Draw Inspiration from the Tough Training Days
Let's face it. A large portion of negative mind-chatter is consumed with focus on "the worst case scenario" of any situation. What if I panic during the swim? What if I get a flat tire? What if I have to walk? What if? What if? What if?
This is why we train—often for months on end—for major races. Naturally, you will come up against most of these obstacles during your training, and how you condition yourself to react during training is how you will react on race day.
The goal of training isn't to feel great every day. The goal is to persevere, even during the days you may feel terrible.
Not every training ride is going to be amazing. In fact, some of them may feel downright pathetic. The goal of training isn't to feel great every day. The goal is to persevere, even during the days you may feel terrible. If you have a bad training day, make note of it, shake it off and assess why. Was there something you could've done better? Are you fatigued? Was there a lack of proper nutrition? Learn lessons from the obstacles and on race morning when those "what ifs" start to creep in, you can always answer with, "When this happened in training, here's exactly what I did." Often you realize the worst case scenario isn't so bad after all.
Rehearse, Rehearse, Rehearse
Imagine going to see "Romeo and Juliet" and the actors hadn't learned their lines or rehearsed their scripts every day for months. Panic would ensue, and the show would be a disaster. That's why actors and directors (i.e. athletes and coaches) block and rehearse every scene. They spend months learning their lines and hitting their marks. They know exactly where each prop will go so that on opening night, the performance is second-nature. Will they be nervous? Of course! However, there's a difference between being nervous and unprepared and nervous and prepared. As an athlete, you should be prepared, too.
Develop your race plan well in advance. Plan what time you'll get up, what you will eat for breakfast, when you plan on arriving to the race site, how often you plan to take in calories, what your pacing strategy will look like...Script it, then rehearse that script. The more you've rehearsed, the more the performance can simply flow from you on race day. That way your nerves will only lift your performance to new heights.
Focus on the W.I.N.
No, I don't necessarily mean first place, although that's awesome if that's where you end up. W.I.N. is a handy acronym for "What's Important Now." Our negative mind chatter likes to panic about things that haven't even happened yet. W.I.N. brings you out of the self-sabotaging spiral and plants you firmly in the present—the only place you should be on race day.
When you show up to the race site and feel the familiar butterflies, concentrate only on what you need to do right now. Set up your transition, pump your tires and fill your water bottles. Your W.I.N. isn't, "What if I bonk on the run?" It's, "What do I have to do right now to have a successful day?"
The more you think about What's Important Now, the more present you remain. It doesn't mean you aren't nervous, but it does help you channel those nerves into something productive. Often, when you shift your lens to the present moment, your performance actually improves because you're more mindful of your surroundings, your form, your hydration and everything else that deserves your attention in the present moment.
It can't be overstated: Nerves and anxiety will always be a part of your race day. It means the outcome is important to you and you are officially leaving your comfort zone for uncharted territory. However, if you remain non-judgmental about the self-chatter, if you rehearse your "what ifs" in training, if you script your race day and make a plan, if you train your mind to think W.I.N., you're well on your way to controlling your day. Instead of letting emotions control you, you are scripting your own success.
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