Race Day List:
Dry shirts Dry socks Uniform and boots (classical and/or skate) Recovery drink/food (chocolate milk, cookies, Pop tarts, PB sandwich, banana and yogurt, figs, trail-mix, etc) Winter boots and winter clothing (required to get on bus or van...no winter jacket = no going to the meet) Mom/dad have directions to race Pre-Race: (1) Eat properly the night before and between each race. What foods work well for your stomach? Find what works and stick with it (2) Test glide and kick wax. Test kick wax and reflect on whether your kick wax was too draggy or too slick. (3) Warm-up Routine. 30 minutes, including brief no poling, trying all form and both sides, finish with accelerations. Place skis in position at start line and pole run. Execute plan to be warmed up right before you go in the gate. Be warm and ready to go when the race starts. Race: (1) "Find the line and work and learn to stay on the line." This means go out hard and try and hold it. BREATHE. (2) Every race is a race, not a fast training session. Learn to differentiate the two and use the first races to do that. (3) Think quick and light when you find the line. Little things about thinking about your hands coming up fast and light prevents you from getting bogged down when you find the line. Work to find that mental queue that will allow you to handle the line. Post-Race: Do these things quickly after each race: (1) Change top and hat quickly and get your warm ups back on. (2) Recovery drink (energy drink) and food (energy bar, fruit) within 30 minutes. Warm recovery drink if possible (3) Cool down 20-30 minutes. Don’t walk around the parking lot. It’s about preparing for the next race. Cool down flushes your muscles so you are ready for the next day. Focus on recovery and the next race (4) Do the pre-race and post-race actions as a team. |