A Procrastinator’s Guide To Preparing For A Big Competition

By Elizabeth Carey for DyeStat

Tim Healy photo

Here in the Pacific Northwest, these are the Apple Days — crisp, colorful, sweet — meaning cross country championship season is upon us. 

As we approach the peak of the season, it’s natural to get nervous. Or even to panic. After all, goals, bragging rights, future opportunities and legacies are on the line. It’s been a while since all areas of the U.S. approached a collective finish line. Even still, things are askew (See: ongoing pandemic; heightened anxiety; post-season race shuffling). 

But, athletes and coaches, there’s no need to despair. Here’s an eight-step guide to squeezing the most juice out of your season. The athletes I help coach compete this week at the Metro League Championships in Seattle, but for the 16,000 strong at Mt. SAC in California or in some of the earliest of state meets — in North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming and Nebraska — good luck!

Step 1

Let the zeroes, DNS, DNF and DFLs in your training log go. You can’t go back and add more base miles to your summer or re-do that workout you slogged through last week. You can, however, soak in the lessons learned from those experiences alongside the work — and recovery and subsequent adaptations — you gleaned. By the way, if anyone says their lead-up to this point in the season has gone perfectly to plan they’re either lying or a miracle.

Embrace the grit you honed. Emphasize the bravery you practiced. Have faith in yourself. Celebrate the minutes and the seconds. As some coach somewhere is saying right now, the hay is in the barn. 

Step 2

No funny business. This goes for adolescents as well as coaches. Resist the urge to try some wacky new thing. Do not throw a party, pull an all-nighter for a paper, or cram high-effort training in. Be as boring, consistent and clear-eyed as possible — no matter the taper tantrums or insecurity chirping. 

Step 3 

Eat and hydrate. No diets, no gimmicks, no secrets. Fuel thyself. 

Step 4

Sleep. Again: no all-nighters. If you’re tossing and turning, remember even lying down is rest. Try legs up the wall and deep, slow breathing. 

Step 5

Rely on routines. By now, you should have solid pre-meet and race-day routines. Stick with them. (Or ask your captains to remind you of those details ASAP.) Especially the day before and the day of a big race, these rhythmic rituals can quiet your mind and prepare your body for what’s to come. Routines include packing (Ahem, please remember your spikes, shoes and uniform), pre-meet session (For example, a shakeout and strides) and pre-race warmup (and team cheers, obviously). 

Step 6

Make a plan with your team. Strategize with your coach and teammates. Bet, metaphorically, on each other. Commit to executing — but stay flexible. As some coach somewhere is saying right now, prepare for everything and assume nothing. 

Step 7

Should you wait until the night before a big race to prepare mentally? No. But can you help yourself into the right headspace to optimize performance sometime before the gun goes off? Sure. For example, pick a mantra, meditate and/or visualize your race. Even a little slow, deep breathing can affect how you feel. 

First, if you’ve used and found power in a mantra (“Let’s go,” “Little steps, big power,” whatever works!) through the season, repeat that to yourself when running. Second, know whether you prefer to be amped up or relaxed before a big performance, and use the tools you need to get into that zone. (Hood up, angry music, anyone?) Third, use mental imagery to prepare for your race-day scenario — visualizing with your five senses.

Step 8

Finally, remember it’s just a race. Results don’t define your value as a human. Championship season, like any race, simply presents at least one opportunity to test your limits on a given day. 

The next few weeks are ripe with potential for celebrating how far you’ve come as we hurtle through space and time. 

Kicking past a rival? Pulling your fifth runner along in a pack? Qualifying for state? Winning regionals? 

All better than icing on the cross country apple-cider donut. 

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Elizabeth Carey (https://elizabethwcarey.com/) is a writer and running coach based in Seattle, Washington. Her first book, GIRLS RUNNING, co-authored with Melody Fairchild, is available at your local bookstore and here: https://shop.aer.io/GirlsRunning/p/Girls_Running_All_You_Need_to_Strive_Thrive_and_Run_Your_Best/9781948007184-9934.