Getting stage fright

[Christinak]

I am running my first half marathon on Sunday and it is causing a great deal of anxiety. I'm worried about my performance in comparison to others, if I will be able to finish and am not liking the idea of spectators watching at all. I really want to calm down and enjoy it but I'm afraid I might start having a panic attack before the race.

[melody]

Hi Christina,

Even if you finish last, the important thing is to finish. I have had a lot of practice in finishing last. Way way back so you'd need a telescope to find me ha ha when they made me do sports at school. It was embarassing, but it never killed me. I learned to have a sense of humour about how terrible I am at sports. It's for fun & thats all it is! Some people will be so puffed you could think they're having a panic attack. No one would even notice the difference if you did. They'd just think you were unfit like so many other people there.

I can't say I have ever had a panic attack when I've been doing exercise. Too many endorphins getting the body all happy & excited.

Enjoy the race. Spectators aren't allowed to judge you. Theyre the lazy ones. You get to judge them

Melody

[widge]

Hi,

I am a professional musician, and many musicians and actors use propranolol to combat stage-fright. It blocks the way the body produces adrenalin amongst other things and since, if you are stuck on a stage playing a fiddle concerto then the flight and fight machanism has nowhere to go you end up with all the panic associated with performing......

HOWEVER

I would suggest that in vigourous SPORT you probably NEED the advantage of adrenalin and all the other chemicals your brain pumps into your body.

Propranolol can also famously interfere with your breathing, and as a a mild asthmatic I cannot take it all the time without getting wheezy.
Definately not what you would want.

I agree with Melody......prObably the best way to avoid panic in A race is to run like stink and enjoy it!!

Sadly...I rarely get the chance to run off stage!

ATB

widge