Pre-competition warm-up routine ?

[dooobedooo]

What do people do as a pre-competition warm-up routine?

Competitions vary a lot in timing, and some of them are in the early morning, when I am VERY slow.

And do you warm up before or after you get your costume on?

[skaternum]

I assume you mean off-ice warumup? I try to do the same thing I do before every skating session, but with a little more cardio (jumping or something to get my heart rate up).

Stretching
Modified ballet barre exercises
Cardio
Pace around nervously
Go the ladies room for the 100th time
Pace around nervously
Check with the ice monitor
Pace around nervously

I usually put on my costume before the cardio stuff.

If my event is very early in the morning, I get up extra early to give myself plenty of time to mentally wake up and get the stiffness out.

[melanieuk]

The last two times I have been testing (I don't compete, but I've been told testing is worse), both tests were around 8am, but I had to be there, dressed, warmed-up and ready to go on the ice half an hour earlier than that.

I already had my tights on, so all I had to do was put the dress on.
I warmed up first, as I always do, by light jogging first, then other little aerobic exercises that I do and finally stretching.
Then I put my dress on and my boots.
I walked about, keeping warm, bending and getting my boots just right for about 15-20 minutes before I was due on.

This has worked for me.
I'm not used to wearing a dress and having my legs exposed. :?

[Elsy2]

ITA with going to the ladies room 100 times....LOL! So I try to not put my dress on too early....Last competition the weather was nice, so I decided to walk briskly outside around the arena and parking area a few times. I wasn't the only one out there either...

Then stretching for about 20 minutes, and on with the dress. Once the skates are on, I keep warmed up with some jumping jacks and more stretches and some knee bends. I also keep rocking back and forth from skate to skate, sort of like rocking a baby. This cracks my coach up. I absolutely can't stay still or I'll go crazy!

Also 1000 sips of water, or I won't be able to swallow!

[Mrs Redboots]

I like to make sure I am well loose - the sort of warm-up you do before any exercises, shaking out legs and hips, shoulders and arms, rotating my head. I also try to keep warm, so always wear a fleece or jacket or something right up until the last minute. Yesterday (were you there? I still don't know who you are!) you might have seen some of us jumping up and down before the Free Dance class, as it was cold in there. And I made the big mistake of taking my skates off for a bit, and leaving them with our picnic stuff in the arena - when I came to put them back on for the last class of the day, I nearly hit the ceiling, they were so cold inside!

On the ice, you skate round a couple of times, and if it is dance, you start working on the dance, making sure you know where you start in this particular rink, etc. And when/if the music starts, you do several patterns. If it's a free dance, or a figure skating programme, you do your most difficult elements, and then run through your routine very roughly, sketching out what goes where and making sure you remember it all!

[batikat]

I always intend to do a properly thought out and planned warm up but somehow the reality is rather different. The last competition (Sunday) there was a 5 hour gap between the compulsories and the Free Dance. The rink was absolutely freezing so my warm up for the Free Dance consisted of going for a walk around the town with a fellow competitor - having a very nice pasta lunch with glass of wine (that warmed me up but perhaps not to be recommended if you want to skate well!!), back to rink, painting my nails (forgot to do this the night before), drinking coffee (to sober up), watching the class before ours and then realising I'd better get ready. I did do an off-ice run through of the programme before I put my skates on. Also took far too many sips of water so by the time it was my turn to skate I was bursting for the loo! I did try and keep moving while watching the first few competitors in the class - knee bends etc but it was very cold. I don't normally watch the competitiors before me in any competition as I think it is off-putting but I was keen to see Mrs Redboots strut her stuff (great costume BTW). Anyway I should probably have not watched and taken the time to mentally prepare instead - running through my programme (perfectly) in my head and then maybe I wouldn't have messed up. Quite where my spin and my spiral went I don't know!
I think the mental warm up is as important as the physical. You have to get that PMA (Positive Mental Attitude). Aim high and believe you CAN do it. My aim was to get in single figures and I achieved this (8 of 16 in compulsories and 9 of 14 in free Dance). Next time I am aiming for top 5! and the year after - GOLD!!!!!!

[Mrs Redboots]

Originally posted by batikat
I did do an off-ice run through of the programme before I put my skates on. Also took far too many sips of water so by the time it was my turn to skate I was bursting for the loo! I did try and keep moving while watching the first few competitors in the class - knee bends etc but it was very cold. I don't normally watch the competitiors before me in any competition as I think it is off-putting but I was keen to see Mrs Redboots strut her stuff (great costume BTW). I spent the entire day running in and out of the loo, and half the time it was just cold and nerves stimulating my bladder.....

Thanks for watching my programme - I'm sorry I didn't see yours, but I'd gone into the changing room to get some warmer clothes on, and then got chatting, and somehow the warm-up, and your programme, was over before I knew it!

[Lili]

LOTS of coffee. I am not kidding. I intentionally do this. I just start drinking it when I get nervous, and then by the time I have to compete I am WIDE awake in the morning. Although I havent competed in roughly a year because of school :( However, this hasnt failed me yet.

Water. In addition to drinking lots of coffee, I usually drink a lot of water. It helps my stomach from getting sick, as well as tums do.

Other than drinking a lot of coffee, I try to imagine my program in my head. Then I do a bit of stretching before putting my skates on (usually 10 minutes before I have to skate), then I try to calm myself before I go out onto the ice. I am usually fine when I take my starting position.

The ONLY problem I have after I test or compete is the fact that my legs REFUSE to stop shaking for a good 10 minutes after (either from coffee or my own adrenaline), which make re-skates for tests hard. :oops:

It's a weird system, but it works for me ;)

[pattern99]

My pre comp routine is simple. Start off by getting a Grande Caramel Frap from Starbucks on the way to the rink (usually along with a stop at Mickey D's) because I need sugar and grease in my stomach!! I get to the rink, find coaches and usually bum around with my dog henry (stuffed of course!) and chill with friends. Bout 45 mins before I start stretching and jumping rope. I'm always ready to go before I get to the rink, dress, make up, hair etc cuz I end up forgeting something if I dont! :oops: Then, it's time to run to the bathroom again... watch my hands shake and my legs go numb!!! finally bout 10 mins before warmup, put on skates while conversing with the coach(s) usually about something completely stupid. If I remember correctly, in 00' I was waiting to go on at JN's in Colorado and we were talking about grocery stores...8O go figure! then I check in with the ice monitor (though coach has done it a million times already) and stand around waiting with them while they get more nervous than me. Seriously, the starbucks and McDonald's helps!!! And my male coach said to his wife right before I skated "Leaning against the wall helps" cuz everyone wuz NERVOUS!!! lol!!! Hey, gotta have SOME humor before comp! :lol:
Pieces!!
*patt99*

[cuteness]

Alright here goes:

Night before... go over my programs in the mirror numerous times.
Do some stretching at home when I wake up.
Eat rice with broccolli (it's become a tradition) in the time period from 2-1 1/2 hours before I compete, and drink Sobe (energizing drink - my friend and I drank it to get us pumped and hyper, we called it koolaid so no one would know)
Arrive to the arena with hair, makeup, and tights on.
Do LOTS of stretching, and run through special warmup from my off ice trainer.
Listen to tape of music and visualize program.
Get dress and skates on, then go on ice to warmup.
When waiting for my turn off ice, do some deep knee bends and constantly keep moving.