Relax into it
SPORT can be intense, there’s no getting away from it. By and large, the bigger the moment, the more intense it will feel. Different people experience this in different ways, some more in the mind (“I have to get this right”) and some more in the body (nervousness and tension). I always encourage riders to interpret these intense experiences as energy waiting to be released, which is technically what it is.
The most primal way of releasing this energy is through “mass movement” using our biggest muscle groups, which often explains why we might over-ride when nervous. Unfortunately our skill as a rider often relies on the very opposite; sitting still and exercising
