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
I think many masters swimmers don't warm up enough.
I never warm up enough, when the water's too cold (for me.)
I know that a lot of Masters (and Forumites) complain when the water's too warm, but I don't recall any post ranting or complaining about the water being too cold. I like it warmish (Hey, that's ME! No criticism of others implied.)
I have been to a couple of LCM meets (We only have one of these per year in Ottawa) where even real (i.e., born and bred) Canadians complained that the water was too cold. I got out after just a 100m of warm-up(?) as I just couldn't take it. On these two occasions, I just swam the 50m free (and scratched the 100m free). When the water's cold -again, for me- I can't breathe. What really irked ME, is that those were two years when I felt really good and where I thought I could get PBs (as a Master. I'll never approach my PBs of 44 years ago..........)
My best swims (meets or just swims) are when 90% of the swimmers are complaining that the water's too warm. But that's when I swim easier, faster, higher, smoother and hardly ever need a long warm-up period.
I think many masters swimmers don't warm up enough.
I never warm up enough, when the water's too cold (for me.)
I know that a lot of Masters (and Forumites) complain when the water's too warm, but I don't recall any post ranting or complaining about the water being too cold. I like it warmish (Hey, that's ME! No criticism of others implied.)
I have been to a couple of LCM meets (We only have one of these per year in Ottawa) where even real (i.e., born and bred) Canadians complained that the water was too cold. I got out after just a 100m of warm-up(?) as I just couldn't take it. On these two occasions, I just swam the 50m free (and scratched the 100m free). When the water's cold -again, for me- I can't breathe. What really irked ME, is that those were two years when I felt really good and where I thought I could get PBs (as a Master. I'll never approach my PBs of 44 years ago..........)
My best swims (meets or just swims) are when 90% of the swimmers are complaining that the water's too warm. But that's when I swim easier, faster, higher, smoother and hardly ever need a long warm-up period.
