It's endurance-racing season in the Midwest and along with the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat come pre-race jitters! Pre-race nervousness is a common experience, and I believe it has two main causes. First, racing is stressful on the body. Regardless of the number of miles you log during training, it's natural to second guess your training regimen and your physical ability to perform. The second cause of pre-race anxiety is the fear associated with both failure and success. It's takes months of training to successfully complete an endurance event so becoming emotionally invested is required in order to compete at a high level.
So how do you overcome pre-race anxiety to ensure your performance isn't sabotaged?
1) Identify your primary source(s) of jitters and address it. For example, if your primary fear is that of failing to achieve your goal, shift your mindset from an outcome to a process orientation. Then, in the days and hours before the event, concentrate on executing your pre-race plan which will enable you to give your best effort.
2) Understand that as long as anxiety doesn't get out of hand, the physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety prime the mind and body for extraordinary effort. Athletes who understand the potential benefits of a little pre-race nervousness don't seek to avoid it.
3) Get experienced. The best cure for pre-race nerves is racing!
Hopefully, this advice will help you as you achieve your PR this fall! Good luck!
Jake
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