Pre race prep for the rider?

[dank]

in the past couple of years i ran cross country in high school, and our coach couldnt stress enough the importance of a good warm up. people watching us would say that we were going to ware ourselves out before the race, but we never did, and we felt much better for it, so i was wondering if the same idea works for racing dirtbikes? u would stretch, sprint some, run for say 20 min. or something like that? im wondering what you do for race prep for yourself? because the way our coach explained it, what we were doing is telling our body what we were about to do to it, so that it would be prepared for it, and we felt much better throughout the race, as compared to the previous years with minimal warm up. so i guess im just wondering what you guys think of that idea.

 

[Skidad]

I agree....at least for me but I'm a slow starter even trail riding or mtn. biking. Getting to the point of breaking a sweat gets the body ready and loose along with some gentle stretching (which you want to be carefull about with cold muscles) and hell if you have time to run a bit I say it can't hurt, or a bicycle ride or bring a small exercise bike to pedal away on. Getting the heart rate up and blood flowing is really helpfull to control arm pump compared with going out cold. If you cramp allot get on a program to get yourself really flexable. Also helps prevent injury.

I have no idea how some guys can get on a bike cold and go all out. I guess you can train for it to a point but I need to be all warmed up to do that. As we age (and I'm 52) it does get harder and harder to get into that zone.

 

[stainlesscycle]

i usually stretch out a bit, walk the course, then jog/walk back. you definitely want to get your heart rate up, then allow recovery time..

 

[dank]

is there anything i can do to help with arm pump? im a newb rider on a 250 so i tend to cling on for dear life, but if theres anything besides not holding so tight that would help, it would be fantastic.

 

[noobi]

is there anything i can do to help with arm pump? im a newb rider on a 250 so i tend to cling on for dear life, but if theres anything besides not holding so tight that would help, it would be fantastic.

Not really a pre race thing, but arm exercise tends to help, push ups especially as they are easy to do. Stretching before riding. Hold on with more with your legs than your arms. The only things I can think of

 

[wence]

Jut an idea,
Try holding on with one finger and your thumb and have your weight forward so the v between thumb and finger is pushed into the bars.While doing this ride around being as smooth as possible.
Another thing is to actually lift fingers off the bar until only thumb and finger are there and then return to normal.
If nothing else it makes your body position better and makes you realise you don't have to hang on so tight.
Practise makes perfect.
Just relax and enjoy and it will come to you quicker.
Hope something here helps.....
Cheers Mark

 

[stainlesscycle]

try to not death grip so much


aside from that, massage your forearms a bunch before a race. an ibuprofen may also help..

 

[nick790]

It's hard to do, but you just have to try and relax, saddle time will help.
I used to get it, then as time when on, with confidence you relax on the bike. Then I started to compete and it was like I'd just started riding again.
I normally get arm pump in the first half hour, I physically say to myself "Relax and Enjoy" in my helmet, and when I do I start going faster and riding smoother.
But it is hard when the red mist comes down .

 

[jostby]

I had someone tell me 2 days ago that one remedy for arm pump and cramping was to drink a glass of water with a couple teaspoons of baking soda mixed in the night before the race or at least a couple hours previous. Anybody ever hear of that?
He swore it was on a recent "top 10" prerace list in a magazine or on a website recently.

 

[stainlesscycle]

i also make sure the glove velcro strap is loose, and my jersey is not tight on my arm - anything that can restrict bloodflow will cause arm pump...

 

[gg3]

A Primo iced coffee,steak & cheese pie (no mince,it's high in fat) & a couple of walks to the toilet & back works up a sweat.

 

[bchatt]

mmmmmmm.......... Mrs Macs steak and cheese.... gently reheated on the cars exhaust manifold whilst untying the bike............ oohhh, I can hardly wait for my next pie, I mean ride.....

 

[nick790]

mmmmmmm.......... Mrs Macs steak and cheese.... gently reheated on the cars exhaust manifold whilst untying the bike............ oohhh, I can hardly wait for my next pie, I mean ride.....

........

 

[Rod Overstreet]

Arm pump

I know of one former 6 Days star, who swears that drinking pickle juice will keep you from getting muscle cramps. Think I'll just stick to drinking lots of water before, during and after an event!

I also like to take a couple of aspirin before a ride / race and shake my hands out whenever possible.

 

[roostafish]

I'd like to know how much pickle juice! I wonder what's in it that he thinks it helps with cramps?

 

[Rick]

Ok...Roost give it a try...let us all know how it works.

http://www.goldenpicklejuice.com/

http://healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu/pickleJuice.htm

 

[roostafish]

After reading several articles and looking around. It seems that it could just be the sodium in pickle juice that's the magic. One article simply said that if you salt your food prior to an event, it'd be the same. I don't know. My favorite article suggested 2 ounces of pickle juice was all that was required. Sounds easy to me. I guess I need to go get some pickles.

 

[dank]

you mean the same concept as salt tablets? like the sodium holds the water in your system. if your having trouble with that maybe try laying off the morning coffee till after the ride, or not taking the soda before hand, or avoiding caffeine all together, as it basically flushes your system of water. my old running coach couldnt have drilled us enough on that concept. diuretic i think the word is. save your mouth the agony of pickle juice, just drink water. or milk. milk is just water with some extra calcium and protein. good stuff milk. better than pickle juice anyhow. eek.

 

[roostafish]

Funny thing is, I have a very strictly regimented diet. I do not drink coffee, I don't drink soda, don't drink beer. I occasionally splurge and enjoy a glass of iced green tea. I do believe it is diet related somehow, but I'm not sure if I buy it being straight sodium. I have been using a product called enduralytes for years, but it doesn't seem to quell the problem completely. They are just salt tablets with added minerals that are commonly lost in sweat. I am willing to try anything that claims it will prevent cramps. The pickle juice seems like it's worth a try.

Sometimes I wonder if I'm not breathing deeply enough. Last weekend I began to cramp in my foot as I was finishing a particularly taxing section. I brought with me some canned oxygen as an experiment, knowing the cramp would show up after 5 hours (my usual). It did, and I took 5 shots of oxygen. Within 30 seconds my cramps were gone. While this is good, it doesn't fix my problem.

When I played football in high school, I only got cramps during the daily doubles of late summer. After high school, when most games were played during daylight hours on saturday, and in Southern California, the cramps returned. Somehow heat does play a factor with me. I just wish I knew the formula.

 

[dank]

electrolytes come into play? hit up the gatoraid. not alot, but a 20 oz should do you good, or some other electrolyte supplement. cuz i know they used to give the football team salt tablets before hot days, but they dont do it now, and i dont know why, probably health concerns with high sodium. anyhoo, im a big believer in water, a gatoraid, and a peanut butter sandwich. its what our coach said was the perfect meal leading up to a cross country race, and it certainly didnt hurt! i dont know if breathing would cause that or not, i had asthma (part of the reason i quit running) but the only problem it gave me was light headedness and poor breath, but i suppose going for 5 hours the oxygen deprevision would kick in and the muscles would start to feel like crap.