A good warm-up can make the difference between a so-so race and a stellar one. In your early season prep races, try this pre-race routine that the Green Racing Project skiers follow:

GRP skiers racing out in West Yellowstone earlier this season (Photo Ian Harvey/TokoUS)

Sticking to a solid pre-race routine helps you know how your body will feel going into a hard effort like a race or time trial. Playing around with the duration at different intensities is very important to learn how your body responds to your efforts.

Aim to start your warm up about 1 hour to 1:15 before race start time. Do about 15 minutes of easy L1 skiing with perhaps a bit of L2 to test race skis. Usually, the GRP uses this time to pick race skis (the A pair) and finishes their warm up on a B pair. If this doesn't apply to you, you can start your warm up 1 hour before the start.

After about 20 minutes of easy skiing, or 40 minutes from race start, do one or two 4-5 minute easy threshold intervals to get your body used to creating and clearing lactic acid. Threshold is important to warm up the aerobic system, so make sure to focus on your breathing. It's easy to go too hard during these intervals because of pre-race nerves, so watch your heart rate and try to go more conservatively than you think. If you feel especially sleepy, crest the hills harder to try and wake up, if you're feeling fatigued then cut the interval short and just do 3 minutes. Judge by how you feel, don't make it super hard.Next throw in a few 1-minute L4 harder intervals. For a sprint, you can do up to 3 of these intervals, for a longer race maybe just 1 interval, and all depending on feel. The L4 pieces are important in order to work up the anaerobic system. Make sure to leave enough rest, at least 3 minutes in between intervals.

After the L4, do a few shorter speeds, around 10 seconds long. Focus these shorter speeds on transitions, cresting hills, and flats. Try to avoid doing these hard efforts on climbs, because it's easy to get tired that way. These shorter speeds are for your neurological response and warming up that system.

Here is a short synopsis:

1:15 to 1:00 before race, start warm up
15-25 minutes easy skiing and ski testing
1-2 x 3-5 min L3 threshold aerobic warm up with 2-4 min rest in between
5-10 min easy skiing
2 x 1 min L4 harder intervals on transitions with 3 min rest in between, anaerobic warm up
5-10 min easy skiing, change into race top, gloves, and hat
3 x 10 sec fast speeds, neurological warm up
Race time!

Fischer Marathon Prep Workout: The Pre-Race Routine