I train to compete. I am fine in training most of the time but lately, the last year or so, my times in meets have gotten quite a bit slower and now I get so anxious before a race that I feel sick. Today I had a SCM meet here I only went to swim the 400 IM. I dry heaved in the corner until they were about to call my heat. How can I get past this? I;m working on getting faster in practice (I'm injured and coming off surgery) but slower in the meets is something that has been lingering and causing the anxiety. Help!
You have gotten into a self fulfilling prophesy where you expect to be anxious and you get anxious about that, etc.There are many ways out of that,but what doesn't work is to try not to be anxious.If you do that then what is on your mind is being anxious.
One thing that you can do is put it into perspective.In the grand scheme of things how you do at a swim meet is only as important as you say it is.Before every dive Greg Louganis said to himself"whatever happens,my mother still loves me."That was his way of putting it in perspective.
Getting everything into a routine helps.Do the same thing the same way for every swim.
Change how you contextualize the feelings.There is no physiologic difference between excitement and anxiety,let yourself be excited.When you feel that rush of feelings tell yourself you are getting really,really excited.
Visualize your race and when you have negative thoughts ,don't fight them, have them and then imagine yourself erasing them(that sounds hokie,but it really works.)
Swim a bunch of meets and swim "off events."Swim some events where you are experimenting:go out easy,go out hard,SDK more,SDK less,count your number of strokes,try to swim one fewer stroke on each length than the previous one,etc.The idea is to have something to focus on rather than how you feel.You are focused on time,swim some events where you just focus on what you learn.
Go find someone you like and talk to them until it is time to get on the blocks,tell some jokes,laugh,dance around a little(you need to keep loose anyway.)
Good luck and have fun.
You have gotten into a self fulfilling prophesy where you expect to be anxious and you get anxious about that, etc.There are many ways out of that,but what doesn't work is to try not to be anxious.If you do that then what is on your mind is being anxious.
One thing that you can do is put it into perspective.In the grand scheme of things how you do at a swim meet is only as important as you say it is.Before every dive Greg Louganis said to himself"whatever happens,my mother still loves me."That was his way of putting it in perspective.
Getting everything into a routine helps.Do the same thing the same way for every swim.
Change how you contextualize the feelings.There is no physiologic difference between excitement and anxiety,let yourself be excited.When you feel that rush of feelings tell yourself you are getting really,really excited.
Visualize your race and when you have negative thoughts ,don't fight them, have them and then imagine yourself erasing them(that sounds hokie,but it really works.)
Swim a bunch of meets and swim "off events."Swim some events where you are experimenting:go out easy,go out hard,SDK more,SDK less,count your number of strokes,try to swim one fewer stroke on each length than the previous one,etc.The idea is to have something to focus on rather than how you feel.You are focused on time,swim some events where you just focus on what you learn.
Go find someone you like and talk to them until it is time to get on the blocks,tell some jokes,laugh,dance around a little(you need to keep loose anyway.)
Good luck and have fun.
