Warm-ups Vs Racing

[smoke]

I would like to see how others view these two items.

me: warm-ups are just that. Get the tires going, feel out the track, get my mind and boby right and pick up the pace each lap. Passing is done with a wide berth.

Racing: BALLS out as fast and safely as I can without hurting myself or anyone else


I ask only becasue I would like to see how others view this subject. I saw a lot of stuff out there.

[OmniGLH]

Aside from giving 10x the passing room I usually do... I run my warm up lap as hard as I would the first lap of the race.

[speedster_1]

I run my warm up lap as hard as I would the first lap of the race.

Yep.  How else you gong to get some real heat in those tires and brakes.  I try to get in front so pokers arnt in my way.

[Jeff]

I'm guessing you meant practice session versus race pace (since you mention picking up the pace each lap).

Yes, I run practice sessions much as you do.  Make sure the track still goes left where it's supposed to be, and there are no new corners, etc.  Find reference points, etc.  Once that is done, make sure tires are hot (typically this is done in 2 laps).  Then increase the pace.

I don't usually run at race pace during practice, but sometimes I'm relaxed enough that I'll run faster in practice than in the race itself (funny how that works).

Passing... Well, yes, I will leave more room in practice and take less risk in practice than I do in a race.  After all, it is PRACTICE versus RACE.  In the race you should be a touch more aggressive...

[OmniGLH]

To expand on my original reply in light of reading Jeff's response (I thought you were talking about a warm-up lap, not practice...)

Aside from giving 10x the passing room I usually do... I run practice as hard as I would a race.

I use practice to make any last-minute suspension adjustments, clear the cobwebs out of my head, and make sure the bike and I are both ready to go.  Interesting bit is that no matter how hard I run practice, I am always ~2 seconds off my race pace.

[Super_KC124]

Unless you've been to the track several times, there's no such thing as warm-ups. You have to learn each track and then work on getting up to a competitive pace in practice.

[smoke]

I'm guessing you meant practice session versus race pace (since you mention picking up the pace each lap).

Yes, I run practice sessions much as you do.  Make sure the track still goes left where it's supposed to be, and there are no new corners, etc.  Find reference points, etc.  Once that is done, make sure tires are hot (typically this is done in 2 laps).  Then increase the pace.

I don't usually run at race pace during practice, but sometimes I'm relaxed enough that I'll run faster in practice than in the race itself (funny how that works).

Passing... Well, yes, I will leave more room in practice and take less risk in practice than I do in a race.  After all, it is PRACTICE versus RACE.  In the race you should be a touch more aggressive...

J
You are correct, I did mean practice. I'm still a lil out of it from this weekend.

I asked the question for a reason.    There was a group of 8 of us in the Sunday AM practice that were going in to T1 almost on top of each other. A rider from behind us came on the inside and passed us. At the time all but me had commited to the line and had the bikes cranked over. The passing rider missed the first guy by cm.  This caused the 6 guys in front of my to stand there bikes up, one ran wide, as I turned in the 5th rider ran wide infront of me so I got on the brakes and he went past me. My front pushed since I was going down hill on the brakes.  I thought I was done since I knew there were bikes behind me. We all kept the bikes up.

I would and do expect such a pass in a race. I've done my self but never in practice.