A Strategy for Managing Performance Nerves

First off, I want to give a huge thank you to everyone who supported my NNF fundraising page. It means so much to me and will make a huge difference for me and many young US skiers this season. Thank you. 

In other news, SuperTour racing starts this weekend. The races were originally set to start in Fairbanks, but they were moved to Anchorage due to forecasted cold weather below FIS limits. 

There will be a sprint and distance race at Kincaid Park in Anchorage, Alaska this Saturday and Sunday. Come on out to cheer! There will also be races next weekend on the 12th and 14th, again at Kincaid. 

Pre-Race Nerve Management

In the spirit of big races starting, I wanted to share a tip for pre-race nerves for anyone that is looking for something a little different to try. 

This year, I’ve found that one of the most effective strategies to calm nerves is to shift my focus from “I hope I race as fast” to “How can I make this day more enjoyable for everyone else?” 

I try to say hi and smile at people, be warm to competitors, and be extra gracious to the wax techs, event workers, and volunteers. All the people at ski races are what make it meaningful, and it's calming to really look around and appreciate them. 

I’ve realized that the more aware of my surroundings I am, and the less self-focused I am, the better I feel. “Tunnel vision” on the other hand, has a way of making racing unnecessarily stressful and slowly taking the joy out of the process, for me.  

Try it and see what you think. :)

Food for thought: a rant about pre-race rituals and rigidity

I hear a lot of athletes give credit to a special pre-race routine for nerve management. I know this is verging on controversial, but I think rigid routines and superstitious practices (ex. “lucky socks”) can actually do more harm than good for nerves. Good performance doesn’t depend on lucky socks or the perfect warmup, and while I think most people would agree, it’s very tempting to start relying on luck and magic once the nerves set in and we want something to control. 

There’s a lot of good that can come from routine, but I think it’s worth considering loosening up on certain rituals and freeing yourself from superstition. What happens if I lose the item? What if my warm-up routine gets interrupted or changed? What if the race goes poorly, do I need new socks? 

Confidence, flexibility, and trust in your abilities are crucial, and I think even small superstitious habits can be a distraction from developing that bigger trust that goes such a long way for consistent performance. 

I purposely switch up any items or practices that are tempting to start allocating superstitious value to. This practice has allowed me to build a stronger foundation of confidence such that little things don’t sway me on race day, and that my ability is “in there” no matter what.

Maybe this can help you too. Or maybe you just want to wear your lucky socks.

Thanks for reading,

-Renae

sweet people everywhere