The Pre-Event Wobble

A frequent phenomenon that I have noticed over my time rowing, is the pre-event incompetence syndrome. This is when the sessions immediately leading up to the big event (for example a monday outing before bumps) is an absolute bust, prompting you to feel as if you've suddenly and inexplicably become completely incompetent. This usually occurs during the last practice work session, for example the last course pieces before the training tapers.

I was prompted to think about this whilst writing my training diary entry for yesterday. It is the Women's Head next weekend (a big deal in the world of British club rowing), and we are aiming for a top ten finish, and a possible shot at the club pennant. As I composed my entry, I realised that the outing had been an incredibly good one, surprising at this stage, and especially as it was the penultimate session in the crew before the head. Thus it appears, so long as the outing on thursday doesnt fall apart, that we have not fallen prey to the incompetence syndrome mentioned above. Why is this, and what does it mean about a. the syndrome itself, and b. our approach to the upcoming event?

The answer to both of these questions, I feel, lies in the mental attitude to the event, and the response of the rowers to distractions. For us, racing at the Women's Head, we have very little to lose. We are essentially a scratch crew, with no expectations on our shoulders, nothing to lose and everything to gain, racing over the long distance boat race course. The Head, though important, is not the be-all and end-all of the season, and we have not been working solely towards this one event for the best part of a few months or even the year. We have a relaxed, chilled out approach, and as such, performed well and to the best of our ability in this outing.

By contrast, before bumps, or before the boatrace (the other really specific time I remember suffering this problem), the pressure is high, the outcome of the racing is something that you have been working towards for the best part of a year, and the hopes of an entire university, college, and/or alumni body are focussed on you. Stress levels are soaring, and particularly in the case of the bumps- your opponents are all out there on the water with you, playing various psychological games with you. The crew falls prey to high emotion, and most importantly, to distraction.

So what is the solution to the pre-event incompetence syndrome? These last few outings before the big event are of utmost importance, and it is vital to get the most out of them. I believe that the key lies in careful and complete preparation. Total focus. Absolute and certain knowledge of every action you are to perform in the run up to the event. More experienced crews, who have been through it all before, suffer less severely from this problem. Why? Because they are aware of exactly what they are doing. Nothing is new, everything is under control.

So what can the inexperienced crew member do to avoid losing focus and losing the benefit of these final few sessions- even losing confidence as a result? I feel that the answer lies in routine, rehearsal, and mental rehearsal (visualisation). It is vital that a routine is prepared, discussed and rehearsed prior to an important event. Each outing, from early on in preparation, should follow a specific pattern, with warm-ups, drills, race pieces etc. such that the rowers themselves are following familiar and comfortable routines during the stressful build up to the races. Discipline in focus throughout the preparation period can help with coping with distractions that appear larger than life as the stress and anticipation builds. Visualisation is an important part of this ability to work through distractions.

The pre-event incompetence syndrome can cost valuable progress in the lead up to important events. An ability to work through the distractions, via mental techniques such as visualisation and distraction control could be the key to gaining an edge over your opposition on the day, thanks to improved and enhanced preparation. This is the first time I have stopped to consider the reasons behind the invariable messy period, and I am glad that I did. I feel that I can use this realisation to achieve a focus and benefit from my training. I hope that my old college consider such thoughts in the build up to the Lents this week- in fact, I may have a word with one or two of the coaches... Good Luck Jesus!!