What should I do about pre race jitters?

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I don't get it as bad as this but could do with being more calm and less needing to shit and piss all the time

Learn self-hypnosis/regulation, which includes diaphragmatic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, internal focus and concentration.

Works great with stress, anxiety, panic.

Drink in the days before the race to mellow yourself. Embrace the nervous energy on race day.

I used to be in the same boat, OP. I would be a nervous wreck for nearly a week leading up to a race. I have been able to get over it though. First and foremost, it is very important to have a smart race plan that you know that can stick to. The first mile should be pretty comfortable and "slow" no matter what the distance. Simply running conservatively and not trying to kill it during the first 800m has taken away a lot of my pre-race anxiety. Secondly, practice your "start" in the couple of days leading up to the race. This has really helped my nerves a lot.

For example: My 5k goal for an upcoming turkey trot is 15:30. Old me would have been a nervous wreck, gotten to the starting line and taken off with the leaders no matter what (even if that meant 4:50 for the first mile). New me knows exactly what I am going to do in the first mile; I am going to run 5:05 and I am going to do it with very even pacing. No crazy 65 second quarter out of the gate. Two days before my race, I will go for my standard easy 10 and then I will head to the track to run 4x400m in 76 seconds. I give myself full recovery because the point of the reps is NOT to get a workout in. It is to get myself accustomed to the pace and to mentally prepare for a smart start.

My next suggestion ties into my first suggestion, but goes a little further. I do not allow myself to "race" until the last quarter of any given race. In my 5k example, this means that I stick to my game plan for over 2 miles. Other people's moves mean nothing to me. I have finally learned that the best way to have a shot at beating people is to run the best time that YOU are capable of. This means sticking to a race plan and not "playing it by ear". Set up a strict race plan for yourself and do not deviate from your race plan. If you have a realistic plan in place ahead of time (based on your workouts), then it is very easy not to get too nervous.

I know that I can run 5:05-5:00 for the first 2 miles because of my workouts. It will not be a crapshoot, I am simply going to do it (weather permitting). The uncertainty does not come until the last half mile, but by that time nerves are the furthest thing from my mind. Look at your workouts, and develop a plan that you KNOW that you can do for the first 75% of any given race. It makes it much easier to stick to your plan if you have someone to run the first portion of the race with. If you have a training partner or teammates that are close to you in time, start meticulously planning your races with them if you don't already. Also, start to work together in races if you don't already. My training partner has been very beneficial to me on race days. If you don't have anyone like this, find someone before the start of the race who is near your ability level. Talk confidently about your very smart race plan and ask if they would like to help out.

Lastly, weed always helps.

How long have you been running competitively? For me, most of the nervousness went away after a few years of doing it. Also I've found that the better prepared I am for a race the less nervous I am.

it's all about the workouts. A little nerves are normal and will never go away. But your workouts should be sufficiently difficult that a race is not hugely more difficult. That way you will be used to the kind of suffering you will feel in races.

put another way - a good working definition of nervousness is fear of failure. If you are confident that you can handle the suffering you are about to endure in a race...you won't have that fear of failure. The way you gain that confidence is through your training.

agip wrote:

If you are confident that you can handle the suffering you are about to endure in a race...you won't have that fear of failure.

Well put, agip. This is more or less the point that I was trying to get across in my lengthy response. Proper preparation and smart planning really go a long way.

I've been running races for a while (at least 6 years), but every time the nerves kick. It seems to have actually gotten worse with time.

I always like to rub one out. Works like a charm.

Great advice from 162430 and agip.

"Fear of failure" is a good way to describe anxiety. However, some people get really keyed up and anxious when they feel like they can do really well. I've actually been the most nervous prior to races that I actually thought I could win, and before races I didn't feel in shape for, my attitude was more like, "Eh, screw it."

Either way, good advice. The jitters leading up to race day are the problem that needs to be managed. On the day of the race, embrace the adrenaline! Just don't let it cause you to go out too fast in the first mile or so.

The nerves and anxiety etc are then only thing that kept me racing through school. I needed that rush or I would have been bored out of my mind.

ghost of jake powell wrote:

Jerk off.

I was wondering how many posts it would take for someone to suggest that. Not many. Not surprised.

Along the same lines as others.....Competence breeds confidence. If you can get it done in practice you are confident you can get it done when the gun goes off.

Also, use low key competitions as workouts to acclimate to the "fight or flight" response.

Before one indoor race where I was a bundle of nervous anxiety, my coach gave me a few Chiclets. I chewed them aggressively, and somehow focusing on that for a bit allowed me to relax a bit and come to the line ready to race.

take 4 or 5 valium a couple hours before the race.

run.

honestly, i run easy the day before a race. shakes out the legs and the mind.

and then right before the race, i run a nice easy 30 minute warmup with some hard pickups closer to the starting time to burn away some nerves.

Read a comic, play video games, watch porn, do whatever distracts you.