Pre-Race Nerves
"Being nervous isn't bad. It just means something important is about to happen" -Michael Jordan
Leading into a big race it can be easy to second guess your training and preparation. Everyone does it! With the taper in full swing, the decrease in volume can seem quite abnormal after pushing hard for many months on end. Your body is used to being in a sympathetic state (fight or flight) mode, and shifting out of that high stress mode can come with a variety of emotions. So what are the best ways to calm these pre-race nerves and develop confidence in your ability to execute on race day?
#1: Mental Imagery: The weeks/days leading up to a race imagine the race as you would want it to unfold, turn by turn, hill by hill, and then rehearse what will be going thru your head when things get tough. What will you be telling yourself? Do you have a mantra that you will repeat to yourself? What ways do you deal with the discomfort of racing? These are all questions to answer, and will be big advantage over your competitors that solely depend on their physical preparation. It will also instill a sense of confidence, knowing that you have "been there, done that"!
#2: Decrease Social Media Usage (Strava, Instagram, FB, etc..): During training social media can be a great way to gain inspiration and motivation to train hard, which is fine! But as you approach your race, disconnecting from what others (competitors) are doing will help you focus on YOUR pre-race preparation, which is crucial. Constantly checking social media will most likely only result in second guessing your own training, and add more anxiety leading up to the race. Don't be fooled by others who have to do last minute training sessions to boost their confidence, they will most likely arrive on race day FIT but FATIGUED, which will only result in a sub-par performance.
Besides this fact, providing yourself a mental break from screen time will also give your mind a much needed rest, and allow you to have more time for meditation and mental imagery.
#3: FOCUS on enjoying the experience: You have put in the hard work, now it is time to HAVE FUN! Why do we all do this crazy sport!?.... because we enjoy testing our limits, the amazing experiences that it provides, and the satisfaction in succeeding in something we have worked so hard for. When you are within weeks of your race, there is no more fitness to be gained, but rather just fine tuning and maintaining what you have developed in the weeks/months prior. At this point just embrace what you have done thus far, and give it your honest best effort on race day! That is all that you, your family, and your coach are looking for YOU GOT THIS