Race Day Nerves

This is from a Nordic Skier, however, it fits any type of racing and is a tool we want to make sure everyone has access to.  It is always a good thing to look at and take more control of your nerves and thoughts before a race.  It's OK to be nervous before a race, but we don't want it to control or even ruin your race and not show what you are capable of doing.  If you have questions, please let me know!

5 Tools to help control race day nerves 

 By Holly Brooks 

Maybe you have a big race right around the corner but lately, you feel as though performance anxiety, AKA nerves, have kept you from performing your best. Here are a few tips and tools that I recommend to help get your mind and body working with you, rather than against you! 

1) Welcome the nerves.  Guess what? It’s actually okay to be nervous! In fact, I would argue that if you weren’t nervous, it would be difficult to have a great result. (If you haven’t read my article about the Optimal Energy Zone check it out.) 

2) Reframe the butterflies.   As I said above, the presence of nerves are crucial to facilitating top performance. Even Marit Bjorgen, the most successful Cross Country Skiing athlete of all times reported being nervous despite her title, “Queen of XC!” So, if the morning of your race you feel queasy, light-headed, short of breath and like there are 1,000 butterflies fighting in your stomach tell yourself it is okay. Rather than telling yourself, “oh shoot, I feel really nervous, this is really scary, I don’t want to race”I want you to reframe that thought (essentially relabel it) and instead, tell yourself, “oh good, the butterflies are here, that means I’m ready to stand on the line!” Then, at the start line once the gun goes off, pretend that it’s your opportunity to set those butterflies free! 

3) Breath! Your breath is your most simple yet most powerful tool at your disposal. If you feel anxious I would encourage you to engage in some diaphragmatic breathing to calm your sympathetic nervous system. When we are nervous our body involuntarily enters what’s called “fight or flight.” This is essentially our body’s attempt to protect us from a scary situation. (AKA, the race.) In this scenario it’s important to tell our bodies that we’re not in danger and it’s going to be okay. Use your breath to do this. 

4) Stop comparing! One of my favorite quotes of all time is, “comparison kills joy” (Eleonor Roosevelt) and it’s true. If you are constantly comparing yourself to your teammates and competitors you’re likely to be disappointed. Rather than actively engaging in comparison with others, focus on being the best version of yourself. I guarantee this is a lot more fun and more productive! 

5) Attain present moment focus.  The number one mistake many athletes make is being hyper-focused on the outcome result they want during their race instead of what they are doing in the present moment or how they are going to do it. A tangible example would be thinking about making a team or wanting to be on the podium rather than focusing on technique, terrain management, or race tactics. Of course it is natural to have outcome goals and things we want to achieve but the best way to achieve them is to focus on process goals and “how” we are going to get there. 

So, for your next race instead of focusing on the podium, focus on things like technical cues and running best line. Last but not least, good luck and have fun!