I am excited for what’s to come this XC season, and I bet you all are too. As we all know the spirit of competition is fierce and high for all levels of competition. Everyone wants to cross the line first. Starting line anxiety plays a serious role though; it causes one to have pre-race jitters, forget race day game plan, and lose focus… This leads me to these questions and the focus of my blog. 

How does one cope with the anxiety and the pressure of competing?

What is your Mechanism?

What calms you down and gets your ready for the race?

I personally would have to have the sweetest, ripest peach or pear while jogging for my warm-up. Before the actual event I would sit as compact as possible and practice breathing techniques to slow down my heart rate. Reassurance, constantly tell myself this is where I belong and emit confidence

Here are some things the pros do:

    “…Be around people you’re comfortable with, have a good meal, and read before bed just to keep the nerves down.”
-Meb Keflezighi – 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist

    “…Keep calm, focus, remember practices and workouts and paces”
-Kara Goucher – 2007 World Champion Bronze Medalist