Race Day WaRm Up

There is a general rule in athletics: the shorter the race, the longer the warmup. This saying might over simply things, but I can assure you that elite athletes from all realms of endurance sport from running to swimming will agree that they have a different warm up routine for different length races. 

In a sport like xc skiing where our competitions can range from 3 minutes to 3 hours it’s imperative that we have a warmup routine that can be tweaked and adjusted depending on the demands of each race day. In my opinion it’s important for skiers to have a separate warmup protocol for sprint, mid-distance, and long-distance races and have confidence that each plan will get their muscles and cardiovascular system primed in the right way. 

We should never just ‘go out and ski’ before a race, so the first step of having a good warm up routine is being aware. How much time do I have? When will I arrive at the venue, When does my race start? How long will it take me to get to the start? These are all important questions and ones that an athlete should ask themselves before race day morning. 

A great lesson Bill Koch taught me was the importance of writing down a race schedule the night before each competition. It doesn’t need to be very complex or detailed but jotting down a timeline can help ease your nerves, help you remember start times, and give your morning some structure. 

Here is an example of a timeline I would write down on a piece of paper (or type in my phone) the night before race day. A helpful hint when writing out your own timeline is to begin with your start time and work backward to the time you will wake up. 

Seems very straight-forward, right? It’s also a great tool to help you focus on what you can control and forget about the things you can’t which is a proven recipe for success. Nowhere in this timetable did I write stress about the conditions and watch my competitors. What is less straight forward are the details of what specifically goes into the warmup protocol itself. 

I will offer some general guidelines below for 3 separate warm up protocols. It’s important to remember that the duration and intensity of each of these warmups should be adjusted depending on the age of the skier. Youth skiers (13 and under) should do less than the recommendations below and older skier (30 and up) might need a little more. 

I also think that temperature and snow conditions can play a role in warm up length and intensity. You might find that your body will warm up easier when the temperature is above 40F so it can make sense to cut out some of the easy skiing to save energy. Bottom line is that every warmup protocol should be adjusted individually and tweaked through trial and error. For every warmup, the goal should be to prime the body while not expending too much energy before for the race.  

One thing that is not specifically listed in the warmup protocols is a fueling strategy. Personally, I like to fuel with high carb sports drink and gummies during the warm up and will consume a gel about 15 minutes before the start of most races. I encourage everyone to find out what works best for them and list fueling reminders in their warm up protocols as well. 

10 – 20 minutes easy skiing and ski testing (include more time for extensive ski testing) 

5 minutes L2/3 skiing just below threshold 

5 minutes easy skiing L1

5 minutes L3 into L4 build from just below threshold for 3 minutes to above threshold for 2 min

5 minutes easy skiing L1

5 minutes skiing with 2-5 x 15 second accelerations 

Total warm up 30 – 40 minutes 

Finish 10 minutes before start use jogging/ ballistic stretching to stay lose 

10 – 20 minutes easy skiing and ski testing (include more time for extensive ski testing) 

5 minutes L2/3 skiing just below threshold

3 minutes easy skiing L1

4 starting below threshold for 3 minutes building to 2 minutes at race pace 

4 minutes easy skiing L1

3 minutes at race pace, controlled but fast 

5 minutes easy skiing L1

4 x 20 second accelerations (not sprints but fast, relaxed just above race pace) 

Total warm up time 35 – 45 minutes 

Finish 10 minutes before start use jogging/ ballistic stretching to stay lose 

10 – 20 minutes easy skiing and ski testing (include more time for extensive ski testing) 

5 minutes L2/3 skiing just below threshold

3 minutes easy skiing L1

3 minutes skiing L2 

3 minutes easy skiing L1

3 minutes skiing L3

3 minutes easy skiing L1

3 minutes just above threshold L3 – building into L4 

5 minutes easy skiing L1

90 seconds around race pace 

3 minutes easy skiing L1

2 x 30 seconds at race pace 

Easy skiing for 5 – 10 minutes with some light accelerations 10 – 15 sec building to sprints 

Total warm up time 40 – 50 minutes 

Finish 10 minutes before start use jogging/ ballistic stretching to stay lose