CoachingDIAGNOSIS

PRE-RACE NERVES — HOW TO MANAGE RACE ANXIETY

Night before a race you can't sleep. Morning of, stomach in knots. Start line HR is 30 bpm above normal. First 20 minutes you ride too hard, too reactive.

THE SHORT ANSWER

Most often, this is because outcome focus — worrying about results instead of process. The fix: write a race-day process plan — pacing, fuelling, gear — anxiety lives in ambiguity.

WHY THIS HAPPENS

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Outcome focus — worrying about results instead of process

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Under-preparation — anxiety scales with uncertainty about readiness

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Catastrophising — imagining worst-case scenarios

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Comparison — measuring against other entrants instead of your own targets

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Unfamiliar environment — new course, new competitors

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Physical manifestation — elevated HR, GI distress from adrenaline

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

Write a race-day process plan

Pacing, fuelling, gear — anxiety lives in ambiguity

Recce the course

Familiarity reduces uncertainty

Practise race simulation

Race-pace efforts normalise the stress response

Focus on controllables

Power targets, fuelling, breathing — not the field

FREE DIAGNOSTIC

Build your race-day fuel plan

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WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY

Dr Michael GervaisHigh-performance psychologist, worked with NFL, Olympic, and World Tour athletes

Gervais teaches that controlling negative thoughts under pressure is a trainable skill, and the people who fail at it usually haven't pre-scripted their response to the moments that hurt most. A written, rehearsed self-talk plan — practised in hard training before race day — changes the internal dialogue when the nerves arrive.

Hear it: Beating Negative Thoughts: Why 99% Fail and How You Won't | Dr Gervais