“Why Not Me?”

By Published On: January 15th, 2015Comments Off on “Why Not Me?”

How Liz Stephen became a tour de force at the Tour de Ski

On Jan. 11 just a day before her 28th birthday, Liz Stephen skied into history as the strongest American finisher ever at the Tour de Ski, a seven-stage cross country World Cup event that’s considered the toughest racing in the sport. The Tour, entering its ninth year, holds a special place in a World Cup racer’s career, on par with overall World Cup wins or World Championship medal. While still catching her breath, Liz Stephen described the experience to the USST and Ski Racing.

You’ve dialed in your goal at the Tour de Ski with a top five. The final race looked super well-paced and smooth. Talk a bit about your strategy on the hill climb.

My strategy is always to ski the flats on the way to the climb strong, but not to waste too much energy on that section, because there is plenty of climbing to come that will take care of any extra energy that you were able to conserve on the flats. It worked out really well for me today, as the group of girls who started just behind me caught me in the stadium and led for the entire flat section until we took the left hand turn to head up the Cermis — could not have been better.

With the climb itself, my strategy was to try and catch Ragnhild [Myklebust]. She started about 50 seconds ahead of me, and I really wanted a fourth place today. I think I may have gone a bit too hard in closing the gap to her, but I was feeling good at the bottom of the climb and up the first steep pitch. But man, after just a year away, I forgot how steep that thing really is and I was not able to really drop her at any point. It made for, I would say, my best finishing fight ever and she was stronger than me up the last little pitch at the end. But what a fun day it was.

Any thoughts on what allowed you to make this jump this year? Training? Ski prep?

I’ve been increasing the training load in a conservative way each year since I was a junior with a few setbacks a couple of years ago, and I did that again this summer and prep period. Honestly, I haven’t made any huge changes on the physical side, but the mental side of the racing has taken a really strong turn in a positive direction.

So much of racing and competing is the immense, unshakable belief that you have to have in yourself as well as a strong desire to win. Until this year, I have not been able to feel these sensations in a real way, nor in a strong enough way to be able to fight back when Ragnhild passed me back today. I would have exploded mentally, which would have made me take a colossal slide physically as well. But I’ve worked hard, with a lot of help from fellow competitors, teammates, my sport psychologist, my coach, and my friends and family on really believing in myself and knowing I can be one of the best in the World.

GEPA_stephen2Credit GEPA

Before this year, I didn’t understand how I could be both a person dead-set on winning a race, as well as be a caring, lighthearted, fun, supporting teammate and person. But I now understand how to balance both. You don’t just have to be one or the other. You just have to chose your moments, focus in on them, and chose some moments to be selfish and dial in what you need to do to perform at your best. This year I finally am beginning to learn how to do this. As Kara Goucher says, “Why not me?”

You’re a veteran now of the World Cup. Your classic skiing is drawing even with your skating; you’re killing it on all fronts. What’s next for you this season and beyond? What are your goals?

I have big goals for the 10K World Championship skate race and the 4 x 5K relay. I really want to come home with a medal in the relay because I want this team, as it is right now, to share a podium moment. We have such a special thing with this group of people right now — staff, athletes, supporters — and I would love to be able to share a World Championship moment with all of them. As for the 30K classic, I think with the right skis, on the right day, with the right course, I could be in there, so I’m keeping the 30K high in my sights after yesterday now as well!

You’ve developed as a skier consistently over the years. For racers wanting to follow your lead, what advice can you give on progress and development in skiing?

Believe, believe, believe. Work on building quiet confidence with your coach, your family and competitors and teammates. I really think that the mental side of being a competitive racer is a huge part of it all and is often overlooked in the prep period, especially because we spend so much time and energy on getting in the hours of physical training that is also so key.

Get in the hours, but just be calculated with your time and make time, even during your training sessions, to challenge your mental abilities as well. But of course, most of all, before you get out of bed every morning, decide what kind of day you are going to have. Smile, enjoy the moments and make sure that you don’t take for granted this time of life that you get to live.

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About the Author: Andrew Gardner

Andrew Gardner owns Press Forward, a communications firm based in Vermont with clients in sport, sustainability, health and wellness. You can find him at the Rikert Touring Center near Ripton, Vt., during lunch time most days in the winter.