Why Trying to "Calm Down" Before a Race is a Mistake (And What to Do Instead)

We’ve all been there.

You’re deep in the taper, your body feels strangely heavy, and every time you picture the swim start or the transition area, your heart takes a sudden dip.

Your hands get a little clammy, your chest feels tight, and that familiar voice starts whispering: What if I crash? What if I blow up on the run? What if my goggles leak in the first 100 meters?

Pre-race anxiety is the tax we pay for caring about our goals; but too often, we view these jittery, uncomfortable sensations as a warning sign—a signal that we aren't ready, or that something is about to go wrong.

Today, let’s change that narrative entirely.

It’s time to stop trying to calm down, and instead, learn how to redirect the storm.

The Biological Truth: Anxiety is Just Excitement in Disguise

From a purely physiological standpoint, your body does not know the difference between intense anxiety and intense excitement.

Both emotional states trigger the exact same autonomic nervous system response:

• An elevated heart rate to pump oxygenated blood to your muscles.

• A surge of adrenaline and cortisol to sharpen your vision and speed up reaction times.

• "Butterflies" in your stomach as blood diverts away from digestion and toward your primary moving parts.

The physical engine running inside you is identical in both scenarios. The only difference is the mental label you attach to it.

When you label these sensations as "fear" or "anxiety," your brain goes on the defensive, tightening your muscles and burning precious glycogen on mental spiral loops.

When you label them as "readiness" or "excitement," that exact same energy becomes fuel.

Think of your emotional readiness as a simple equation: Readiness = Physical Arousal × Cognitive Appraisal.

The physical arousal is fixed—your body is going to rev its engine before a race. But by changing your cognitive appraisal from "This is a threat" to "This is an opportunity," you completely transform how that energy expresses itself.

How to Apply the Pivot: Three Steps for Race Week

1. Use the "I Am Excited" Prompt

Harvard Business School research has shown that telling yourself to "calm down" when your adrenaline is spiking is incredibly ineffective because it requires bringing your nervous system from a high-arousal state to a low-arousal state instantly. It’s like throwing a moving car into reverse while driving 60 mph.

Instead, try anxiety reappraisal. When you feel the pre-meet butterflies hitting hard, look in the mirror or say out loud to yourself: "I am excited. My body is getting ready to go fast." You aren’t fighting the energy; you’re steering it.

2. Reframe the "Taper Tantrums"

During a taper, your training volume drops, which means your brain suddenly has an excess of raw energy that used to be burned off during 4,000-meter swim sets or long weekend rides. Without a physical outlet, that energy turns inward and manifests as phantom pains, heavy legs, and irrational doubts.

The next time you feel a weird twinge in your calf or panic about your fitness on Thursday before a Saturday race, remind yourself: "This isn't weakness. This is my body storing energy like a coiled spring. The power is building up."

3. Welcome the Butterflies

There is an old athletic adage: "You don't need to get rid of the butterflies in your stomach; you just need to teach them how to fly in formation."

When you sit on the pool deck or line up on the beach waiting for your wave, acknowledge the nerves. Don't panic because you're nervous.

Smile and say, "There they are. That means my engine is idling high and I’m ready to explode when that horn goes off."

The Bottom Line

You didn’t spend months waking up at 5:00 AM, smelling like chlorine, and pushing through grueling brick workouts just to feel comfortable. You did it to test your limits.

The discomfort you feel right now isn't a sign that you're failing; it's proof that you're alive, you're invested, and you're about to do something difficult and beautiful.

Stop trying to fight the waves. Ride them.

Let’s Go,

Dr. Sandra and Team