FAQ: Do you ever get nervous for your races?

I may be a professional athlete, but I’m still a human being! Of course I get nervous for my races, just like you. But here’s the thing: if you WEREN’T nervous for a race… I’d be worried.
We get nervous because we CARE. Nervous because we have put a lot of ourselves into this endeavor and want it to go well. So it’s totally okay (and good!) to be nervous. However, if we let our nervous energy overcome us, causing us to do silly things like forget our warmup drills or change up our routine at the last minute, then that’s when we run into problems. Here are some tips on how to channel your nervous energy into GOOD!

Bottom line: I want you to wake up on race day with butterflies in your stomach and think, “oooo I’m nervous. Nervous EXCITED for the opportunity to challenge myself today in a sport that I love!”

1. Music/Mantras

Words matter, right? Sometimes when we get nervous we end up letting our fears and doubts repeat over rand over again in our minds. Replace those thoughts and feelings with positive ones. Mantras or music can be great ways to emphasize words of affirmation.  Find music with lyrics that make you feel like a badass.

Some of my favorite artists to listen to before workouts or races:

- Sia - Beyonce - Lizzo - Toni Jones - Alessia Cara - Taylor Swift

2. Meditation/breathing

On the quieter side of things, taking some time to be still and be in tune with your breath before going out to challenge yourself can be very calming if you need to take your energy levels down a notch.

Meditation is a practice that might seem awkward at first, but gets easier the more you practice (just like sports!) and is definitely worth spending time on.

Meditation apps to try: Headspace, Calm, Core, State

3. grounding through your Support system

Talking to a loved one- your coach, a teammate or friend, a family member- anyone who knows you well and knows how to make you feel like you can do anything in this world. If you have to get them on the phone the day of or day before the race, make it happen. Reach out and ask for support. Everybody needs a good hype person!

On the other hand, if there is someone in your life who tends to bring you down, causes you to doubt yourself, or just make you more nervous, do what you can to protect your energy and avoid that person before a competition.

4. Stick to your Routine

Generally speaking, humans love routine and feel comfortable there, so don’t switch it up on race day. Eat the same things you normally eat and try to stick to your normal routine. This will make you feel like “oh yeah, I know what I’m doing here. I got this.”

In college I would write out my race day schedule the day before. I wrote down things like: what time I planned to get up, eat breakfast, what time I needed to leave for the race, what time I would start my warmup, what time I planned to spike up, and then the gun time. 

remember: Nervous are a good thing!

Being nervous isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It only becomes a problem when we don’t know what to do with our nervous energy and we let it control us. Nervous energy can be FUEL on race day, giving you that extra umph that you don’t necessarily have for regular practice days.

Try out some of these techniques for channeling nervous energy and see which ones work the best for you. Or many you find another method of your own! Everyone needs something different when it comes to managing nerves, motivation, etc. so don’t get wrapped up too much into what other people are doing. Find your rhythm and stick to what makes you feel good!