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Afternoon chaps,
I've raced a number of XC races over the last couple of years and my warm up is very un-scientific and I dont think i'm doing it in a way that would benefit me most.
I tend to just ride the course and keep active for about 30 mins prior to the start.
Of the larger events that I have entered I have noticed quite a lot of people have some sort of structured warm up on rollers.
I'm guessing its "x" amount of time in zone 2 / 3 and some sprints etc. I might borrow some rollers from a friend and give this a go at the next race. Can anyone recommend a warm up sequence that I could take a look at? Anyone care to share what works for them?
I've got a Garmin and HR monitor etc so hoping I could load some sort of workout onto it.
Cheers
I used to do this, esp if it was raining. I would say it depends how good your sprint off the start line is, and how you deal with nerves. It can just end up being one more phaffy fiddly detail to sort out when you are already feeling stressed.
Also - any warmup loses it's value if you have to wait around for ages on the start line. If your race is gridded then you can time it better !
Course ride always good to do. I'd try and do that then have a longish break before proper warm up.
Tend to do some variation on a progressive ramp up over about 8 mins from low z2 up to about 110% of threshold. Then 4 quick high cadence sprints, then a couple of 1 min efforts above threshold. Rest all z2. Takes about 25 mins.
I try and finish about 10 to 20 mins before start though that can be tricky.
I use the British Cycling 20 minute warm-up for road events, it would be pretty good for XC as well.
I have it as a Garmin workout, email in profile if you would like me to email it to you.
Cheers people that's useful.
In terms of using rollers (something that i've never done), would it be a problem if I jumped on them after a lap of the course with muddy tyres? I'd rather not bring a second bike. The only chance I get to ride the course if often a long time before the race starts meaning that I would have to do that first and then jump on the rollers after that.
I would have thought rollers would be a handful with muddy nobbly tyres!
Very true. Perhaps a better method would be a turbo and a second rear wheel with slick tyre on it. I was just surprised at how many rollers there were on Sunday compared to turbos.
You'll have very little traction to start off with if your tyres are muddy, you'll dirt and grit on a plastic surface are going to cause it to wear prematurely, it'll be noisy if there's anybody near by or walks past you they're likely to get covered in shite. 🙂
Most of the warm ups just seem to be variations on the BC, Wattbike, team Sky ones.
I'd just go with a turbo and a second rear wheel.
I guess you could argue that rollers have the benefit of some upper body warm up. Do see a lot of rollers these days though. I'd say fashion but pro's mostly still seem to be warming up on turbos.
Edit... would add that if parked in a lumpy uneven field then I'm not sure I'd want to be doing my warm up on rollers.
I'm with Hels
Used to do warm ups.
Figured I am better off holding onto my glycogen now. I'll spin the legs easy for a while just riding about an open area if i can after doing practise laps earlier and having a bite in between. If its cold or I am feeling like I need a warm up, I'll do some static jumps beside the bike and attract funny looks from opponents.
What's funnier? Warming your muscles up to contract and release quickly in the minutes before the race or burning through half an hour of precious energy on a static trainer and then getting cold waiting on the race to start?
If I am sure the race will start on time I will do a couple of high power 30 second bursts if I can with good gaps in between in the 10-20 mins before the race start. Gets a good flow of blood to the legs, but again, if you then have to stand getting cold for ages for a late race start, it could conceivably be worse for your performance.
Ok so heres what I do...
On Sunday at the Southern XC, I did a practice lap of the course at about 1130 (race start time at 1400) and then began my warm up on the rollers at 1315.
My tyres were caked in mud but they were perfectly fine on my rollers. The only thing was the mud flicking off they tyres.
I do a 20min warm up which consists of
10mins building progressively from HR zone 1 to HR zone 3
1min in HR zone 4
3 mins easy spinning (usually at zone 2.5ish) and then the last 6seconds a max sprint and repeat 3 times
I've tried doing it on a turbo with a turbo wheel but having to change the wheel that close to a race start time just causes more stress in my opinion so rollers it is for me
I've tried doing it on a turbo with a turbo wheel but having to change the wheel that close to a race start time just causes more stress in my opinion so rollers it is for me
Hmm yes, have had wheel changes raise the HR quite a bit when I'm cutting things a bit fine!