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
The former egyptian olympian on my team warms up the same as he did as a younger, olympic lad:
show up 30 minutes before event goes off; warm shower; jog laps in the locker room; come out 3 minutes before race and take all clothes off, jog to the blocks; swim (fast).
seems to work for him.
at our terrapin cup meet, my warmup was the 50 fly, 100 free and a 50 in a relay. then went out and swam my 2nd fastest 400 ever. granted, leslie did beat me in the fly.
The fly warmed you up enough for the free!
I will say my teammate, Wally Dicks, never does much for warm up. Never sprints much. Loosens up in the pool and sits around. Sure works for him. I'm tempted to try this "egyptian" warmup. I did a version of it once, last December. Cruised into a Terrapin SCM meet late, slept in, hopped in the warm up pool ever so briefly. Did my fastest 50 fly SCM ever. Next day repeated same procedure for the 100 IM. I would do this for zones on Sunday, Jeff, but I fear I am expected to swim in a relay first thing. So no sleepy time for me.
The former egyptian olympian on my team warms up the same as he did as a younger, olympic lad:
show up 30 minutes before event goes off; warm shower; jog laps in the locker room; come out 3 minutes before race and take all clothes off, jog to the blocks; swim (fast).
seems to work for him.
at our terrapin cup meet, my warmup was the 50 fly, 100 free and a 50 in a relay. then went out and swam my 2nd fastest 400 ever. granted, leslie did beat me in the fly.
The fly warmed you up enough for the free!
I will say my teammate, Wally Dicks, never does much for warm up. Never sprints much. Loosens up in the pool and sits around. Sure works for him. I'm tempted to try this "egyptian" warmup. I did a version of it once, last December. Cruised into a Terrapin SCM meet late, slept in, hopped in the warm up pool ever so briefly. Did my fastest 50 fly SCM ever. Next day repeated same procedure for the 100 IM. I would do this for zones on Sunday, Jeff, but I fear I am expected to swim in a relay first thing. So no sleepy time for me.
