For some swimmers, pre-race nerves spell doom. For elite swimmers, it’s fuel for their racing.
Source: Olivier Poirier-Leroy yourswimbook.com
https://www.yourswimlog.com/category/mental-training/
You know…
The butterflies, swirly twirly guts, sweaty arm pits and palms, and general anxiety in the minutes and hours leading up to racing.
- For some swimmers, pre-race nerves spell doom.
- For elite swimmers, it’s fuel for their racing.
If you struggle with pre-race nerves, save this set of reminders for the next time you are racing:
Pre-race nerves are NORMAL
- Nerves, those swirling, churning guts and sweaty palms are part of the competitive process.
- Pre-race nerves and anxiety before competing can make you feel like something is “wrong.” But the physical symptoms of performance anxiety—narrowed focus, elevated heart rate, non-essential systems shutting down, elevated fight-or-flight feelings—are totally normal.
- Pre-race nerves are getting you physically in the zone to perform at a high level.
- Those physical sensations and feelings are normal.
CHANNEL your pre-race nerves
- Pre-race nerves are essentially a form of energy. And that’s probably the best way to view them. As fuel for high-performance swimming.
- The reality is that you won’t be able to make the feelings and physical symptoms go away. But you can choose to USE them for faster swimming.
- Framing nerves as excitement is one such way to do so: “I am excited!” vs. “I am nervous!”
ENJOY the moment
- When standing behind the block, it’s common to start going through all the “what ifs”:
- What if I don’t go a best time?
- What if all that hard work was for nothing?
- What if I disappoint my teammates?
- Time-traveling to the future and worrying about a poor outcome is understandable; you’ve worked hard to get here.
- But stay present.
- Soak in the atmosphere.
- Force a smile if you have to.
- By staying in the moment, and enjoying—yes, enjoying—the nerves and excitement can help you not only have more fun racing but also help you swim faster.
You got this
Olivier
More…
https://www.yourswimlog.com/how-to-deal-with-pre-race-nerves-at-swim-meets