How to Manage Your Race Day Mindset

It's very common for athletes to focus on their physical preparation for a race or event. However, a lot of people overlook their mental preparation, often to the detriment of the race-day performance. Sport psychologist Sarah Broadhead shares a series techniques adopted by top athletes to help them perform at their target event.

You have entered your race and are counting down the days, so how can your mind help you to be the best you can be, and enjoy the event in the process? Here are some tips used by professional athletes that will help you prepare mentally before and during the race.

Control the Controllables

Top athletes are aiming for a good outcome when they compete, but they understand they cannot guarantee or control that. When we focus on something outside of our control, we are more likely to feel worried or overwhelmed. Instead, top athletes focus on things they can control such as their mindset, nutrition, rest and recovery, and commitment in training sessions in the lead-up to the race.

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Try writing down a list of all the elements that will contribute to your performance on race day and then give yourself a score out of 10 depending on how well you are doing. For example, if sleep is important but you are not getting to bed early enough then this could be an area to focus on. Even the best athletes will not score 10’s in every area but it helps them highlight what will make the biggest difference.

Knowing you have done the best in the lead-up will help improve your confidence. Doing your best means accepting the realities of your life, such as having a job and family, and recognizing training won’t always be perfect.

The Importance of Planning

Planning and preparation for race day are key. Not all athletes find this easy, so they put systems in place that help them. They often have a packing list that they tick off before they leave the house. They might have a standard plan for the day which sets out when they will arrive, what they will eat, and how they will warm up. Many top athletes write down their plan as it reassures them that they won’t forget anything. They stick to tried and trusted methods. Race day is not the time to be trying out new equipment, clothing, or energy gels.

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Focusing on the Why

It is normal to feel nervous when you arrive at, or in the days leading up to, the race. Remind yourself of the reasons you want to take part, for example, to test yourself against others, to give yourself a challenge, or to enjoy it. Our brains can focus on the negatives so focusing on your why, and how you will feel when you have finished, can be helpful. Reframe nerves as excitement and a sign that you are ready to go. A racing heart and sweaty palms are because of the adrenaline flowing through your body, which are the same sensations you get when you feel excited. Focusing on your breath for a few minutes will help.

Professional athletes get themselves mentally ready by acknowledging rather than ignoring the thoughts they are having. A common misconception is that we should only think positive thoughts before an event. However, this is not always helpful. If you have worries, then tell someone you trust or write them down. This helps to reduce their power. Go through each one and work out if you need to take any action or if you need a reassuring answer. For example, if you are worried that you won’t be able to maintain the pace you want you could get reassurance from the training you have been doing or you could write a reminder on your hand to not get carried away at the start and stick to your planned speed.

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Break the race into manageable chunks

Athletes are good at breaking the race down into chunks to make it easier to deal with mentally. They take each one at a time rather than thinking about the whole thing in one go. Having a keyword or focus point for each chunk can also help. This could be a technique you want to maintain or a reminder to breathe more deeply.

Positive reinforcement

Self-talk in the race is another area that athletes work on. They are aware of how they talk to themselves and if it is not helpful then they replace it with something that is. We do not always realize that we are overly harsh or critical of ourselves when things get tough. If you combat these with pre-prepared helpful phrases, they can lift you mentally.

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No matter what happens in your race or event you will learn something about yourself or your race process. Even the best in the world take time to reflect after their performance and note down what they did well and where they can improve for next time.