Petter Northug and the importance of belief
It was the 2010/11 season, a World Championship on home soil in Oslo, in the country’s “own sport,” cross-country skiing. Petter Northug had just delivered a catastrophically bad start to the season, and good advice was hard to come by.He therefore contacted a man who supposedly had “warm hands” and could deliver therapeutic effects that science has yet to explain.
He spoke with the man for over an hour and fell asleep on the way home. Supposedly, he woke up and headed straight for an interval session on his hometown roller ski track, feeling stronger than ever and declaring the season officially open.
Going from not being able to run uphill and struggling with stairs to winning three gold and two silver medals under maximal pressure is sports performance at its highest level. It demonstrates that having belief in what you do is crucial for realizing your potential in the real world.
Training is a clear example. It can be broken down into a few simple rules that anyone can apply with great results. You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to understand why volume is important, especially if you have been in the sport for a while. Yet, many of the best athletes still use coaches to plan their training. Coaches provide so much more than just words on paper; many athletes rely on them to elevate belief in their process. Having a coach you truly trust is key to laying the foundation for future success.
I have personally felt the difference between a plan I believed in and one I didn’t. All the small choices you make when you have conviction compound over time. Everything compounds. Your low phases don’t become critically low because your belief builds resilience and motivation. You can see the finish line and your goal approaching on the horizon.
Maybe it was this psychological shift that made Petter go out and completely dominate those intervals in the woods of Meråker. Who knows? But it shows that sports, results, and competition are about so much more than Hbmass and cadence. Often, the final step to glory sits somewhere right between your ears.