Esteban58

I have noticed that a lot of you do 'openers' the day before a race - I assume the point is to get warm and loose without a lot of stress, but what exactly does that entail for you?

Esteban58

found this on the 33, nvm:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...e-or-ride-some

sarals 

What CDM said in #12. Keep the legs "open", circulation working, muscles loose. DON'T burn any matches, but DO get the heart rate up a few times to force that blood through the legs and keep things limber - IMHO (and what I've learned).

nacler22

Timely tread. On a training ride two weeks ago, we did some hard, but short(~10') hill work. One climb was 1.25 mile with 600' gain. The next day, I had hero legs. Just got back from a shorter version to see if it will work for opener's in tomorrows race.

Will post results.

AzTallRider

Also, look at it in the context of the preceding taper week. The general rule for a taper week is to maintain some intensity, but to decrease volume. The day before the race is almost a condensed version of that: not much volume, low TSS, but some intensity to keep the legs feeling 'live'. The first ride after a day off my legs are going to feel dead, at least for awhile. Significant warmup required. The day-before opener prevents that, and with any kind of decent warmup, I am ready to rock it.

IMO, a 10' HC effort is much more than an 'opener', but sometimes a second hard effort can go very well. One of my best race performances ever came after doing a 25' mass start HC.

nacler22

I agree that my efforts are outside what most would consider "opener's" However, like you, I have had some of my best races on the second day. Maybe the term has defined parameters for most racers, but I'm gonna be obstinate, and consider anythings that I do the day before, an opener.

YMCA

I am a huge believer in "openers" the day before racing, or the equivalent.
In fact, the more blocked I feel on opener day, the deeper and longer I'll push.
If I feel good on opener day, then it's just a matter of keeping loose with some mod stuff.
Good legs usually accommodate me the next day, as long as I didn't baby myself.

I did many 8-9 day stage races.
Usually flew in the day before the start.
The first stage, legs were always a mess, yuk.
The second stage, I was open and bam, attacking.

I have no specific workouts. Just getting out and doing plenty of solid tempo, with a number of high-intensity efforts up to a few minutes on varied gears. Group rides, or motorpacing every truck that rolls by (for experienced riders only!), are helpful as well.

gsteinb

I do them - though I'm in and done in 45 - 60 minutes. But for many years I usually took two days off before races. I don't seem to have won any less, honestly.

sarals 

We're all different, physically. I frankly need them. After just one day of inactivity my legs are sluggish and heavy. I've discovered that not only do I need the openers to keep that from happening, but that I perform better if I stress myself for a few minutes during the openers ride. That means, for me, up to LTR (or higher) for a few minutes, and then ramp down. I hit it again one more time before I finish the ride. Because my matchbook is pretty small, I have to be careful about the stressors, and not use up needed match sticks. I've had to learn, by doing it, what is too much and what is too little for an openers ride. One hour is just right. Forty minutes is too short. I have to hit LTR, if I don't, I have muck for legs the next day. My world!

shovelhd

I missed this thread. I used to do only form sprints for openers, about 4-5 of them, and an easy ride around them. Nowadays I really watch the power. Two or three very short efforts at 150% and a few form sprints with the power way down. The rest is easy.