How to stay calm before a big race

I like to rub one out. And by "one" I mean "one every hour."

I had my state meet today and I did 1 minute 12 seconds worse than my best time so don't be expecting any PRs buddy. I panicked hard, just want to give you some motivation. Na, but for real if you put in the training that's most of the work honestly. The race is just the icing on the cake.

You want to activate your parasympathetic nervous system. This calms the body in times of stress.

Exercise #1: Take deep breaths. When inhaling, completely fill the lungs, hold for a second, and then exhale slowly. Try doing this for a whole minute. This relaxed method of breathing expand the branches in your airways called bronchioles, activating the PNS that controls them, causing them (and the rest of the body and mind) to relax.

Exercise #2: Relax your body. You can use progressive relaxation techniques or a basic relaxation meditation. You could do a comfortable yoga stretch or just close your eyes and imagine yourself in a comfortable setting, whether its a favorite armchair or a sunny beach. The parasympathetic nervous system causes you to relax, but by "actively" relaxing, you activate it, causing you to relax even more. Call it a non-vicious circle.

Exercise #3: Breathe so that your inhalation and exhalation last the same amount of time; for example, you might count slowly to five for each. While doing this, imagine this breath coming in and out of your heart center in your chest, radiating love, gratitude, and peace. Integrate this positive emotion into your own brain. This exercise is called "increasing heart rate variability"; it increases and harmonizing the variation in heart beats, activating the PNS to enhance physical and mental well-being.

Exercise #4: Become mindful of physical sensation. Listen to your body and feel with clarity and relaxed concentration--to your breath, to the feeling of your chest or your feet or your tongue in your mouth. By becoming mindful of the body, you are also activating the PNS.

Exercise #5: Yawning activates the PNS. Scientists are not sure why.

Exercise #6: Meditation also activates the PNS by pulling the attention away from stress and threats. Meditating even for a small amount every day is one of the most powerful ways to work with your PNS. Learn more about meditation by reading

Exercise #7: Focus on the positive. Positive feelings like gratitude, lovingkindness, contentment, and tranquility arouse the PNS.

Source:

https://sites.google.com/site/psychospiritualtools/Home/psychological-practices/activating-the-parasympathetic-wing-of-your-nervous-system

Thanks but I mean more like in the days before, not on the starting line

Just do this at random times throughout the day the days before. That's what I did and I was calm at my state meet. Did great

CedarDPW wrote:

Thanks but I mean more like in the days before, not on the starting line

It's okay to be a little nervous. My advice to high school runners is to change your goals for the race. I would get nervous in high school before races because I would constantly imagine myself winning or top 3 or something like that. The truth is that your only goal should be to run the best race you can. All other accomplishments stem from that.

Just run a good race. The time and place will take care of themselves.

Good luck