I was just wondering what you guys do for pre-meet jitters. I'm going to my second Master's Meet April 10 & 11th in Lexington, KY. I'm swimming my first backstroke events at this meet. Since I never was an age grouper, high school, or college swimmer, I tend to get really nervous the closer to a meet that I get. It's getting so bad this time, that it's getting to the point that I'm not having fun anymore. I've also started to dread going to practice and just swimming in general. Do any of you have advice? Any help would be appreciated.
Before the first event of my first meet (2 months ago) I developed some bad anxiety. My heart felt like it was ready to bust through my chest. I had to lay down and do breathing exercises which helped a little. Then the second event of the same meet was the opposite, I was too relaxed. I did PB in both because they were my first ones.
My second meet it happened again, 1st event panic attack, afterwards I'm fine. Did PB's in both events so I was happy.
Now my most recent, 3rd, meet I had no panic or anxiety whatsoever. This was because I arrived so late that the start horn for my 50 fr went off as I entered the building. I was too angry to be anxious about anything, but I did PB's in the two other events. After the meet I asked the director if I could get a 50 in just for time since I was late. They were happy to, and I got a PB.
If I still get the nerves at my next meet I'll have to figure out how to controll it because it does have a bad effect on my start. Being angry seems to work, perhaps listening to gangster rap or death metal after warm up might help me.
Before the first event of my first meet (2 months ago) I developed some bad anxiety. My heart felt like it was ready to bust through my chest. I had to lay down and do breathing exercises which helped a little. Then the second event of the same meet was the opposite, I was too relaxed. I did PB in both because they were my first ones.
My second meet it happened again, 1st event panic attack, afterwards I'm fine. Did PB's in both events so I was happy.
Now my most recent, 3rd, meet I had no panic or anxiety whatsoever. This was because I arrived so late that the start horn for my 50 fr went off as I entered the building. I was too angry to be anxious about anything, but I did PB's in the two other events. After the meet I asked the director if I could get a 50 in just for time since I was late. They were happy to, and I got a PB.
If I still get the nerves at my next meet I'll have to figure out how to controll it because it does have a bad effect on my start. Being angry seems to work, perhaps listening to gangster rap or death metal after warm up might help me.
