SAY “GOOD BYE”
TO PRE-RACE NERVES –
Although this isn’t necessarily a
solution to the issue – it should
be understood that nerves aren’t
always a bad thing. You can actually
use them to your advantage, believe
it or not.
By Curt Davies
FOREVER!
realise you’re better than you had ever
anticipated!
Tip 5
Tip 3
Although this isn’t necessarily a solution
to the issue – it should be understood
that nerves aren’t always a bad thing.
You can actually use them to your
advantage, believe it or not. They can
help you perform better, and guess
what: they mean you genuinely care
about the race. If you ever find yourself
“not-nervous” before a marathon or
other race, you’re doing something
wrong. And if someone tells you
they’re not nervous about running the
marathon, then they’re either a liar or
clearly they don’t care about the race
as much as you do.
Research the race
Being ill-prepared for anything is never a
good thing. The only good thing it’s for is
improv comedy, and we all know most
of the time those turn into a shipwreck
(although sometimes it’s actually really
good!).However, you’re not doing improv
comedy – you’re running a race; a
racethat requires incredible amounts of
energy and focus to accomplish. The
last thing you want to happen when
running a marathon is to be confronted
by “surprises” – and I’m not talking about
the Easter bunny leaving chocolates
throughout the race types of surprises,
but less enticing surprises such as
unexpected hills or other nonsensical
obstacles that can get in your way and
hurt your performance.
R
unning enthusiast
Curt Davies,
provides these tips to
eradicate those pre-race
nerves!
Some people get nervous during a
presentation, some people get nervous
when flying, and some people get
nervous before running a marathon
or fun run. It’s no surprise: you’ve been
working hard for months, and it’s finally
time to show what you’re made of, often
in front of thousands of people. It’s even
more daunting if it’s the first race you’ve
participated in.
So, in order to help with the nerves, I’ve
made a list of things you can do to ease
your mind, and enhance your overall
22
experience; and although I’ve provided
these tips in the context of a marathon
or running race, they really can apply to
any race in any sport.
Tip 1
Understand most people feel the
same
I don’t know what’s with humans, but
there’s always a feeling of “relation” if
someone else is suffering just as you are.
The feeling that you’re not alone can
bring warmth to any human, which is
only natural. If you ever meet someone
who doesn’t feel the same, I recommend
you stay clear of them. Nevertheless,
when you enter a marathon race (it
doesn’t have to be a marathon: it
can be a 5k race, through to an ultramarathon) it needs to be noted that
everyone around you will be feeling the
nerves. Understanding and appreciating
this fact can bring immediate calmness
to your mind, and will help keep them
nerves under control.
Tip 2
Trust in yourself and your training
You’ve put in the weeks/months of
training, and now it’s time to show us
what you’ve got. Whether your aim
is to just finish the race or achieve a
certain time, you’ve worked for it and
you deserve success. When you begin
to trust in yourself, you’ll discover that
you won’t even know what you were
nervous about. Instead of focusing too
much on the nerves, focus on what
you’ve learned and I can assure you that
everything will be fine – you may even
WHAT’S NEW IN FITNESS - AUTUMN 2015
Embrace the nerves
Oh, and don’t forget to eat breakfast
before the race (you’ll thank me later)!
Tip 7
Enjoy it!
Don’t take it all too seriously. This is
supposed to be a fun time – all your
hard work finally coming together. The
more you stress, the less you’ll be able
to have fun when running, and that
helps absolutely nobody (imagine how
much we’d have progressed as a society
if stress and nerves were genuinely
beneficial?!). Nobody will laugh if you
make a mistake (and I’m sure you won’t
make a mistake, but if you do… nobody
would laugh), and before you know it,
you’ll be running towards the finish line
ready to collect your medal proving you
did it.
Don’t spend days analysing every single
aspect of the race – that’d even make
me nervous. Just study it “enough”
to know what to expect. Just to add:
remember, you can always email or call
those who operate and organise the
race.
Tip 4
Arrive early
Now is not the time to be fashionably
late. You want to get to the race at a
reasonable time before you commence
so you can get to know the environment
better. An hour or so should be plenty of
time to arrive, get what you need and
expose yourself to where you’re going to
be running for the next several hours. This
will allow you to pick up your number, go
to the toilet and do whatever you need
to prepare for the race. Maybe even
make some friends beforehand.
place before you not only begin racing
(whether it be having the right music/
shoes and what not) but also ensuring
you get enough sleep to prevent turning
into a zombie on the day of the race, as
well as making sure you’ve done enough
training to get through the marathon. I
understand and empathise that it may
be difficult to sleep the night before
running a marathon, and may even
seem impossible – kind of like Christmas
Eve as a child. However, a good sleep
is essential for any day, but may even
be extra essential before running a
marathon.
Tip 6
Be prepared
Preparation is the key to a good race.
This isn’t just referring to the luggage
you carry around with you, but also in
terms of training, and most importantly:
sleep. Try and have everything into
WHAT’S NEW IN FITNESS - AUTUMN 2015
So, in conclusion, next time you’re
preparing for a marathon or a race
of some sort, ensure you’ve taken
into conside