Competition prep: nerves and memorising the track

The easiest way to learn a test is to draw a smaller version of the track on the kitchen floor and walk it yourself, or to carry a little notebook where you can sketch the track out. 😊

On nerves, many people find that a few nerves can be a good thing and help to sharpen them up a little. If the nerves become too strong, though, they can work against you, bringing on heavy symptoms such as a racing heart, forgetting the test, sweating and shaking. This is the brain's normal response to a threat, and to bring that response down we often need to show the brain that we are not actually in danger. The simplest way to do that is to do the things you normally do when you are relaxed. That might be ordinary yard jobs like packing hay or oiling your competition boots, or even watching funny clips on YouTube. Whatever helps you relax 😊 Good luck!