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OMG we did it!!!! Spartan Beast 21km obstacle race conquered… Although I must say it was possibly the hardest thing I’ve done physically… Hmmm ever?! It really is true to say ‘what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger’… As I sit on the couch I now have a new threshold of determination & resilience!
Results were surprisingly pleasing – 1st female non-elite 40-49, 3rd overall non-elite female! If I wear my ‘Spartan finisher’ t-shirt everywhere for the rest of my life, you’ll understand why!
NERVES FOR DIFFERENT OCCASIONS.
As we drove to the event, my BF Chris (previously a national champ Junior XC runner & general athletic freak!) & I had an interesting conversation about nerves! As elite level athletes in our field, we’re both used to that pre-comp nervousness, mostly from both the internal & external pressures of wanting to, & expecting to do well.
We have already been looking into competing in the elite category, so we naturally wanted to a) finish without breaking (we are old haha!), b) complete all the obstacles without penalty, & c) post respectable times – in case we were abismal & kidding ourselves about racing Elite!
However, having never done a Spartan race (we’ve done races but not a Spartan – they’re tough!), & Chris never having raced the distance (I’ve done a half marathon), we were basically starting with a pile of unknowns & nothing to compare to.
Automatically we had competitive attitudes, but because this wasn’t our ‘main’ sport of previous success & expectation, we had to consciously rein ourselves into reality. So why were we nervous?!
This lead to a really interesting conversation about different reasons, or types of nerves, which I thought was really worth sharing.
I was nervous, because I wanted to complete the course & post a respectable time to be competitive with the elites in the future. But as our first Spartan Beast, our aim really was to just experience the race, & to learn from it for the benefit of future races.
I then decided to imagine myself turning up to the event with a different mindset, one of ‘fun, just have a go, no pressure, if you’re tired just walk or rest, & help your team mates, it’s just a great thing to do with friends/partners’. It was amazing the difference. Remove the self-expectation, the pressure, & suddenly this event seemed enjoyable (except the sandbag carrying up the hill, that will never be enjoyable!)!
So the pressure from expectation can put such voices in our head, that we get bogged down with negatives, thinking more about failure than why we’re there in the first place.
©Jenelle Christopher
I often give myself a pep-talk before XC, & a few methods work to change my mindset:
- I imagine the feeling of having a run-out – how disappointed I am, how the pressure is now off, & how I just wish I could do the jump again properly! This gives me a shot of reality, especially when I’m needing a motivating kick up the arse & feeling doubtful!
- I also tell myself that if I’m nervous & ride like a muppet, then I’ll perform like a muppet! So go out there & ride like a confident skilled person, otherwise you’re just asking to fall off lol!
- I also imagine the feeling of elation after a good round, the adrenalin buzz & confidence you get, which is irreplaceable by almost anything, & the reason we mad creatures event! This is the addiction…
- Am I actually scared of hurting myself? Well, if so, then get off! For me this means the horse isn’t up to the job. I haven’t often have this type of nervousness, because I feel it would be an awful thing to combat, & I’m not prepared to risk my neck – the sport is hardly a even for the best prepared combinations!
- Am I leading the class & feeling nervous because everyone’s trying to catch me & I can’t afford a penalty? Well, imagine you’re 2nd, 3rd or 4th – you suddenly become the predator, rather than the prey – which gives me aggression & something to chase! The feeling of being threatened is far worse, than if you are the one posing the threat. The other thing is, just go & do your best. You’ll do that whether you’re lying 1st or 8th, & you can’t do better than your best anyway. So just get out there & do your thing!
Anyway, I hope some of these thoughts help with your sporting goals. The mind is the most powerful muscle we have, so physical fitness is great, but you need to top it off with a great pilot!
- Amanda
©Jenelle Christopher
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