Jitterbugs

As I swam yesterday, I noticed I was really getting nervous for my upcoming 70.3 race this weekend. I saw a couple of other swimmers in the water, obviously triathletes. My mind began to wander away from my positive excitement for the weekend. Am I ready? Did I train hard enough? Am I going to achieve my goals this weekend? The pre-race jitterbugs began to fly in my stomach and I could feel myself tense.

I began to ask myself why I was having a mental boxing match with my self esteem. Well, I was because it's natural and normal to get nervous and anxious for a race. I think to say you aren't nervous when you are really is a disservice. I think it's important to acknowledge the feelings, then work through them.

So, I told myself what I tell my athletes and used a few tools I have learned. My first tool was my faith. I went to what is really important to me and said, what is the most important thing? It isn't triathlon or how fast I go on Sunday or even if I finish on Sunday. I have to have my faith at the forefront of my thoughts before I can move through with the rest. Then I ask myself why I do triathlon. Why do I coach? Why do I compete? There are lots of answers to those questions which I seem to rediscover on a daily basis. Some are deep, some not so deep. After that, I got a grip on why I am competing and I look at the work I have put in this year. A week before your race is kind of like an hour before finals in college. You can't suddenly learn all there was to know in a quarter of school and you can't suddenly attain months of training and fitness one week before the race. What's done is done. Now it's time to relax and mentally focus. I looked at my training for this race and can see where I am stronger and more confident than I was at this point last year. The truth is, there will be some faster and some slower than me on race day. I wouldn't trade an hour of training for an hour less time with my family or coaching my athletes.

The best part about being a coach and an athlete is that I think I get more excited about my athletes accomplishments than my own. I love hearing about how they finish something they have always wanted to do and how they feel like "now they are swimming". I love when they tell me about their new goals of completing a longer distance and new race. I love it when my neighbor tells me she heard my junior team at the pool saying how excited they are for their upcoming race. My favorite is when they say, "don't tell anyone, but I actually like this!" Your secrets are safe!!