As the 2024 Paris Olympics nears, sporting fans’ attention turns to the world’s best athletes in preparation for the incredible displays of athleticism we’re sure to witness. Obviously, it takes an incredible level of talent and training to reach the Olympics, and mastering the mental side of sport is often what separates the great from the excellent. For amateur athletes, observing elites’ behaviour in the lead-up to their big race can help inspire their own mindset in racing.
The mental challenges that come with performing in sport are not reserved for professionals; amateur athletes struggle with pressure and anxiety too. When you invest in training for a big goal, whether it’s a 5K or a marathon, arriving on race day calm, confident, and ready to execute can be a challenge in itself.
On Wednesday, performance expert Steve Magness shared eight key takeaways he’s learned in his work with professional athletes and Olympians when it comes to pressure. The full thread can be viewed below and Magness goes deeper into this topic in his podcast.
I’ve spent a decade working with Olympians and pro athletes from every major league during their biggest moments.
Here are 8 lessons on handling pressure better that we can all use:
— Steve Magness (@stevemagness) May 15, 2024
Here are four of his tips and how you can apply them to your own running and racing.
Getting to the start line
Magness says, “Our nerves dissipate once we move from waiting to action.” This can be especially true for runners who dread those early moments before the starting gun goes. In reality, we forget about those nerve-wracking moments the second the race starts, but it doesn’t make them any less scary. Magness recommends staying busy: “fill the space with routines, warmups, etc.”
Zooming out
“Nervousness has a contracting effect: we zoom in on what we fear, causing us to tense up,” Magness explains. Say you’re going for a PB in your next race or chasing that sought-after Boston qualification–when we put pressure on ourselves to perform, it’s easy to feel like it’s the only thing that matters. Magness advises taking a step back and considering how the outcome of your race affects what really matters. Whether you achieve your goal or not, you probably still have people who love you and the basic necessities of life. Ultimately, a race, whether successful or not, is just a race.
Finding control
Runners know that anything can happen in a race; no level of training or mental preparation can truly prepare you for what might happen on race day. From chaotic race starts to poor weather, there’s so much that’s out of our control. Magness suggests finding “the smallest thing that you can control, and focus on that.” He again uses warmup routines as an example, but runners can use their race nutrition, gear and finish line celebrations as well. Each of those elements is within your control.
Adopt an alter-ego
This one is our favourite. Racing gives you a special moment in time to focus only on the tasks at hand. Magness says professional athletes “often adopt personas on the field” as a way to “flip the switch to adopt different kinds of competitive behaviours.”
For the amateur runner, an example of this could could be envisioning you’re going to win the race, even if that’s not realistic. For many, stepping out of your everyday self and into the mindset of a fearless and unbeatable competitor can give you the confidence you need to overcome nerves and embrace the challenge ahead.
