Adrenaline and the Mental Aspect of Competition
The Winners Edge is Back!
Adrenaline and the Mental Aspect of Competition
Anticipation of an upcoming run will cause you to get a surge of adrenaline. Adrenaline is a hormone and neurotransmitter that is part of our natural defense – fight or flight – mechanism. If you feel fear or excitement, adrenaline kicks in to help you survive. It’ s the super-charged hormone flushing through our bodies that has literally given people enough strength in an emergency to lift a pickup truck to save someone trapped underneath.
Adrenaline is also called epinephrine, and it is produced by adrenal glands when stress or danger is sensed by the body. Impending competition stimulates this response and triggers what is commonly known as an adrenaline rush.
That rush turns off body functions such as digestion and boosts oxygen and glucose to the brain, then norepinephrine, increases blood pressure, heart rate and blood flow to muscles.
The excitement you feel when you are competing is the release of adrenaline into the circulatory system. Adrenaline is the body’ s response to stress and at one point, centuries ago, may have made the difference between life and death. In competition it can make the difference between winning and losing.
The rush of adrenaline is welcomed when an athlete is about to do battle in the sporting arena. There’ s an increase of energy sent to the muscles and the muscles response is to boost their ability to react. There’ s an enhanced alertness brought about by an arousal of the central nervous system. The body begins to sweat more, in preparation to cool the
Welcome to a special complimentary issue of the new Winners Edge.
We started the Winner’ s Edge in 1989. It was very popular for the three years we did it, but it was a lot of work back then. Not only did we have to write each issue, we also had to get it printed, folded, labeled and mailed. It was labor intensive and expensive to produce. Now, with the internet and smart phones, things have changed. We can get the Winners Edge to you by e-mail or via Kindle – quickly and affordably.
One thing that hasn’ t changed is barrel racers wanting more knowledge about training and competing. Riders now have muscles and the pupils dilate in an effort to take in more of the surroundings.
When you’ re getting ready to go into the arena, this powerful stuff can also make your hands and legs shaky, and give you a panicked, frightened feeling. It can distract you and unnerve you.
But it can also make you stronger, faster, able to react more quickly during your run. Your challenge is to learn to take advantage of adrenaline instead of letting it work against you.
First recognize what it feels like to compete. It’ s almost time for your run and you begin feeling the excitement that is the first sign of adrenaline hitting your system. Take the time to breathe. Take some deep breaths and let the air out. A lot of time people don’ t breathe regularly during this time – make yourself breathe smoothly and evenly.
If you accept the presence of adrenaline as part of your“ this is what competition feels like” mind set, it can make you stronger and able to react faster. Your goal is to feel excited to begin your run, not apprehensive.
Right before Martha’ s tenth run at the 1980 National Finals she knew that she had to focus because if she knocked over a barrel it would cost the title. Sonny actually slipped on the first, causing him to fade going to the second. She remembers,“ I barely got him over for it. I had never over and undered him on the way to the third but I knew I had to make up time.” Her adrenaline helped her process all that and react. It resulted in the World Championship.
So how do you begin to control your
The Winners Edge is Back!
access to how-to books, on-line videos, and countless training DVD’ s for training a horse, getting through the patterns, how to compete and all the mechanical aspects of the event.
What we still hear from barrel racers that they need is help FOR THEMSELVES. How do you get that winning attitude? How do you overcome your nervousness? How do you prepare and get stronger mentally? How do you become a better competitor, a smarter barrel racer? How can you be a better coach to someone or at least support someone in a more effective way? own adrenaline rush and make it work for you? You have to learn to control the mental aspect of competition.
It’ s essential to understand how important the mental game is. One year, Sports Psychologist Gary Mack was working with some professional baseball players. He asked the group to stand. Then he asked if the mental part of their performance was less than 10 % and if so, to sit down. Then he asked those who thought it was less than 20 % to take a seat. He went on,“ if you think the mental part of competition is less than 30 %, sit down”. Then“ if you think it’ s 40 % sit down”. At 50 percent, over half the roomful of professional athletes was still standing. These are people who make their living performing at a high level. They know how important the mental aspect of competition is. If you had been there, would you have still been standing?
If your answer is yes, and you believe the difference between your best and your worst performance is at least 50 % mental, then how much time have you been spending on your mental game? How much have you practiced the mental skills THAT CONTROL AT LEAST HALF YOUR CHANCE OF DOING WELL?
Building mental muscle takes time and practice. But, as Mack so clearly put it,“ You will find that the more you work on the inside, the more it shows on the outside”. If you want better results, you must change your thought patterns. You need to work on your mental game.
Adrenaline- Cont. on P. 3
That was the primary purpose of the old Winners Edge, and it is the sole focus of the new edition.
We hope this new Winners Edge resonates for you and invite you to subscribe to continue to receive your monthly issues for only $ 29.95 per year for the first year.
We wish you much success in your competition and in your life. Always remember that you are a winner!
Sincerely, Martha Josey & Cheryl( Magoteaux) Cody