IRONMAN World Championship Kona – Sports psychologist and Kona podium finisher on how to calm pre-race nerves

Whether you’re a seasoned Kona contender or a first-time qualifier. Racing at the IRONMAN World Championship Kona brings with it a heady mix of nerves, fear and excitement as you get ready to take on the notoriously tough conditions of the Big Island.

Revered as the hometown of long distance triathlon, Kona is steeped in swim-bike-run history. It’s a place where records are broken, champions are crowned. And a race where even the strongest of athletes can fall foul of the infamous Kona heat, humidity and crosswinds. With titles on the line and dreams to be realised, the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona is a race where anything can happen. Which brings with it a whole new level of pre-race nerves to contend with as you countdown to race morning.

So how can you keep those pre-race nerves in check? Keep reading to find out…

Keep your pre-race nerves in check with these top tips for racing in Kona

Racing at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona should be a bucket list-worthy experience. It’s the race, and the vacation, of a lifetime for many age-groupers. But if anxiety in the build up to race day starts to spin out of control, it can ruin the whole experience.

To help you keep your pre-race nerves in check, we spoke to two experts to get their top tips for staying calm, making the most of the IRONMAN World Championship experience and bringing the right mindset to race day.

Meet the experts

Yvonne Timewell

AG 55-59 Triathlete & Zwift Academy graduate

Yvonne is no stranger to racing in Kona. Hailing from Penticton, British Columbia, she first competed in the Ironman World Championships in 2018. The next year she became a part of the Zwift Academy Tri team. Racing alongside her team mates with support from Tim Don and Sarah True. It was an experience she describes as ‘surreal and epic’. In 2022, Yvonne returned to the Big Island to take the top step in her age category.

DR. Josephine perry

Chartered Psychologist at Performance in Mind

Josephine works with both elite and age-group sportspeople to help them overcome barriers and perform when it counts. Her own experience racing at Ironman Melbourne in 2013 prompted her journey to become a sports psychologist. Faced with crashing waves and driving winds, she realised that her reaction to fear was a choice she could control. That race became her fastest Ironman to date, and prompted a full career change into the field of performance psychology.

Face your fears head on

Something that many age-groupers are most worried about when it comes to racing the IRONMAN World Championship Kona is the unpredictable cross winds on the bike. To help calm your nerves, Yvonne Timewell recommends facing the fear head on and making the trip out to Hawi to practice the descent where the cross winds tend to be the strongest.

“Make the trip out to Hawi so you can practice what position on the bike has you feeling the most comfortable and confident when you’re descending in the cross winds. Try to stay relaxed!”

Knowing what to expect and having experience of the descent will help you to feel far more confident about tackling the cross winds during the race. Yvonne also shared a helpful tip for managing the cross winds during the descent on race day itself: watch the riders ahead of you. Look several riders ahead down the road. If you spot them being moved around by the wind, you can prepare yourself for the approaching gust.

Enjoy the race week experience

As the nerves and anticipation build, it can be tempting to dwell solely on the negative feelings. But you’re in Kona, and there’s so much to experience during race week. Don’t let the pre-race nerves force you to miss out – getting involved in everything race week at the IRONMAN World Championship Kona has to offer will be the perfect distraction to help you focus on just how incredible it is that you made it here, and you get to be part of the race.

Yvonne suggests taking a swim out to the coffee boat, usually anchored about 1000m away from the pier, where you’ll get to have the surreal experience of sipping on espresso in the middle of the Pacific ocean. Don’t miss out on the annual underpants run. And definitely go along to the welcome banquet to have that proud “I’ve made it to the Ironman World Championships!” moment.

Head down to Huggo’s On The Rocks any morning during race week, and you’ll most likely catch Bob Babbitt with one of your favourite professional triathletes filming an episode of the legendary Breakfast with Bob. And make sure you stop and soak up the famous Kona sunsets for a moment of calm amid all the hectic pre-race preparations.

Try to focus on enjoying every experience that comes with racing on Kona, instead of dwelling only on the things that scare you or the things that could go wrong on race day. In 10 years’ time, you probably won’t remember or care about being a few minutes slower on the bike than planned. But you’ll definitely remember swimming with dolphins and running around Hawaii in your undies.

Control the controllable

You can’t control how hot it is on race day. Or how strong the cross winds are. But you can control how prepared you are, which in turn will help you feel less nervous. Yvonne highlights the importance of staying hydrated during race week – your body will cope far better with the heat if you’re not turning up to the start line already dehydrated. She also recommends making sure you balance race week activities with rest and time off your feet.

“Embrace the fact you get to have an amazing adventure”

Coming into the race with the right mindset will play a huge role in how your race plays out. And if you can let go of fearing the unknown and embrace the day as it comes – you’re actually far more likely to have a good result. Sports psychologist Dr Josie Perry highlights the importance of embracing the adventure of racing in Kona.

“We remember people and adventures far more than we remember results. When you add this to the fact that no race ever goes exactly as planned, especially not a race like Kona, then instead of fearing the unexpected and a result that feels slower than you deserve, embrace the fact you get to have an amazing adventure. See it all as part of the brilliant story you will have to tell for years to come.”

Preparation is the key to keeping nerves at bay. Get Kona ready and set yourself up for your best performance on the Big Island with our guides to beating the Kona heat and riding in the notorious crosswinds.