Saturday, November 5, 2011

Help! Bad race anxiety

Yesterday (Friday), marked the 30 day countdown to CIM. Upon realizing this I felt really sick to my stomach. The last couple of weeks I have been having bad dreams about CIM. Missing the start, forgetting my running shoes at home, getting lost, missing my flight, having my Garmin break or not be charged, not being about to find the hotel, etc.

Now, I just have an awful pit in the bottom of my stomach. Have I been over training? What if something happens during the race (dehydration, cramping....)???? What if I just totally psych myself out and bomb the whole race? What if I go out to fast??? UGH. I hate having all of this feelings right now. My worst fear out of everything above is over training.

As I was having all of these overwhelming feelings yesterday I left work to go and do my interval workout. I put on my Garmin as I was leaving work. I got downtown and parked at the club. The day was beautiful so I was looking forward to at least getting my warm up down outside before it got too dark. I looked down at my watch and it was just flashing "Garmin". WTF? I turned it off and turned it back on- it was still doing the same thing. Obviously something was wrong with my watch. GREAT. Just great. 30 days before my marathon my Garmin breaks that I purchased from REI at the end of July. Are you kidding me?! My first Garmin lasted almost 3 years...this one lasted less than 4 months? I was really hoping that this was not a bad sign.

I did my workout and then went home to plug my Garmin into the computer. It still was doing the same thing. UGH. At this point I told my husband what was going on and he told me to just take back down to REI. I pondered a bit and then decided to see if they would let me return it. Off to REI I went.

REI has the best customer service- ever. I told them what was going on with my watch, they looked up my purchase and then asked if I wanted to exchange it or get my money back. Of course I wanted to exchange it.   I told the sales associate that I was thinking about "upgrading" from my 210 and purchasing the 610. The 610 is the newest Garmin Forerunner and it is a beauty! It costs a lot more than the 210 so I figured that it could be my birthday present to myself.

I really think that she needs a name- any suggestions?????


What I am most excited about the 610 is that it will allow me to upload workouts that I have created in the Garmin Connect community to my watch. I thought that my 210 would have that capable, but unfortunately it didn't. It looks something like this:


  1. Warm Up 1 mi None
  2. Interval 0.75 mi 4:33 to 4:33 min:sec/mi
  3. Recovery 2:00 min:sec None
  4. Interval 0.75 mi 4:33 to 4:33 min:sec/mi
  5. Recovery 2:00 min:sec None
  6. Interval 0.5 mi 2:57 to 2:57 min:sec/mi
  7. Recovery 2:00 min:sec None
  8. Interval 0.5 mi 2:57 to 2:57 min:sec/mi
  9. Recovery 2:00 min:sec None
  10. Interval 0.5 mi 2:57 to 2:57 min:sec/mi
  11. Recovery 2:00 min:sec None
  12. Interval 0.5 mi 2:57 to 2:57 min:sec/mi
  13. Recovery 2:00 min:sec None
  14. Cool Down 1 mi None


As I was standing in line to purchase my new 610, a guy behind me asked how Boston was (I was wearing my 2010 finisher's jacket). I said that it wasn't my best race, but that it was probably my favorite. He said that Boston will always be his favorite race. I told him that I hoped to qualify again at CIM in a couple of weeks. He then proceeded to tell me that he has ran CIM several times and his WORST race ever was there. WTF dude? You are seriously going to tell me something like that???? Could he not see the anxiety in my eyes????? At that point there was a register open so thankfully I didn't have to keep talking to him.

So 30 days before CIM, I have really bad race anxiety, my Garmin broke, AND some dude at REI tells me that CIM was his worst race ever.....

How do you overcome race anxiety????
Does anyone else experience these same thoughts prior to a big race????
Has anyone else over trained for a race before????

--Tasha

4 comments:

  1. Tasha, it is so normal to have anxiety. You are going to kick some major butt at CIM! I'm glad your garmin broke now instead of during your race. Want a name that starts with a g? Gracie? Love you!

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  2. Hey girl,
    this is the hardest thing...anxiety! I worked years to overcome it but finally I feel pretty race anxiety free. So hard when you work so hard and so long for one race...so much on the line. But try to just focus on the great things you've done this training cycle. You've done the work...now enjoy and relax. Why do you think you are overtraining? Do you feel tired and like you can't meet your paces in workouts? Typically in overtraining, you would feel it and experience signs of overtraining so if you don't feel this then chances are...you are not overtraining. :) Your times look incredible as always!

    My husband wants a 610 so bad!! Enjoy!

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  3. Cass- I like the name Gracie! I am going to think about it and decide in a couple of days. :-)

    Amanda- I don't really know why I think I am over training. I don't necessarily think that I am it's just one of those "what ifs". I am my own worst critique- it is something that I have really had to work on. I have gotten much better with race anxiety over this last year, but I have so much riding on CIM that I am just freaking out now. I know that in the end I everything will work out. I just need to take a chill pill. :-)
    The 610 is AWESOME!!!!! Worth every penny.

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  4. Thinking of you! I get this! :) You're awesome and so talented so try to let it go and focus on enjoying what you've done all the work to enjoy. And what an awesome gift...a treadmill!!! xo

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