"Have an established pre race routine."
I suppose I could have started with this one, but I put the most important last. Whether your problem is psyching yourself up for a race, or settling yourself down before a race, it is the established pre race routine which enables you to reach the optimum level of preparedness.
Here is the routine I went through every time I raced track (400s/8oos) in the Adelaide summer as a teenager
... arrive an hour before.
... go downstairs to the cool changing rooms and snooze on the high jump bags
... have a cold shower if it was VERY hot
... jog two laps and do my pre race stretches
... five minutes to go, two or three run-throughs at race pace, 50 to 100 m each
... gun!
The objectives were a) to calm my mind. I was always very nervous before a race.
and b) to get my pulse up to my racing pulse just before the start. Then I could set out very fast.
I still go through a similar routine before every race.
What's your routine?
Racing Principle #10 - Have an established pre race routine.
I suppose I could have started with this one, but I put the most important last. Whether your problem is psyching yourself up for a race, or settling yourself down before a race, it is the established pre race routine which enables you to reach the optimum level of preparedness.
Here is the routine I went through every time I raced track (400s/8oos) in the Adelaide summer as a teenager
... arrive an hour before.
... go downstairs to the cool changing rooms and snooze on the high jump bags
... have a cold shower if it was VERY hot
... jog two laps and do my pre race stretches
... five minutes to go, two or three run-throughs at race pace, 50 to 100 m each
... gun!
The objectives were a) to calm my mind. I was always very nervous before a race.
and b) to get my pulse up to my racing pulse just before the start. Then I could set out very fast.
I still go through a similar routine before every race.
What's your routine?
Racing Principle #10 - Have an established pre race routine.
