May 2008

Overcoming Race Day Nerves

Turn race day nerves into race day confidence

By Dr Victor Thompson, London-based Sports Psychologist and triathlete 

Experiencing stress before a race is common: bad sleep the night before, waking early, difficulties getting breakfast down, frequent urges to go to the loo, worries about what might go wrong, a thumping heart while we stand still... These experiences can be unsettling. Why do they happen? 

They happen because:

1. The race represents a test and we may fear that we'll fail to perform compared to others or our own standards (i.e., finish time or position), or

2. We fear some catastrophe (e.g., getting punched in the face during the swim, losing our goggles or drowning; crashing on the bike...)

When we arrive at the race site, our body's arousal is boosted further by the race environment - hearing the pump-you-up music blaring out of a PA system, or seeing lean, mean and excited (and stressed) triathletes. This increases the chance that our arousal level spills over into stress or anxiety - where it can become a problem.

What's so bad about pre-race nerves?

How to tackle pre-race stress

Before race day itself, try to catch and challenge any threat-focused thoughts you have about the race...

What do I really not want to happen to me in the race? (e.g., drowning, crashes, getting beaten, letting others down...)

Rank these from most to least worrying.

Rate how likely each is to happen (0% to 100%)

Can each situation be viewed differently?
e.g., less likely, less threatening, something you could cope with, something that is actually manageable...

Can any steps be taken to reduce the chance that each situation will occur or to reduce any negative impact it might have?
e.g., wear the wetsuit more so you cope with the tightness and sense of claustrophobia easier, learn to navigate in open-water better, develop better bike-handling skills, do a 10K flat-out run to become more confident in your run, do a pre-race ride in race setup...

Then there are useful tips for race day itself

Take control of your breathing: slow deep rhythmical breaths, focus on slowing-down your breathing, body and thoughts, focus on you, not on any other madness that may be going on around you

Challenge those thoughts
Catch any negative predictions and unhelpful thoughts, then counter them with an alternative that you have already prepared (e.g., turn the thought "my body is on edge, a sign that something is going to go very wrong" into "my body is up for this, ready to go when the gun goes off")

Refocus
Switch your focus from aspects that are making you feel more stressed onto something less stressful.

Move
Stretch, walk, jog, or warm-up for the swim while noticing how ready you are for the race

Follow your routine:
Gain confidence from following your preplanned routine in the lead-up to the start

Recall success
Relevant successes in training and races, see how they show that you are ready

Recall your goals
Achievable and desirable goals for the day. Remember to make sure these are doable and include something about enjoying the day and learning from it. This way your goals won’t add even more stress.

Use these tips to prepare for any race nerves so they don't get in the way of enjoying your day and a great performance

Dr Victor Thompson
London-based Sports Psychologist and triathlete
07979 622537
help@sportspsychologist.co.uk
www.sportspsychologist.co.uk