Those that race.. do you get pre race anxiety?

I think it's universal. As soon as the race starts, adrenaline kicks in and the nerves disappear.

Isnt the nerves a sign of the excess adrenaline starting already? Once you’re underway you’re focused on what you need to do and making use of the adrenaline.

I used to play rugby, hockey & basketball for my school and ran in the athletic squad. I’d be  all knotted up in the build up , even against teams we knew we could beat easily.

Once the whistle went/got first touch of the ball it settled down.

Not anymore. Maybe fifteen years ago when I started to move up the rankings but I am usually completely relaxed on the start line. Even then it only extended to a bit of disco leg.

The key is to remember that you're doing it because it's a fun thing to do and, ultimately, it doesn't matter. It's nice to do well, but you are there to see how well you personally can do. Especially with a time trial, it's a test of your personal ability, not a comparison to others.

It's probably quite difficult to do but to alleviate the nerves you need to change how you look at and treat races to be more relaxed.

Perfectly normal to be nervous, it's whether being nervous helps or hinders your performance.

I found racing absolutely relaxing. Takes your mind off everything else. Of course I wasn’t often troubling the points outside of vets racing or chasing a contract. If your silly nervous, think what happens to your bike handling in a bunch of fifty riders. I didn’t sleep well before a 12h TT, but then my goals were a little higher. But once going, just relaxing.

When I was trying to be more competitive I got nervous ahead of target races. I'm terrible at starts so the start and the first 100 m were always stressful.

Now racing is just an escape from real life. I'm happy/excited rather than nervous.

TiRed
Full Member
I found racing absolutely relaxing. Takes your mind off everything else.

Yeah, I find this. You're trying so hard you can't focus on anything but turning pedals, and everything is about riding your bike. I just switch my brain off completely.

Definitely some pre-race anxiety for TTs, like a heightened nervous state, but it's different to the butterflies you get from the start of shoulder to shoulder racing. TTing is all about individual, controlled delivery - you know what you can do, usually know the course pretty well.

That brings its own performance pressure though - I chase pbs on Levens which is a 1 hr+ drive for me, 20 min effort that needs to be right from the first pedal stroke or you've wasted your time.

Start of a cross race is chaos in comparison. The 30 second period before the whistle goes is silent like a crypt - you feel time dilation, it's impossible not to feel nerves in this situation.

I often do for the Zwift Tiny Races quartet, it's only pen D, but there's usually very small margins between the top 20 riders. And while one stage might suit you, other stages in the back to back quartet can feel like 12 rounds with Mike Tyson, by the time you pass the finish line way off the podium.

Just reading the question made my heart beat faster, so yes, racing does make me anxious.

My entire goal for this year is to try master that so I can enjoy it more.

Was it Amy (Cycling Adventures)?  If so, I watched the same video and can relate to the nerves.

I competed in a couple of kickboxing tourniments years ago and struggled with anxiety/nerves. Not so much about the fighting itself, more about not having an exact time of the fights as well as the general unorganised feeling to the overall competitions.

I race myself but do get preride anxiety if its a big distance or took lots of planning or involves other people (especially people who I don't know too well).

My 10 year old son races and plays football for a local club and doesn't seem to suffer any nerves at all before hand 🤷‍♂️

Not much for running and cycling, a bit apprehensive before a big test (especially a marathon) because it's been the whole focus of the winter training, I never know quite how it's going to turn out but know it's going to hurt.

Chess matches, yes there's plenty of stress there, but I reckon it's the good sort that heightens my focus. Played a few shocking moves when I relaxed because winning quite easily.....

I don't "race", though I have entered a few events where my only goal is not to make an arse of myself. I suffer from anxiety anyway so I limit these to one per year now.

A bit, depends on the race and how much it means. But not that much these days. Probably most in CX where the start matters so much. Less so in road racing as that takes time to get going. TTs are largely a solo effort so I just look at what I need to do. Mtb same as CX if short, long ones are basically TTs for me. Enduro - yes, mostly the fear of dying (which is probably lower than a 2/3/4 road race ironically).

