I always struggle with the first few hundred yards of a swim. I know I could do better if I could reduce the sagging period I suffer at the start of longer races. I loosen off my muscles and feel ok but breathing seems to take forever to get settled. It happened to me in the first 10 miutes of a football match too, then I'd find my lungs.
I'm always terrified of blowing myself out if I get too aggressive in warm up.
What tricks or tips do you guys and girls have that you will share?
Thanks
Parents
Former Member
Warm ups are overated, I still like the hot showers and towels.
I have done the loosen up things, a little shaking here and there. A very casual maybe 200 yards if in a pool. If you are swimming a long swim you automatically warm up in your swim to the first bouy. The thing to do before a cold water swim is to wet the body with the cool water so you don't get a shock.
I guess this just goes to show that all of us are so very different in how our bodies actually warm up to get to a race pace of sorts. I guess my joints are pretty rusty because I take forever. A swim to a buoy wouldn't help me at all and the thing that's interesting here is I have ALWAYS needed an extraordinarily long warmup; even when only doing a 800m swim at Nationals. I must've swam at least a 1500 as a warmup; race pace; some sprinting; etc. etc. So I guess there is no magic answer for this. We just have to figure it out and it may even change from year to year. One of my biggest concerns was how I was going to warmup for a 20 mile swim next year? Since this is the summer I am experimenting with hydration/feeding/training, etc., I just know that my first two miles won't feel very well; just have to go through it until the body is ready!! I actually do best when I swim a 400, rest a minute, swim a 400, rest a minute, etc.
Warm ups are overated, I still like the hot showers and towels.
I have done the loosen up things, a little shaking here and there. A very casual maybe 200 yards if in a pool. If you are swimming a long swim you automatically warm up in your swim to the first bouy. The thing to do before a cold water swim is to wet the body with the cool water so you don't get a shock.
I guess this just goes to show that all of us are so very different in how our bodies actually warm up to get to a race pace of sorts. I guess my joints are pretty rusty because I take forever. A swim to a buoy wouldn't help me at all and the thing that's interesting here is I have ALWAYS needed an extraordinarily long warmup; even when only doing a 800m swim at Nationals. I must've swam at least a 1500 as a warmup; race pace; some sprinting; etc. etc. So I guess there is no magic answer for this. We just have to figure it out and it may even change from year to year. One of my biggest concerns was how I was going to warmup for a 20 mile swim next year? Since this is the summer I am experimenting with hydration/feeding/training, etc., I just know that my first two miles won't feel very well; just have to go through it until the body is ready!! I actually do best when I swim a 400, rest a minute, swim a 400, rest a minute, etc.
