{"id":200,"date":"2019-10-14T09:00:52","date_gmt":"2019-10-14T15:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/iceman.saffire.com\/blog\/?p=200"},"modified":"2019-10-14T09:00:52","modified_gmt":"2019-10-14T15:00:52","slug":"your-best-race-day-7-tips-for-iceman-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/2019\/10\/14\/your-best-race-day-7-tips-for-iceman-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Best Race Day: 7 Tips for Iceman Success"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Your<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Your Best Race Day: 7 Tips for Iceman Success<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the Mary Free Bed at Munson Medical Center Physical Therapy Team in Traverse City, MI<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

 1. <\/strong>Train Adequately in a Realistic Setting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the weather changes and available daylight wanes with each passing day, it\u2019s very tempting to hop on your indoor trainer. However, even if you have a solid indoor setup that can seemingly mimic hilly conditions, you\u2019ll be hard-pressed to find an indoor environment that can truly simulate the Iceman course. We suggest logging in as many trail miles as possible \u2013 though not just on any trail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis race is full gas from start to finish,\u201d cautions Johanna Schmidt, PT, DPT, a physical therapist at Mary Free Bed <\/em>at Munson Medical Center who has completed Iceman six times. \u201cYou\u2019re breathing hard the entire time so you\u2019re not really prepping yourself properly on a single track.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The avid cyclist – who also co-founded the youth-focused, cycling advocacy organization Norte with her husband Ty – recommends familiarizing yourself with the actual Iceman trail itself if you\u2019re local. Still, the most optimal training can happen right in your own backyard. Schmidt says she owes her best race results (placing 6th<\/sup>) to combining both road racing and mountain bike training, including multiple treks up Wayne Street, a hilly road running alongside Ashton Park in Traverse City.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 2. <\/strong>Train on Your Race-Day Bike<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as important as replicating your environment is training consistently on the same bike you\u2019ll be racing with next month. This will allow you to be comfortable and familiar with the fit, the gearing, and the control of your equipment. Another bonus? Training on your race-day bike may alert you to aches and pains, such as knee pain, that the bike itself may be causing. These physical warnings can signal a few needed tweaks, such as adjusting your saddle height. And if your own adjustments aren\u2019t hacking it, you still have time to seek help from a professional bike fitter in your area who can better pinpoint any biomechanical issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 3. Get a Tune-up<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perform a proper tune-up of your bike before the event. This includes checking the condition of the brakes, chain, and derailleurs. If you\u2019re new to racing or just not mechanically inclined, it\u2019s a good idea to have a professional do it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Pace Yourself<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s always critical to pace yourself according to your ability and the quality of your training. If you are new to racing or you are pretty certain you are not going to win the race or be in contention, then it\u2019s probably not a good idea to start at the front of the line. \u201cIf you\u2019re a first-timer or you\u2019re not racing to win, seek out a group toward the back whose pace is more in line with your own,\u201d says Physical Therapist Josh Thorington, PT, DPT, Manager of Rehab Services at Mary Free Bed at Munson Medical Center. \u201cIt will help you manage the race better. Plus, you don\u2019t want to have to drop out of the race because you\u2019re too tired from pushing yourself too hard at the start.\u201d Regardless of your ability, remember that Iceman is a long race: don\u2019t use all of your energy to the point that you can\u2019t finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Dress Strategically on Race Day<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s northern Michigan and you just never know what you\u2019re going to encounter. Our advice? It\u2019s easier to shed layers than it is to add them. Dress in clothing that you can easily peel off or slide down. Think vests that keep your chest warm but your arms cool, arm warmers (which you can slide down once you\u2019re warmed up), and even clothing you don\u2019t mind losing permanently should you need to lose a layer en route. Schmidt recommends underdressing, a tactic that has personally worked for her. \u201cPeople tend to overdress,\u201d she shares. \u201cBut when you\u2019re overheated, it can be difficult to go fast. Even if it\u2019s 40 degrees, a mile or two in, you\u2019re already sweating.\u201d In addition to a vest and arm warmers, Schmidt wears a jacket at the start line and gives it to a loved one right before start time. \u201cOr bring something you don\u2019t care to ever see again and discard it before you get going.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Manage Injuries Now<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we mentioned above, pain can stem from something as simple as crank length. However, if you injure yourself or you\u2019re experiencing pain such as a sore back or aching joints and muscles both on and off your bike, it\u2019s important to manage your injury now. The rehab Team at Mary Free Bed at Munson Medical Center can evaluate you to determine the exact issue and provide interventions that will get you back in shape for race day. \u201cOur goal is not only to get you back to racing pain free but to keep you racing pain free by creating a program that is tailored specific to you,\u201d says Thorington.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 7. And Finally…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t forget your helmet!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Get access to our enhanced rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, to help you get back to your everyday amazing! Find a Mary Free Bed at Munson Medical Center location near you<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Mary Free Bed at Munson Medical Center<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specialized, coordinated care is what you can expect through Mary Free Bed at Munson Medical Center. This unique collaboration gives our region\u2019s athletes access to one of the largest and most comprehensive rehabilitation hospitals in the United States. Learn more here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Your Best Race Day: 7 Tips for Iceman Success By the Mary Free Bed at Munson Medical Center Physical Therapy Team in Traverse City, MI  1. Train Adequately in a Realistic Setting As the weather changes and available daylight wanes with each passing day, it\u2019s very tempting to hop on your indoor trainer. However, even if … Continue reading “Your Best Race Day: 7 Tips for Iceman Success”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[22,25,14],"tags":[128],"class_list":["post-200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-advice-tips","category-munson","category-sponsor","tag-sponsor"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=200"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/200\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}