Race is tomorrow and...

Could this be pre-race anxiety? I thought I was doing fine mentally this week (my Oly race is this Sunday), but since I woke up I've been feeling nauseous. Seriously, I feel as if I were pregnant... ughhhhh....
Try to relax and think about something else, not the race.

Thanks, I really hope this is just anxiety, for both of us! Good luck on Sunday

Edited by Rollergirl 2017-08-25 9:23 AM

Congratulations on your training - trust that it will pay off.
Hope you aren't sick, that would suck, but the adrenaline should kick in.

Don't know about taking cold meds and racing. Maybe someone here with more experience can share.

I also kicked it into gear this year - at the sprint level. Didn't lose much weight, even eating pretty clean, but I am post-menopausal (my excuse for a lot . While my times didn't improve a lot from a few years ago (you will probably have better results just from the weight loss), felt good out of the water, ran to TI. Transitions used to be a time to catch my breath, now I was in and out in under 2 mins.(fast for me). It was a very tough bike course, came in the back of the pack, but did place 3/5 in my age group.

Some good advice I've gotten here - don't worry about placing. It depends who shows up for the race. Race your best race and that will be your success.

I trust that you will do great!

Mitzi

Thanks Mitzi

You're right about the placing, it does depend on who shows up. Earlier this year I finished 12/24 with a worse time than last year, when I was 20/25.

I hope you are right about the adrenaline too, I have heard about it but never experienced it.

Well done on a good year too!

I have googled anxiety symptoms and although I realise it's a serious condition which doesn't have much to do with pre-race jitters, I have decided that's what I have and am NOT sick, alright brain???

lol

I have taken Ibuprofen plenty of times, mostly in running races. It works great for inflammation, any possible pains, and I believe has some other benefits. I know I will be in pain in the upcoming triathlon, because I did not train well, and have new shoes that I believe I haven't run with long enough. So my plan is to take two pills just when exiting T2.

The adrenaline helps a lot.

Thanks guys, it's definitely anxiety, as I have noticed a minor defect on my rear tyre (oh whhhyyyy did I not check before!!??? Now it's too late , it's evening here, shops are closed!) and my symptoms went through the roof!!! I am even having palpitations now

Aaahaarrrrrrrghhhhhh!!!!

Oh no! What is wrong? Do you think it will be fine to ride? Do they have some tech people on the site at the race?

It's slightly cracked on the outside, but looks ok from inside. It should hold another 20k ride, I think, but now I am worried about that...

I KNOW I should have thought about checking at least a week ago. Well, I HAVE thought about it.....

Thanks. No, I would not lose my job nor the love of my family, I would lose some self esteem though.

Thanks for the tip about the tyre. I was thinking about putting a bit of glue on the crack, what do you think?

Edited by Rollergirl 2017-08-25 12:00 PM

Not sure what time it is now but if this is relevant....get some sleep! You will be fine. I have been in endurance sports for almost 40 years and in that time have raced many times with colds and worse. Colds will affect your comfort level, maybe your top-end performance, but almost certainly not your ability to finish a sprint triathlon. If you are otherwise healthy, normal doses of most common cold meds should not be dangerous for a race at that distance. (I would be very careful, though, if you have blood pressure issues.) I have raced with pretty much any cold/asthma med you can name in my system. Probably not the most awesome thing to do health wise, but my job and location don't allow me to race much and most events involve expensive travel--I won't pull out over a cold; asthma makes it necessary that I take the meds so I can breathe well enough to sleep and race. I have even done a HIM in tropical conditions with the flu (though no fever on race day) and finished without ending up in ER or the med tent--very careful management of what/when I took meds, unambitious pacing, and tons of hydration. (I really don't recommend this, though.)

You need to be much more cautious with a longer event, and in really extreme conditions. I would not race with a fever or deep chest congestion. Head colds/sore throat without fever should not be dangerous and in fact don't always even affect performance in a shorter race.. Pay extra attention to hydration as many meds contain chemicals which can hasten dehydration. And if you start to feel worse (extreme fatigue, dizziness, difficulty breathing beyond what is normal for you in a race), slow down or drop out. It may be a sign you are coming down with something nastier, or your body's just not up to it that day.

One thing to be aware of is that many cold meds contain nervous system stimulants (like pseudoephedrine and caffeine) which may make pre-race anxiety (both physical and mental aspects) worse. Just recognize it for what it is--your heart may be pounding because the meds plus anxiety are jacking it up. Personally I would try to avoid taking anything on race morning for that reason, unless it's something you absolutely need (like an inhaler for people with asthma). If you must, maybe lay off the pre-race coffee. From experience--anxiety plus cold meds plus coffee plus porta-potty lines = ugly situation!

Thanks for your support everybody. The tyre held, I was not sick (it was just race anxiety) and it went really well. I am very happy!