When nothing goes well... - Snowboarding Forum

yojik · 11-25-2011, 08:12 PM

How do you get it together mentally when things take a turn for the worst?

Conditions at Stevens were really awesome today but I just couldn't get it together. On my first run, started with a bad jump off a small cliff on the Hogsback lift line, and then I got stuck in a tree well on the same run near the bottom. Neck deep pow in a well that had me fighting for 15 minutes and sucking out my energy. I was demoralized.

Went to Skyline to take a quick lap and they opened 7th Heaven right after I started down...Was bummed I missed the first chair since those runs are my absolute favorite on the mountain. Tried an ollie with a grab off a big sidehit and slammed hard when I misjudged my speed.

Hearing the buzz at the bottom, I hustle back up to the chair and then biff it again off the damn unload due to getting clipped by an inexperienced rider making an aggressive toeside turn out of this binding and washing into my deck. I wasn't expecting it and ended up falling pretty hard and cursed my lack of attention. I think it could have been prevented but I wasn't focused and hoping my luck would change. The run I did get was pretty good but I was all over the place and didn't feel solid.

Think my board needed a tune as edges were struggling to hold on the really bare tracks and fell enough to want to sleep in the barn for being such a donkey.

Nothing went well today and it really impacted my form / confidence. I felt sluggish, lazy, and undisciplined.

I settled for taking a few laps on the green to work on butters and switch with my girlfriend who is a beginner in every sense of the word. That was ok but all I could think about was the beginning of the day and my inability to react in several situations. It's like my mind was stuck on all the bad instead of letting it go.

I know that bad days are inevitable the more you ride, but what do you guys do when things start getting bad? Grab a beer? Go to your favorite run and work it? Practice tricks you are trying to dial in and stay off the steeps?

Tech420 · 11-25-2011, 08:20 PM

Grab a beer and relax, then crank the music.

The Donohoe · 11-25-2011, 08:25 PM

haha when I get that way, I get a mentality that just makes me push harder and harder, probably not the best thing but I start to go big. Go big or go home on those days...

hunterxaz · 11-25-2011, 08:42 PM

I had a day like that a couple weeks ago. Went off groomed runs and hit a bunch of powder on an uphill incline, had to unbuckle and wade through powder and I was exhausted. Almost packed it up and called it a day, but I just took a break and realized how lucky I was to be where I was, and kept going.

**Donutz** · 11-25-2011, 10:51 PM

I just sit down and force myself to relax and breathe for about 5 minutes. The forced inactivity 'breaks' the tension that can be winding you tighter and tighter with each mishap.

ThunderChunky · 11-25-2011, 11:02 PM

I love days where I just keep slamming the same as days where I land new tricks. I don't know why, but I enjoy falling. It's kinda refreshing, like when you jump in really cold water. Not gonna lie though, I'm pretty weird though. After I fall like htat I usually just sit for a minute or too and think "It could be WAAAAAAAAAAAY worse"

2813308004 · 11-25-2011, 11:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThunderChunky

I love days where I just keep slamming the same as days where I land new tricks. I don't know why, but I enjoy falling. It's kinda refreshing, like when you jump in really cold water. Not gonna lie though, I'm pretty weird though. After I fall like htat I usually just sit for a minute or too and think "It could be WAAAAAAAAAAAY worse"

If you fall at bottlenecks and stay there I hate you! But yeah, I know what you mean about how refreshing it is—it's like one of those "I'm alive" moments.

Jenzo · 11-25-2011, 11:17 PM

Every sport in the world has days like that, even when I am jogging or biking sometimes I feel weak as shit and wonder if I am going back in time, then have days where I power through and make personal bests. Who knows maybe your body was just overworked or dehydrated, something as simple as that can throw a person. Don't be so hard on yourself over it, just enjoy the moment and the fact that we are some of the luckiest people on the planet to be able to do this sport!

linvillegorge · 11-25-2011, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tech420

Grab a beer and relax, then crank the music.

Best advice ever given on this forum.

I've got a buddy I ride with who gets all pissed when he's not riding well. It's like, dude... we do this shit because it's FUN! If you're not riding well that day (hell, it happens to all of us), just have a good laugh at yourself, pull the flask (and or one hitter) out of your pocket, and drink/toke your way through the rough patch.

