Lets talk sports psychology
What goes through your guys' heads before a big race?
How do you get in the zone?
How do you overcome the jitters if it's a super important race?
For me, I'm super nervous the whole time before I get on the track for a race. So far I've been able to keep focus once I'm actually in the saddle, but it's inevitable that I'll run into one where focusing is tough. Mass start races are also very different as you have some time to settle in. With sprint events, this is typically not the case.
I'm racing in District State Champs this weekend, so I'm sure these tips will come in handy. I don't really expect to finish too well as this is my first year of racing, but who knows.