she prepares for the Games.
May 29, 2001
A friend recently asked me, "What's the one thing you need to win gold next February?" It's taken me a couple of weeks to evaluate what I really think will put me on the podium. There are so many things that go into our training and performance that it's difficult to narrow it down to just one. After careful consideration, I think the one thing that I need more than anything else is mental awareness.
I need to be mentally aware of my body and its health. I can't afford an injury to set me back at this point of the game. I'm still nursing an injury that's nearly two years old. I've also had issues with my back ever since the World Championships in February. Ironically, this is the best I've felt since 1999. I'm functional and able to do almost everything I want to do training-wise. But I constantly have to tune into the feedback that my body is giving me in order to adjust my workouts or take recovery time. I need to be mentally aware during each training session in order to maximize the benefits of that workout. Without a focus in the gym, the weights don't go up as easily, the technique gets sloppy and the workout takes forever. After all my years running track, it's easy for me to slip into autopilot mode during sprint workouts and get through the workout without much thought. An awareness on the track enables me to focus on my mechanics and perform the drills in a way that's most beneficial for bobsled, not track and field. I need to be mentally aware of the politics happening around me. Jean and I have to take a proactive stance in order to ensure that we have every opportunity to be successful when the time comes. The politics of the sport is something that I'd rather not have to be involved with. But I've learned that things are going to happen. So I can choose to have a voice and take a stance, or to let things happen to me. It's a fine line between being aware of the politics and letting the politics become a distraction. I try to only be involved with the issues that absolutely require my attention. I need to be mentally aware of my environment. I need to realize when it's time to abandon a plan that may not be working and then make appropriate changes. I need to be aware of the people I surround myself with and realize their influence and effect on my training and mood. And I need to be mentally aware of my own attitude in order to stay positive and confident. This challenge is without a doubt the greatest endeavor I've ever wrapped my life around. It requires such a unity of awareness, focus and concentration. A quote by Vince Lombardi sums up what I think it will take to be successful at the Games: "The difference between men is in energy, in the strong will, in a singleness of purpose and an invincible determination. But the great difference is in sacrifice, in self-denial, in love and loyalty, in fearlessness and in humility in the pursuit of excellence and in the perfectly disciplined will. Because this is not only the difference between men, this is the difference between great and little men." 254 days to go. Catch the speed. -- Jen
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