What Your Pre-Race Nerves Are Telling You
How to approach pre-race or game anxiety with curiosity rather than criticism.
Posted May 26, 2026 | Reviewed by Lybi Ma
The “taper crazies” are a well-known phenomenon among athletes in the days or weeks preceding an endurance event. You hyperfixate on the forecast, scrutinize the body's sensations that could indicate injury or illness, toss and turn at night, triple-check your gear, invent impossible worst-case scenarios, and obsess over details that you cannot actually control. Even experienced athletes can be surprised by how psychologically unpredictable the days before a race can feel.
When you are in the throes of this unique form of anxiety , it can feel distressing and uncomfortable. Many athletes may interpret these experiences as problematic or a sign of weakness. They start to feel anxious about being anxious.
However, anxiety preceding any major event (particularly one involving uncertainty and performance pressure) is a normal psychological response. The more you have invested in the process, the more you care about the outcome. Instead of wrestling with pre-race anxiety, a more helpful starting point is to ask: What are these nerves trying to tell me?
Anxiety is often a sign that we care deeply about something. A race may represent months of training, sacrifice, and emotional investment. You may have had many pre-dawn alarms, endured miserable weather, and taken time away from your family or other responsibilities.
You prioritized training above comfort because this matters to you. If you did not care about the outcome, you likely would not be feeling anxious. With this in mind, we can reframe pre-race anxiety from something harmful or problematic to something natural, understandable, and expected.
"It Feels Vulnerable to Leave the Comfort Zone"
Athletes love predictability, but racing involves a willingness to tolerate uncertainty. It feels vulnerable to willingly choose an activity where disappointment or struggle are possible, particularly when being witnessed by loved ones. Vulnerability naturally triggers anxiety. And yet, how can we access joy, meaning, and growth without being willing to risk discomfort?
"I’m About to Do Something Risky, So I Better Focus"
Any athletic event, particularly endurance events, involves some degree of risk—ranging from minor injury to serious, unforeseeable accident. Humans experience anxiety as a means of preparing for action and responding to danger. The fight-or-flight response involves specific biological, mental, and emotional reactions that get us ready for action.
Feeling restless and keyed up on race week is not necessarily problematic in itself. It’s just your brain and body preparing to respond at a moment’s notice, if needed. Some degree of anxiety can actually enhance performance and sharpen focus. The goal is not necessarily to get rid of anxiety altogether, but to keep it within a manageable zone.
"This Is Going to Hurt"
You are about to do something that will elicit physical pain, fatigue, and some degree of mental anguish. Some pre-race nerves stem from the anticipation of discomfort, as your brain foresees what is about to happen.
"I Need to Do Something with This Extra Energy"
Tapering means that you have decreased your activity volume to be ready for performance, and you likely have much more time on your hands than usual.
As race day draws near, you likely are also experiencing an excess of physiological energy, without your go-to coping mechanism for discharging stress . With that in mind, feeling amped up on race week is a sign that the taper has worked correctly.
"This Is Really Exciting"
Anxiety and excitement are somatically very similar; both involve restlessness, elevated energy, butterflies in the stomach, and feeling extra alert. The difference lies in the cognitive interpretation. We tend to evaluate excitement as a positive experience and anxiety as a problem that needs to be solved. You are about to do something challenging and significant, perhaps for the first time. Of course, you are feeling excited!
Anxiety before a major event involving sacrifice, investment, and discomfort is only human. Pre-race nerves are not necessarily problematic, though therapy can help if anxiety becomes so severe that it interferes with performance, daily functioning, or leads to extreme distress. Approaching pre-race anxiety with curiosity rather than self-criticism may lead to additional opportunities for self-development and growth.
Sport-related anxiety: current insights. Open Access J Sports Med. 2017 Oct. J. L. Ford et al.
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Annie Mueller, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist dedicated to supporting outdoor athletes as they navigate loss, trauma, and the complex emotional terrain of injury and recovery.
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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.