Kwanzaa · 11-26-2011, 02:04 AM

Just tell yourself you know your better than this and youll get it next time. honestly i get 1 run a day where im in the fucking zone and absolutly destroying, the rest of the time i ride like poo, today i fell a half dozen times doing lame shit like ollieing on a traverse or just doing a shoulder check.

I never get down about it because i know that im capable of doing far better than the crappy run i might be doing, or eating shit on a 1 foot ollie because ive already proven to myself im better than that.

11-25-2011, 08:12 PM	#1 (permalink)
yojik Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 64	When nothing goes well... How do you get it together mentally when things take a turn for the worst? Conditions at Stevens were really awesome today but I just couldn't get it together. On my first run, started with a bad jump off a small cliff on the Hogsback lift line, and then I got stuck in a tree well on the same run near the bottom. Neck deep pow in a well that had me fighting for 15 minutes and sucking out my energy. I was demoralized. Went to Skyline to take a quick lap and they opened 7th Heaven right after I started down...Was bummed I missed the first chair since those runs are my absolute favorite on the mountain. Tried an ollie with a grab off a big sidehit and slammed hard when I misjudged my speed. Hearing the buzz at the bottom, I hustle back up to the chair and then biff it again off the damn unload due to getting clipped by an inexperienced rider making an aggressive toeside turn out of this binding and washing into my deck. I wasn't expecting it and ended up falling pretty hard and cursed my lack of attention. I think it could have been prevented but I wasn't focused and hoping my luck would change. The run I did get was pretty good but I was all over the place and didn't feel solid. Think my board needed a tune as edges were struggling to hold on the really bare tracks and fell enough to want to sleep in the barn for being such a donkey. Nothing went well today and it really impacted my form / confidence. I felt sluggish, lazy, and undisciplined. I settled for taking a few laps on the green to work on butters and switch with my girlfriend who is a beginner in every sense of the word. That was ok but all I could think about was the beginning of the day and my inability to react in several situations. It's like my mind was stuck on all the bad instead of letting it go. I know that bad days are inevitable the more you ride, but what do you guys do when things start getting bad? Grab a beer? Go to your favorite run and work it? Practice tricks you are trying to dial in and stay off the steeps? Last edited by yojik; 11-25-2011 at 08:16 PM.

11-25-2011, 10:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
Donutz Drunk with power...er beer. Join Date: May 2010 Location: Vancouver, BC, Canada Posts: 3,663 Blog Entries: 176	I just sit down and force myself to relax and breathe for about 5 minutes. The forced inactivity 'breaks' the tension that can be winding you tighter and tighter with each mishap. __________________ Illegitimi non carborundum Mountain Days: 30

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11-25-2011, 08:20 PM	#2 (permalink)
Tech420 -LIFETIME MEMBER- Join Date: Jun 2011 Posts: 491	Grab a beer and relax, then crank the music.

11-25-2011, 08:25 PM	#3 (permalink)
The Donohoe Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Fairfield, ID Posts: 55	haha when I get that way, I get a mentality that just makes me push harder and harder, probably not the best thing but I start to go big. Go big or go home on those days...

11-25-2011, 08:42 PM	#4 (permalink)
hunterxaz Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 32	I had a day like that a couple weeks ago. Went off groomed runs and hit a bunch of powder on an uphill incline, had to unbuckle and wade through powder and I was exhausted. Almost packed it up and called it a day, but I just took a break and realized how lucky I was to be where I was, and kept going.

11-25-2011, 11:17 PM	#8 (permalink)
Jenzo Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Vernon, BC Posts: 819	Every sport in the world has days like that, even when I am jogging or biking sometimes I feel weak as shit and wonder if I am going back in time, then have days where I power through and make personal bests. Who knows maybe your body was just overworked or dehydrated, something as simple as that can throw a person. Don't be so hard on yourself over it, just enjoy the moment and the fact that we are some of the luckiest people on the planet to be able to do this sport!

11-26-2011, 02:04 AM	#10 (permalink)
Kwanzaa Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 268	Just tell yourself you know your better than this and youll get it next time. honestly i get 1 run a day where im in the fucking zone and absolutly destroying, the rest of the time i ride like poo, today i fell a half dozen times doing lame shit like ollieing on a traverse or just doing a shoulder check. I never get down about it because i know that im capable of doing far better than the crappy run i might be doing, or eating shit on a 1 foot ollie because ive already proven to myself im better than that.