My coach just sent me an email. She is writting an article about pre-race anxiety and wanted to know if we experience it and how do we deal with it. It got me thinking. I thought I’d share with you my (lengthy!) response to her question:
“My initial reaction to your question was: Duh! Of course! Not only do I have pre-race anxiety, but I also have pre-workouts anxiety too. I get nervous, anxious and antsy. Kind of the equivalent of stage-fright.
But then I started thinking. I guess it has become so normal for me to feel this anxious feeling before a race that I stopped thinking about it, or even acknowledging it. It is part of the morning race routine. It is something you can even feel amongst other athletes next to you. There is this vibe of anxious energy hovering over transition area. It makes me feel alive, ready to go, and excited, all at the same time.
Then I started thinking some more…Why am I anxious? It is not like I am waiting to hear a test result at a doctor’s office. It is not like my life depended on it. But I am anxious, nervous. It is the same type of anxiety I used to experience before I took tests at school. You know you’re prepared (hopefully), you’re well rested and know the material, yet you’re nervous to take the test. I believe it has to do with the amount of work and sacrifices you’ve put into a specific race. You trained hard, and you’re expecting nothing but the best from yourself. I guess you’re anxious about disappointing yourself, your peers and family, even your coach. You’re also anxious because there is a certain “uncertainty” about it: will I flat? Have a mechanical? How will the competition fair today? Will the weather hold up? Did I train enough? But most importantly, you’re anxious because you know it is going to hurt. It might even hurt a lot. Nobody likes to know they’re about to experience physical pain.
I’ve raced enough now that I know this anxiety feeling all too well. I have a routine on race morning and the consistency and familiarity of it helps me calm myself down. I keep my mind busy with things I have to do and concentrate on myself. Ear phones on, listening to my music, also helps me stay away from people I might not want to talk to. Deep breathing also help, with a healthy dose of confidence. Breath..You’ve done the work, so go ahead and show it is often my mantra. I imagine my nervousness as a form of energy that I need to channel down my legs!!!
In summary, I do get nervous and deep down, I crave that feeling. I guess I am addicted to it and it is part of why I enjoy racing so much 🙂  “