umd

What do you guys do for openers... the day before the race? Day of the race?

Oops this was supposed to be in racing... can a mod move it?

CrimsonKarter21

What's an opener? I've never heard this term before.

SushiJoe

Open up the legs day before the race. Remind them what they will be doing the next day.
(but not beat them into useless pulp.)

Flatballer

Jeez, how can these noobs not see that we have a racing forum. Seriously!

gsteinb

"say, are you single?"

SushiJoe

CrimsonKarter21

Ah, thanks.

I guess I'll start;
the day before I got on a 1.5 hour ride, 100-110 rpm, less than 200w with two maximum sprints in the middle about 15 minutes apart.

The day of it's 30-60 minutes of easy riding, 100-110 rpm, the last 5 minutes will be at 130 rpm.

grom

Day before: 20-30 minute warm up...10X10sec max efforts. Recover 1:50 minute between efforts. 15-20 minute cool down.

gsteinb

I rarely ride the day before a race, and I never go hard at a race until it's time to go hard.

umd

I really thought I was in the racing forum... the moment I hit submit I tried to go back and delete it but I guess you can't delete an OP...

I think Gary's line "say, are you single?" is the best.

But on a serious note, one teammate recommended 3 efforts that were about 30s all out, while a friend (jmechy) said his coach recommended 8 efforts that were 8 seconds over 400W (his threshold is I think 275).

We were riding together at lunch so he did his 8s openers and I split the difference and 6 x 15s at ~600W each. Looking back at last rides with openers I was doing similar 15-30 seconds at ~600W so it seems to work well for me.

Just wondering what other people did...

Oh yeah, day of... I rarely go hard also. Hate to warm up

Busta Quad

\

"Hey babe - you come here often?". It's never worked, though.

CrimsonKarter21

One that's worked for me is to ask for a pen, when she realizes it isn't a pickup line and I get a pen, I write my phone number down and say "Hey, I'm Mitch"

Or maybe I deamt it worked. Either way; it worked.

SushiJoe

And that's all that matters.

Second Mouse

Depends on the race.

ridethecliche

Go out for an easy 1-1.5hr ride. Hit a hill hard if there's one in the way, and throw in 3ish all out sprints.

I make sure that the last 20 or so minutes of my ride are easy as heck and I'm aching to go harder.

Day of race, I warm up with hard efforts, and throw in a sprint making sure I hit 1000 watts. Legs are surely open after that.

waterrockets 

I usually show up to races with a fabulous Broadway number.

ericm979

That's what I have done too. I think it's better than not riding, but not hugely so. It mostly means that I feel better in the warmup before the race.

I don't do a sprint in warmup (arguably I don't sprint ever, even when I think I am sprinting), just some threshold level efforts.

umd

Everyone's a commedian

One could argue that for me as well...

waterrockets 

"I'm gonna have you tonight, one way or the other. It would be nice if you were there."

gsteinb

Yep, sure are. With one less 1000 watt effort in you.

caloso

"If I said you had a great body would you hold it against me?"

(I may sprint for a stoplight or two on the Friday night commute.)

Flatballer

This has always been my feeling about hard warmups. I only have so many matches, why burn one during my warm up?

Is this correct logic, or do I get my match back if there is sufficient time between the warm up and the start? How long does that take?

gsteinb

Serves me pretty well.

ridethecliche

As long as I have 5-10 mins left to just ride around before the race starts, that won't be the case.

waterrockets 

My big crit win last year was preceded by a 5" power record just over 1600W in warmup.

My first crit win this year was preceded by chumming around with teammates at 75W for eight minutes (seriously, no jumps or anything).

<shrug>