Race day · Warm-up leaders

Warm-up guide

Warm-ups start 45 minutes before race time. Here's how to run one — arrival, the pre-race checklist, the ramp-up structure, and getting riders to the line ready to race.

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Timing. Warm-up starts 45 minutes before race time. Families should plan for at least a 15-minute transition from parking to the tent.

Before the warm-up

  • Get the rider list / call-up sheet from Jake.
  • 10 minutes before the warm-up begins, start collecting riders and do roll call.

To make sure the warm-up starts on time, check each rider for:

  • Name plate on the bike and the back of the jersey
  • Water bottle (usually not needed for one-lap races, but riders may want it during the warm-up)
  • Bike is race-ready
  • Connect with one or two captains to meet up with the group after the warm-up.
  • Riders will not return to the tent after the warm-up, so they should have everything they need for their race. It's generally better to spend this time spinning than standing around nervously in the tent.

The point of the warm-up

Getting riders mentally and physically race-ready. Tell the kids the purpose of the warm-up is to get their bodies and minds ready to work hard.

Why the ramp-ups matter. If the race is the first time their heart rate spikes, they'll feel terrible until it's over. Get the heart rate up several times before pushing hard and the body feels far better once the race starts. It's all about helping them feel as good as possible while working hard.

Warm-up structure — the quick version

  • 10–15 min easy spin. Keep it mellow and fun.
  • Three 30-second ramp-ups, each harder than the one before, with a SLOW 2-minute spin in between. It's very important that heart rates come way down between efforts.
  • Two 15-second ramp-ups, all-out sprint, with a SLOW spin in between.
  • Easy spin back to the race venue (only a few minutes of transition).

Out on the bike

Easy spin for 10–15 minutes, talking with each other and loosening up. Lots of kids are nervous on the warm-up — anything you can do to keep it light and fun helps. Once muscles are nice and warm, move into the ramp-ups:

  1. 30 sec — in the saddle, close to race pace. Then a SLOW 2-minute spin (slower than warm-up pace) to let heart rates come back down.
  2. 30 sec — race pace, still in the saddle. Then a SLOW 2-minute spin.
  3. 30 sec — faster, in or out of the saddle. Then a SLOW 2-minute spin.
  4. 15 sec — all out, out of the saddle. Then a SLOW 2-minute spin.
  5. 15 sec — all out. Then a SLOW spin to the bathrooms / call-up pen. Do not go back to the team tent.

At the start pen

  • 20 minutes before the race: quick bathroom stop if needed. Collect all riders and make sure each one knows their call-up number. Give them a pep talk — Ride hard, have fun. We're all here because we love riding bikes, and that's what this is: a fast-paced bike ride. Encourage riders to fist-bump others at the start (and finish!) and wish each other a good race — how we show up as athletes reflects on us individually and as a team. Then circle up and have the captain(s) lead a "3, 2, 1 — Tonka!" cheer.
  • 15 minutes before start time: riders should be in their call-up spot, in the gear they want to start in.
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