Do you worry about failing before your triathlon race even starts? Do you jump in the water more tense and with less confidence than you want? If you want to be relaxed and energized for your next triathlon then keep reading.

Unleash your kinetic energy during the race, not by worrying about your race ahead of time.

Here’s five steps adopted by podium winners in triathlons:

1. Reach emotional stability. Relax. Breathing helps you relax and focus on your race performance instead of pre-race anxieties. Combine with smiling, laughing, and sharing funny stories with others to smooth out the roller coaster emotional worries and uncertainties.

2. Relate to empathy. Knowing you are not alone in your pre-race jitters will provide you with an extra sense of belongingness. Think how stressed out others are pre-race. Think how relaxed you can be compared to others to boost your race day performance.

3. Seek clarity. Know your goals for the day. Break them down into markers along the day’s journey. Focus your effort in reaching your targeted achievements. Give high priority items more attention for better outcomes.

4. Make your effort a team effort. Input from your support team provides more varied solutions and creates a sense of inclusion to boost your race performance. Include your family, friends, coach, and teammates in your thoughts, decisions, and post-race celebrations.

5. Think positive. No matter how hard the race gets, and no matter how bad your body feels, giving up hurts more and stays apart of you mind longer. Build a wall to keep out the negatives.

Go to your mantra: “I’m a competitor, not a spectator!”

Relax. Breath. Smile. All system ready. Go!