5 Ways to Stay Calm in Competition

Nervousness or fearful feeling towards the race –known as race jitters– is a common thing. Here are some ‘how-to’ you need to know to kick those feeling out.

Nervous or anxious feeling is a common feeling for race participant. It is caused by various reasons, from the fear of being not able to finish, concerning about the training length, or even –unknowingly- self-pressure to break our personal best. Those are the conditions we have to overcome in a speed of light because a serious amount of anxiety can hinder motoric performance quality and holds back your optimal performance.

If you thought athletes are invulnerable from this anxious feeling, well…that’s not totally true. Athletes and leisure runners also encounter this problem. One thing in difference is athletes ordinarily own a psychologist who helps them overcoming the anxiety. How about leisure runners? Here are some easy tips you can put into practice:  

1) Set a realistic target

Target is one way to boost spirit and help you to measure your success. Build a believable target, based on your training volume and intensity. Target should also be made by current year’s ability, not last year’s. This means, the benchmark of your success is not always about personal best. A realistic target will lessen the burden and give you the right amount of stress.

What if the training development doesn’t meet the expectation –which means there are possibility of target failure? If that’s happened, it’s time to re-examine your target. It will be even better if you had several kinds of target from the very beginning. Therefore, if target A is not attained, you still have time to change your direction to target B. Try to set 3 kinds of target, such as podium-personal best-finish without injury.  

2) Stay on your daily activities

Your mind usually starts to be focused on the race a week before the D-day. Let’s be honest, you must be doing some of these ‘unusual’ ritual: raising your training volume since you suddenly feel unprepared, cut down your meal portion hoping that it will cut down some of your body fat too, or hesitant on doing things outside your habit worrying that it will affect your physical condition? Pay attention, those ‘ritual’ can inflict stress.  

What you need to do on the last weeks before the race is rather simple: stay on your daily activities, normally and naturally. Do proper training (don’t forget the tapering), watch your meal scheme, and have enough rest.  

3) Develop self-confidence

Tell it to yourself, you are not the one with the anxiety; tell it that every runner surely felt it somehow. Your task is to build the self-confidence within you, you had your training, you surely able to do the race, and you will reach the other end so you will face the race delightedly. Happiness is the highest inner energy of you.  

4) Relaxation

Anxiety can form into physical manifestation, such as raised heartbeat, stiff or tense muscle, shortness of breath, or fatigue. In general, it will happen in the starting line, while waiting for the starting gun goes off. If you experience some of those physical problems, try a mild relaxation using breathing techniques. Try to inhales through the nose until you feel that the lungs are filled with air, and exhale slowly through the mouth. Do it 5-10 times or until you feel a lot better.  

5) Pray

Don’t ever forget this one. Praying is the best way to feel serene and comfortable. Set in on your mind that you are on the race to be healthier and happier. Whether you reach the podium or not, record a personal best or not, it’s all just run-of-the-mill. The most important thing is about getting fitter, healthier and happier.  

Be healthy, be happy.