Endurance athletes spend so many hours training and preparing for the physical aspect of racing that they often forget about the mental fitness that is also required. This used to be one of my biggest flaws as an athlete. I would be more than adequately prepared for a 2k erg test or a 100m free race but I would psyche myself out and do poorly. Years of racing have calmed me down a bit and I am able to handle race day nerves much better than my hyperventilating 12-year-old self. However, this weekend I will be tackling not one, but two semi-unknown races. The first is Derby Sweeps and Sculls, where I will be rowing in the single for the first time. The second is Rebel Race New York, a 5k run and obstacle course. Even though these races are very different from each other and from races I have done in the past, I know how to handle my nerves to the best of my ability. Here are my ten tips to keep race day nerves to a minimum.
Have A-B-C goals. Set three different goals for yourself, ranging from an A goal, or the best possible scenario, through to a C goal, an acceptable finish. Also, know what a race means for your racing season. For example, Rebel Race is just a random race that my brother wanted me to do with him because he thought it would be fun. I have no intention of winning, I just want to finish in order to enjoy my free beer and finisher’s medal. I don’t need to have an A or B goal, because the race is a C race for me. However, Derby is important to me. I want to have a good racing experience because, in terms of rowing after college, the single is my best option. I would love to be top 3, my A goal, but if I cross the finish line with a good start and good sprint and row a straight course without going swimming (my C goal), I will be satisfied.
Double check all equipment. In triathlon and rowing, equipment is vital. It’s possible for me to swim without goggles and a cap or even run without shoes, but I am not going anywhere without a functioning bike or shell. In the first triathlon I did, my goggle strap broke two minutes before my swim wave went off. Goggles are easy to fix, bikes and shells are not. I like to double check everything so that I can be confident in the fact that, if anything should break, it’s not because of my lack of attention to detail.
Wear something comfortable. This seems like a no-brainer but I think people sometimes go a little crazy with over-thinking a race day outfit. The first piece of advice I got when I started triathlon is “never wear anything brand new on race day”. Train in everything that you might race in. My outfit for Derby and Rebel Race is going to be the exact thing that I train in every day: black spandex shorts and a white tank top. I know it’s comfortable, and as an added bonus, I know I look good.
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| Rockin' the white tank and black spandex at Crash-B's, February 2011 |
Know as much as you can. Getting to a race late because of not knowing the parking was a 30 minute walk to transition or realizing the morning of that your GPS doesn’t recognize addresses located on state routes causes unnecessary stress. I like to know as much as possible about the venue and race rules beforehand. Sometimes certain places have funky rules that might throw you off if you only learn them on race day. I like to pick my packet up the night before if possible. That way, I can scope the course set up and meet some friendly volunteers who might be more willing to have my back on race day.
Have a routine. The weirdest thing about doing triathlons for me was travelling to a race by myself. I’ve always raced with a team. However, I stuck to my race day routine as best I could to combat the weird feeling of not having my teammates around. I made my coffee with skim milk and sugar, listened to my acoustic Eric Clapton and ate some oatmeal and half a power bar. Sticking to the regular routine that I follow with my teammates helped calm my nerves and get me into the racing mentality.
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| Oatmeal with raisins and apples, my favorite pre-race food! |
Pack the night before…and pack extras. I like to lay everything out and double check it before I pack. Then I know that everything is going into the bag at the same time. If I pack over a span of a couple hours or rush around to pack the morning of, I am more likely to think that something is in the bag when it’s not (i.e. my unisuit, Dad Vails 2010). I also try to pack extras of easily misplaced things like socks. That way, if I meet someone else who is also forgetful, I can make a friend by sharing.
Breathing exercises aren’t just for yoga instructors. Of all the tips I’ve researched, this one comes up the most. Personally, I just like focusing on my breathing because it gives me something to focus on besides the “what if” game. Also, slowing your breathing helps calm the Sympathetic Nervous System, which is what causes our fight or flight response. Calming down the SNS allows you to use energy more efficiently instead of wasting it on stressing out.
Positive thinking. This is definitely hardest for me to do. My brain loves the “what if” game and often enjoys “what ifs” erring on the side of failure. My main workout partner (one of the most mentally tough people I know) often tells me that I just have to turn off my brain and get on with the workout because too much thinking quickly becomes too much negative thinking which leads to a negative result. A lot of people like to walk themselves through the perfect racing scenario but I prefer to think about all the hard work I’ve put into my sport. I know that I might not be the most gifted athlete out there but I know that I have put in the hard work and time. This gives me confidence to make it through a race successfully.
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| Marist College's Erg Room: where the hard work happens |
Practice to the best of your ability. I like to simulate a race situation as much as possible in order to give myself confidence that I can handle every part of the race and execute my race plan. Before I tried my first triathlon, I practiced transitions over and over (much to the confusion of the Marist men’s lacrosse team, who had conditioning near where I set up my fake transition area). I wanted to have the muscle memory of going through those specific steps. In order to prepare for Derby, on Tuesday, my practice consisted of rowing 5x1k at just under race pace. If all else fails on race day, I can at least be confident in my ability to complete 1000m in the single. As far as Rebel Race goes, I don’t plan on climbing a mountain of mud over and over but I am confident in my ability to run three miles without stopping. Knowing both of these things will definitely calm my pre-race nerves.
….but be prepared to handle anything. It’s true that anything can happen on race day. The people who perform well through unexpected mishaps are not the ones who are thinking “THIS ISN’T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN” but rather the ones who are thinking, “Okay, that happened, what am I going to do next?” Even with massive amounts of preparation, crazy stuff can still happen and someone with the ability to handle it without stress can still perform well on race day.
In my opinion, preparing for anything that could happen as much as possible is the best way to calm race day nerves. However, I feel that Laura Farres, a mental performance consultant with the Canadian Sport Psychology Association and founder of Mind in Motion Consulting Inc. in Vancouver, sums it up best:
“You get there and feel the jitters and all sorts of things can happen,” says Farres, “You have to be prepared for potentially any challenges that might occur.”
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