This list is for triathletes, but I’d say you can adapt these tips to just about any competitive sport. Here’s how to mess up your next race:

  1. Professionalitis
  2. Injury
  3. Race Day Blues
  4. Over Training
  5. Under Training
  6. Race on Tubular tires, also known as “sew-ups”
  7. Bet Big…Lose Big
  8. Whim
  9. One word: “Tequila”
  10. Try something crazy and few just minutes before the race

But probably the best piece of advice is this: “But the biggest warning sign is when racing and training triathlon stops being fun and becomes work. Just like a professional you have now made your passion, your job, and nothing kills passion more than making it into work. Your entire life begins to revolve around your race performance because after all this is how professionals measure themselves.”

Via: InsideTri