Event day pressure can ruin your enjoyment and performance. Follow these top tips for dealing with it.
Pressure comes from you
Many riders worry about what friends, family and other riders will think if they fail to achieve their goals. However, unless you are competing for an Olympic gold with the “hopes of a nation” on your shoulders, almost all of that pressure comes from you. The reality is that whether you reach your goal or not will have little or no impact on others or their opinion of you.
Nerves are normal
Even Olympians and top professional cyclists get nervous before a big event. Nerves are a normal part of competition and, as long as they can be controlled, they help to prepare you physically and mentally. If you are not at least a bit nervous, that is when you should be worried as it may have a different effect on performance.
Visualise
Taking time before an event to mentally rehearse it can really help to control nerves. Go through your build up and how you want the event to pan out. Try to imagine it as vividly as you can, focussing on key moments, such as pacing the first climb. By the time you come to the event day, you will feel as though you have done it hundreds of times.
Proper prior preparation
“Control the controllables” is a much quoted mantra of the Great Britain Cycling Team. One key area that this definitely applies to is getting your kit, clothing and bike ready for a big event. Make a list of everything you will need and, as you pack, tick it off. Don’t leave packing until the morning of an event, it will make you more nervous and you will probably forget something important. Have everything ready at least 24 hours before the event, leaving you time to notice any oversights and to focus on your final build up.
If you have to travel to your event, allow yourself plenty of extra time. Traffic, getting lost or struggling to park can easily eat into your pre-event preparation time. It is better to be early rather than rushing, worrying about being late and wasting valuable energy.
Music
Headphones and music are a great way to help settle nerves and to prepare you for an event. Create a playlist that calms you initially and then builds motivation through your warm-up and as your start time gets nearer.
Confidence
Have confidence in the preparation you have done and your ability. If you have followed a good structured training plan, you will be well prepared, properly tapered and ready to go.
Ignore other riders
A guaranteed way to ramp up your nerves and self-doubt is to start chatting to other riders. They will be trying to alleviate their own nerves and doubts and, although not always intentionally, these will get passed on to you. Avoid those start line conversations about how much or little training they have done or how bad that killer climb will be. Your competitors or fellow riders and what they do are things you can’t control, so, forget about them.
In the lead up to events, social media can have a similar affect and create unnecessary pressure. If it is starting to stress you out, avoid it.
Forget the result
It is impossible not to have some expectations of an event but try to put these to the back of your mind as they just create unnecessary pressure. Focus instead on the processes of doing the best ride you are capable of and the result will look after itself.
Don’t bet everything on one day
If your whole year is geared towards one big event or challenge, such as the Étape, that will generate an awful lot of pressure around that one day. Enter some other events that will complement your main goal, allow you to have some dress rehearsals and mean that you have got other opportunities to shine.