The nerves go straight away and I focus on the task in hand. I found a pre race routine helps relax me and get the best results. That starts the night before getting kit out and making sure the bike works. Then the usual stuff in the run up. When to eat, what to eat, when to be where and when to warm up. I tend to jot it down so I have a plan and don't need to think too much.

I pee so much pre-race and pre-event that my wife thinks I have diabetes 🙄

That said I find myself trying to mask it with start line banter, I'm usually one of the louder and more talkative at a start line, pride myself on occasionally getting a laugh from the random riders around me (probably offset by a greater number silently rolling their eyes at the over-talkative arse in front of them 😂).

As a sufferer of major anxiety over just about everything for best part of 60 yrs, i'd really recommend the Headspace app, it's helped me deal with things in a way i'd never have thought possible previously. Log in, and the Basic courses are free, £50 a year to go further, and I can't recommend it enough.

I did at first, but that was the early days of my racing. My fear was whether I was fit enough to not get spat out of the back after 5 laps. I fortunately found my feet fairly quickly, I’d say I was more nervous about the team weekly chain gang ride. Losing face in that was a nightmare! Actually the chaingangs were probably harder than the racing, much more stressful. Lots of shouting and swearing! Fun in a weird way!

I do some Enduro and XC races but don't get any of that pre race anxiety going on, but that's because I genuinely don't care how I do. From my perspective I'm just doing it for 'fun' and as a means to keep a bit fit. In xc races I've often finished last but don't care. Now doing technical exams on the other hand, where I've put in lots of effort studying and preparing beforehand. I'd be really nervous going in to those. Full on sleepless night the night before, churning stomach etc. on the morning of.......

I guess it's purely down to how much you care about the outcome whether that's what place you finish, whether or not you crash or whatever else plays on your mind.

Was it Amy (Cycling Adventures)?  If so, I watched the same video and can relate to the nerves.

yep. Never seen one of her videos before but found it relatable. I’m always asking myself the question ‘is this really worth it’ , when the ‘prize’ at the end of the day is so insignificant.

I ride the odd club tt race as well, where I pretty much know exactly what position I’ll come before I even set off. And even those make me anxious. It’s ridiculous..

I guess it depends on the worth it sentiment.

As a road racer, the buzz of a fast moving well organised peloton on a city crit circuit is immense.
The feeling of wafting along at 30mph elbow to elbow with your opponent is just incredible. The tactics, the team work, that’s what makes it worth it.

Ive podiumed a fair bit, that’s nothing compared to the buzz of helping a team mate. Getting into a breakaway, catching breakaways under orders etc. Love it!!! Well I did! Now I’m old and fat and slower than a slow thing! But it’s all well worth it!

But it can be expensive and a massive drain on your time. I was incredibly fortunate to be able to work part time during my racing “career”; I also had a sponsorship deal that helped with the costs (that’s immeasurable!)

I was rubbish by the way, it sounds like a bit of a brag to have had the sponsorship deal, wasn’t because I was good. Just had friends who were able to sort out a deal with a top manufacturer who were incredibly helpful.

Ive done a fair few TT’s, never had the top end power to do any good, very much just making up the numbers. Only time I did ok was on the road bike category, I came 4th….out of 5. My team mates would be out on their TT bikes almost as much as their road bikes, especially in the late spring early summer. They even used their TT bikes on Zwift to practice getting the power down in their most Aerodynamic position. Not me! But it was never something I’d targeted.

Thinking back to the early days of my racing; one of the most nervous/stressful parts of the race was pinning the numbers on the jersey. I’m proper cack handed so would stab myself 20 times and end up with a big flapping parachute on my back! Hated doing that! True story….I’d get to the signing on table first to give myself longer to pin the number on! And I’d still be one of the last to get out for the warm up laps!