I'm thinking the level of anxiety I have leading up to meets, especially championships, is telling me competition is not worth it for me. I wish I could see myself improving through a season so that I can be excited to find out how fast I'm going to race at the end of it. Unfortunately, I'm at that age where I'm only getting slower, and I don't have the technical background to draw upon that some others do. I always feel relieved just after a big meet, but in the months and weeks leading up to one, I have anxiety even going to the practice pool. I dread the fact that I'm facing work, not leisure. That almost guarantees a bad practice. 'Sounds crazy doesn't it? Is it time for me to quit competing? In re-reading my first sentence I'm considering, maybe I need a therapist to help me learn what small reward keeps me going back to something so stressful, or to figure out how to give myself permission to quit. I saw a video on USA swimming in which they mention, Ryan Murphy used to puke before big events. That was a little validating. So how do you forumites manage your anxiety? Or if you don't have any, how did you achieve that serenity?
It varies. If it's a local meet, not much, b/c I just see that as an extension of swim practice. I rarely go to regional meets and have never been to a national meet. (Saving travel $!). I do sometimes get pretty nervous before longer open water events, especially if I travel to them--so many logistics to think about, so many things to have to remember. But once I'm swimming, I'm good, especially if I'm in the water for a while.
There was a meet earlier this year where everything that could go wrong on the way (local meet too!) went wrong, so I got there totally a wreck. I'd missed one of my events. The next one was the 500 free. I think that was the saving of the meet for me. A sprint is over too soon, and then I'm still keyed up. The 500 allowed me to find my way into my pace, then pick up as I went along. Just the act of swimming helped me calm down so the rest of the meet went fine. To my surprise the 500 equaled my best time. So short answer: swimming itself helps cure the anxiety, but I need some distance for that to happen. I enjoy sprints, actually, but I need to be relaxed before I can start them. Not as much with longer distances.
It varies. If it's a local meet, not much, b/c I just see that as an extension of swim practice. I rarely go to regional meets and have never been to a national meet. (Saving travel $!). I do sometimes get pretty nervous before longer open water events, especially if I travel to them--so many logistics to think about, so many things to have to remember. But once I'm swimming, I'm good, especially if I'm in the water for a while.
There was a meet earlier this year where everything that could go wrong on the way (local meet too!) went wrong, so I got there totally a wreck. I'd missed one of my events. The next one was the 500 free. I think that was the saving of the meet for me. A sprint is over too soon, and then I'm still keyed up. The 500 allowed me to find my way into my pace, then pick up as I went along. Just the act of swimming helped me calm down so the rest of the meet went fine. To my surprise the 500 equaled my best time. So short answer: swimming itself helps cure the anxiety, but I need some distance for that to happen. I enjoy sprints, actually, but I need to be relaxed before I can start them. Not as much with longer distances.
