1. Complete your league registration. Make sure you are "practice ready" in Pit Zone! If you aren't practice ready, you won't be able to ride with your team until it's complete. If you aren't sure if you're practice ready, ask your Team Director for help.
2. Mark your calendar. By now, most Head Coaches and Team Directors will have practice plans and schedules in place, so be sure to get those dates on your calendar. If you aren't sure when and/or where your practices will be, reach out to your Team Director to find out.
3. Do an ABCDE bike check. If you haven't ridden your bike much since last season, take the time to do an ABCDE bike check to make sure everything's in good shape. If you discover any issues during your bike check, get it in to your local shop ASAP.
4. Clean and lube your chain. Nothing wears out your bike's drivetrain quicker than a dirty chain. Grab a few rags and take the time to get it nice and clean, then lube it afterwards. While you're at it, make sure your tires are inflated to the proper pressure.
5. Get your gear together. Take inventory of all your bike gear like your riding clothing, shoes, gloves, sunglasses, helmet, and hydration pack/water bottles. Put all these items in one place together (maybe in a duffel bag or a plastic bin) so they are easy to grab on your way out the door to practice.
6. Eat something before practice. One to two hours before practice, eat an easily digestible snack with some carbs. Sugar is ride fuel! Or, eat a small balanced meal 3 to 4 hours before practice. If you like to geek out on ride nutrition, check out this article. Don't forget to stay hydrated during the day before you head to practice!
7. Arrive early. If your practice time is 6pm, this is generally when practice starts and not an arrival time. Make sure you arrive early enough so you have time to unload your bike and get ready to ride. Be aware of increased traffic for weekday evening practices and how that might impact your drive time to your practice location.
8. Arrived prepared. When you come to practice, arrive prepared to ride. Be sure your water bottle/hydration pack is filled. Have your snacks in your pack or jersey pocket. Make sure your bike is dialed in and ready to ride. Have any needed prescription medications (like an inhaler or epipen) on hand.
9. Be kind to yourself. If you're brand new to mountain biking or haven't been riding much this year, be patient with yourself for the first few weeks of practice. Learning something new takes time! It will take some time to build up your skill level and fitness but before you know it, you'll be zooming up hills and cornering like a pro.
10. Have fun! Last but not least, have fun! If you ask your fellow teammates who have been riding on the team for several years what keeps them coming back year after year, they will more than likely tell you because it's FUN. Sure, we work hard at practice to build up our fitness and skills but we also have a lot of fun doing it. When you push a little harder each practice and build up your fitness and skills, your rides will become more and more fun.
