With spring time right around the corner, many of us have our first race/competition creeping up in the distance. I say “creeping up in the distance” because if you are like me, this thought is exciting, and nerve racking, all at the same time.

I am excited to go out and see just what I am capable off. See how well all the hard work will pay off. That however is the same thing that causes me to be nervous. What if. What if there is an unforeseen obstacle I can not handle? What if they are faster than me? What if I am not strong enough? If we focus on these questions too much, they can become paralyzing.

My 6 month off season is currently coming to a close, as I am 4 short weeks away from my first competition of 2018. Being only 4 weeks out, those “what if” questions have started to arise. In the past this has thrown me off of my training plan. I have lost focus, and begun sabotaging my performance before the gun had even gone off. I have since got some coaching on how to avoid this from happening again. Here are some of the tips I have found for not allowing nerves to ruin your race.

#1. Trust in The Plan/Coach - The plan was put together specifically to obtain the best performance possible. If you are smart, you had a professional help you with that plan. Simply speaking, stick to the plan!

#2. Do Not Let F.O.M.O. Control You - For those who do not know, Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) is a real thing. Speaking for myself, the closer I get to an event, the more I start to worry about missing out on fun activities. For example, last week the crossfit open began. I want to participate, however this would directly interfere with my next race. Sabotaging the event before I even got there. My fear of missing out is directly linked to my nervous energy. Just like the first suggestion; stick to the plan!

#3. Focus On Why You SIgned Up - Something about the event that you are heading to makes you excited! Whether it is the challenge, or the thought of victory, something made you decide to sign up. Focus on that! That feeling you had when you hit the submit payment button. The feeling that you are going to have after giving everything you have, and are finally finished! Focus on that!

In the end, those nerves are the reason we sign up for these things in the first place. It is not about getting rid of that feeling. It is all about harnessing that energy, and using it to help with your performance. Lastly, I will leave you with something I remind myself of before every race. No matter what happens, the sun is still going to come up tomorrow.