Warming up for the swim, on the land
The first leg of any triathlon event is the swim, but how can you make sure that you are ready to race from the starting hooter? In some events it is possible to get into the water for a quick few minutes recce, but this is often not an option. In this blog Coach Denise takes a look at how you can get ready to race from the moment you enter the water.
Warming up properly is something we all know we need to do before any session, whether it’s swimming, cycling, or running. This is equally important for both training sessions and races. Developing your own set of exercises and drills that suit you will help to provide you with an easy-to-remember program for preparation on race day.
If you’re taking part in a sportive, TT or Audax then warming up on the bike is pretty easy to do. If it’s a short fast event then some easy cycling and some short sharp efforts ahead of the race start can help to get muscles warm before the hard effort of the event.
If it’s a longer event such as an Audax then it is often sufficient to use the first few minutes to ease into the effort along with some short efforts to get the muscles warmed, and then get into the rhythm of the ride.
When taking part in a run the warm up might vary by distance, but most runners have their own go-to exercises and drills to do to get the leg muscles activated and ready to run. These may well be different for a 400m vs a 10km race, but whatever you prefer to do, it is usually pretty easy to find a space and get yourself ready to race.
When taking part in a triathlon the first leg, the swim, can be harder to get prepared for. Some events do allow for a warm up in the water but this is often very short, and is more generally provided to help you acclimatise to the water, check for any sighting options or just generally get the feel of where you will be swimming. There is usually not enough time for a physical warm up of the swimming muscles.
A warm-up on land is especially useful if the water is going to be colder than your usual swimming environment. Getting into cold water was covered in a previous blog, but the main thing to consider on race day is to control your breathing to help control the physical response to cold water.
This is where a land based warm up can help. By activating and warming the muscles before you get into the water you can be ready to swim hard right from the beginning as well as minimising the risk of injury.
In a previous blog Coach Tim described the process of a poolside warm up prior to a pool training session. This utilised the RAMP process, which is:
R - Raise the body temperature
A - Activate and
M - Mobilise the body, joints and muscles
P - Prime, to get ready
The first of these can be accomplished by simply moving the body to get the blood flowing, an easy jog is a good way to raise heart rate a little and get warmed up.
Activating the swim muscles can be done through a series of exercises, gradually increasing the range and speed of movement to move into the mobilisation of the muscle groups leaving you primed for the swim.
This series of exercises does not need to be overly complex, but it should focus on the muscles you want to be using through the swim. A typical warm up schedule could look like:
Easy jog for a couple of minutes
Gently move the head up and down, side to side, and roll around. This will help take out any stiffness from overnight sleeping
Hands on shoulders, rotate the elbows forwards, then backwards
Repeat the shoulder rotations with arms out stretched, forwards, backwards then arms in opposite directions
Hands on shoulders and turn left to right to rotate and mobilise the spine
Touch your left foot with right hand (bend the legs slightly at first if necessary to warm up the legs), then right foot with left hand, swing back and forth
Arms outstretched to the side, one hand facing up, the other down. Rotate through from one hand, along the arm and to the other hand in a corkscrew motion, then back again. Think about rolling the shoulder forward as part of the movement
Swing arms back and forth across the body with increasing movement amount and speed
Hold a high plank for a few seconds, then rotate to a side plank. Thread the upper arm around and under the torso (thread the needle) three times, rotate to other side and repeat
Lie on your stomach with hands by your side. Lift hands and shoulders from the floor by squeezing shoulder blades together and engaging the lats
This series of exercises would be suitable for completing before a pool training session, an open water swim session, and a swim race. By getting into the habit of doing this sort of land-based warm up you will not only get the most from any swim, you will also develop a pre-race routine which will feel very normal for you. This type of normal activity just before a race can also help to provide some distraction and so settle any pre-race nerves.
Having a plan for how to start your swim will also really help with a great start. If you’re a strong, confident swimmer then getting into a good position with other strong swimmers, using them as a draft and starting hard with some fast strong efforts will get you in the best position for a fast time.
If you’re a less confident swimmer then pick your spot in the start, and look for a less crowded line to the first buoy, such as to the outside of the group towards the back. Still start strong on getting into the water, it will warm you up and help you get into a good rhythm as well as give you something else to think about at the start.
However you swim, getting into the water warmed up and ready to start strong will get your triathlon off to the best possible start. Race strong and keep smiling to the finish!
Denise has been coaching triathletes since 2019 as a coach at her local triathlon club in West Lothian. Between 2019 and 2022, Denise was the Head coach in the club, working with a team of coaches to support and develop triathletes with a wide range of capabilities, completing her BTF Triathlon Level 2 coaching qualification in 2021.
Denise joined Tri Training Harder as a coach in 2021, building on the qualifications through the experience and knowledge passed on by the coaching team.
In 2019 Denise set up and continues to run her own Jog Scotland running group, a mixed ability group of runners who meet weekly. This delivers on her passion for helping people to do much more than they think they can.
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