I'm not sure why but sometimes I get nervous when I go to a trial. This last time it started for my first run. I'm not sure why I was feeling that way. I don't really care about people watching. Really what could happen that hasn't already happened to someone else. Is is caused by pressure I'm putting on myself? Here my dog is so happy and excited and I feel I need to be a better team member for her. It made me feel bad to be having nervous feelings when she is prancing right along next to me. Happy just to be there with me. So what to do. I brought my IPod with me and after walking the course a couple of times, I put my ear buds in and walked the course listening to music. What song did I listen to? Jonas Brothers, "Play my Music". It reminds me of agility except they are singing about what music means to them . I then listened to it again while waiting for my turn. Once 5 dogs were in front of me , I took my music off. It really did seem to help. I tried not to set up self up for failure. I didn't have any expectations about what was going to happen on course. I really just wanted to run well. It seemed to work.
So I then bought some books from Clean Run. One was "That winning feeling" by Jane Savoie and the other was "With Winning in Mind" by Lanny Bassham. Ive started reading both, at the same time. I'm not sure that is smart. I'm not good at imagery. Its ok if I'm using it to remember the course and see yourself flowing through the course. But that stuff about seeing yourself on a cloud, floating etc.... ( like what G. Louganis was saying) Is to out there for me. I'm a very concrete person. I do like the idea that is talked about in the first book ( jane Savoie) . She says that every night or morning ( during a quiet relaxed time) see yourself doing the course easy and flowing. So I'm going to try it with the arm flapping stuff. I'm going to visualize myself running a course without flapping my arms. Jane S. states that this can help you practice correctly hundreds of times before you actually do it. You will have lots of correct response to what you want and will far out way doing it wrong. I'm not sure if this is making any sense but I'm going to try it. I do like G. Louganis suggestion about not thinking you've got the course nailed in your mind before you run it. I have done that to myself many times. "no problem, this is easy. She'll have no problem." Disaster!
One thing that helps with nerves is waiting around 8 hours for a run. By that time, I feel pretty much over the whole experience and just want to go home. No nerves then. LoL
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8 comments:
Also, conscious breathing helps. I just recently discovered how much I DO NOT think about breathing and how much it helps when I am feeling anxious. We tend to get into a pattern of shallow breathign which isn't effective.
I'd love to hear what you think about the Lanny Bassham book. I have considered buying it on disc to listen to while driving to trials, etc.
The instructor(former world team member)at the seminars I've gone to says she has things written on an index card, reminders to herself. She reads them right before she goes in the ring. She also does the same routine before each run - go to car, get dog out, get the dog to pee, do three tricks,.....she says doing the same thing before each run helps her and the dog.
Runners do the same thing, imagine a good race. Imagine just flowing along effortlessly. Imagine the feeling of crossing the finish line. Imagine the success. Sounds like a similar thing might work for you!
I went through a time when listening to music on the way to a trial and at the trial really helped me focus and feel more confident in my handling and out on the course. It was after one of JoJo's big injuries and it really paid off and showed in our runs.
I also liked to keep a list in my car of 'things' I need to focus on during training and a run - queue earlier, accelerate/decelerate, etc., I look at the list before every run and it really helps me focus on what I need to do to be a better teammate.
We haven't been doing agility very long so this is our extreme newbie opinion, but we are trying to remember that agility should be fun and it shouldn't be all that hard - dogs read body language and if we just come up with some sort of logical approach to a course and not stress out about it or over think it, it will probably work out. So there's no need to be nervous! Having said that though, we know that we are still running novice and maybe we'll get nervous as courses get harder but hope not! (does that make sense at all?)
the good news is that the nerves will go away. :o) deep breathe, focus on your dog, and just remember to have fun. being, and feeling confident in yourself will go a long way!
NERVES, that is a hard one isnt it? I find some days it doesnt bother me at all and some days for no particular reason I can tell I get myself worked up in a state. My trainer Alicia says you just have to trial a lot, and I am trying all the things you are talking about, but it is always weird why it is sometimes so nerve wracking and sometimes is no big deal at all. WHY is that???
I've been competing in agility for 10 years now; and I still am pretty much nervous before each and every run. Sometimes I can dissapte it by being silly and jumping and moving around a bit right before I go in the ring. 99% of the time, once I get in the ring, the nerves are gone, and its down to business. I don't know what I'm nervous about, but sometimes it seems like thats part of the fun for me.
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