Jasyoga Race Day Mantras

Erin from Jasyoga has been helping our Feed the Dream triathletes with their race prep leading up to Ironman World Championships. Her wealth of knowledge extends past athlete-specific functional movement though, and today she's sharing tips for optimizing the output between your ears.

Train your brain to level up on your next race day!

Get Your Head Right for Race Day

In racing and in life, mantras — positive affirmations — are super powerful because they anchor you in the present and cut through any chaos or negativity in your mind. They help you to press pause on memories and projections, expectations and perceptions, so that you can more bravely go into what’s actually happening right here, right now. They also help to coordinate your mind, body, and breath so that you can manage any challenge more easefully, which is especially handy on race day.

You’ve done the work — the physical training — but make sure you have your head right when you toe the line. Apply a race mantra to help you meet the challenge and crush your goal. Use this simple mental focus practice leading up to race day to get your head right for the tri ahead…

Try it: Race Mantra

• Select your mantra — a positive affirmation related to your goal or overcoming an obstacle you perceive. For example, “I am here now.”
• Sit comfortably OR practice this technique during your swim, bike, or run sessions.
• Take a deep breath in… a slow breath out.
• Continue to deepen your breathing.
• Inhaling, say in your head, “I am…”
• Exhaling, say, “…here now.”
• Inhale: “I am…"
• Exhale: “here now.”
• Continue repeating the words to yourself, in your head, for 2–5 minutes
• Breathe deeply and pay attention. Do this and you’re doing it right. 

For a guided version, try this Race Day Meditation…

For more practical tip and tools to optimize your triathlon training, head to video.jasyoga.com — use code PICKYTRIYOGA for a free month of over 100 yoga for athletes videos including Jasyoga’s new Yoga for Triathletes series (offer valid for new Jasyoga Video subscribers).