Warm-Up for a Triathlon (definitely)
For the same reason you don’t bolt out the door in a sprint, for your early Sunday morning run, it’s critical that you slowly allow your body to adapt to the fervor of a triathlon race start! So once you have set up your transition, it’s time to warm up for your race—which can involve getting used to swimming in some cold water. The quantity of warm-up you do depends on your goals for the race, your level of fitness, and the distance of the event.
If your goal is to complete the distance of the race, then you’ll want to warm up enough to feel rested, confident, and mentally prepared going to the start line. This may mean getting in a good stretch, then jumping in to get used to the water and warm up your upper body for swimming.
If you are fit and racing a sprint- or international-distance event, and your goal is to get a personal best in your race, you’ll want to toe the line lubed and ready to rock when the gun goes off. A rule of thumb is the shorter the race, the longer the warm-up. Higher race speeds require you to be fully warm and sweaty with an open vascular system so you can hit your pace right off the line. You want significant blood motion prior to asking your body to move quickly.
A complete warm-up for a fit athlete racing a sprint- or international-distance event might look like this:
* Start your warm-up with an easy spin on the bike. This may last 10, 20, even 30 minutes if you are very fit and looking for a fast race time. Spin easy for the first third of your warm up, then throw in three to six 30-second jumps in speed–standing out of the saddle to get up to speed, then sitting for the last 15 seconds. Spin easily back to the transition, making sure that you rack your bike in the gear necessary to easily start your ride out of the transition area.
* Do a light stretch of key tight spots before you head out for your run warm-up.
* Jog easy for 5, 10, or 15 minutes, throwing in three to six 30-second strides within this run time–building your speed up to race pace or faster within each stride. Finish your run warm-up with some easy jogging back to the transition.
* When you get back to the transition, you should be sweaty, lungs open, feeling loose, and ready to go.
* You can either take some more stretching time now, or put on your wetsuit, head to the shoreline, and stretch there before you hop in the water.
* Get to your wave start with time to hop in the water and do a swim warm up. If the water is cold, give yourself a few more minutes to submerge. Swim easy for a few minutes then do three to six 30-second surges in speed, before an easy couple more minutes of swimming. Hop out of the water and you are ready to rock.
* If you are racing an event that does not let athletes in the water prior to the swim start, and there is no other swim location in the immediate vicinity in which to warm up, then do a swim warm up on land. Start with some light upper body stretches–triceps, chest, side stretches (see chapter 8). Then starting with the right arm, swing the arm in front away from your body and then behind you in a half circle. Let the arm swim back and forth like a pendulum easy for a minute, then switch to the left arm. Come back to the right arm and swing in full circles forward, then backward a few times, and then switch to the left arm. Swing both arms in the same or opposing directions at the same time. Do some jogging on the beach and a few push-ups. The idea is to get a solid blood flow to the upper body before you ask it to work for you.
Remember, in prepping your mind and body for the stress of an event, your body may react with a flight-or-fight type response. You may get sweaty palms or a nervous stomach, or you may be spending much more time than usual in the port-o-potties prior to the race. Your heart rate will increase, and you may even have an anxious feeling in your chest.
Whether you are racing a sprint- or international-distance race, perform a similar warm-up described above. If you are racing a half-Ironman for a personal best, take the above warm-up and cut all the times and distances in half, or less. For all events, including Ironman distance, stretching, prepping your mind, and doing a swim warm-up are the minimum you should do prior to a race. Anything less will not allow your body and mind to be ready to perform your best.