By: Jay Prasuhn
Starts can be daunting. Ask any experienced triathlete, and they will all agree: the most stress-inducing part of a race is the first five minutes. Sometimes, because of a rolling start or cold conditions, you don’t even get to touch the water until a few minutes before the mass start or wave start. You have to jump into the water and go from zero to the heart-pounding chaos of full-speed racing.
How do you get warmed up for this sort of effort? Quintana Roo pro Haley Chura has the answers. She’s regularly first out of the water at any race she’s at, and she was first out of the water at the 2022 IRONMAN World Championships.
“The key to a great start of the swim—and really, the start of your race—is being warmed up right from the start, both cardiovascularly and muscularly,” Chura explained. “So an active warmup, and a few little tricks, are part of my plan.” Chura gave us her top 5 pre-swim warm-up tips, so you can feel ready to go all-out on race day.
1. Go for a Light Run (most of the time)
“I usually go for a jog,” Chura said. “Not too often for an IRONMAN—that’s going to be a long day, and I try not to add any extra running to a day with a marathon attached to it—but for a half IRONMAN or shorter, I go for a 15-minute jog with a few 10-second pick-ups. For a sprint race, I’ll do a 30-minute run. It helps get your heart rate up for that race start, so you’re not starting cold. My rule is that the shorter the race, the longer the warmup.
“If the race start is cool—and it quite often is—wear warm clothes so you can build up a bit of a sweat. And it’s really easy jogging. Like a 10-minute pace, with those little pickups being the thing to elevate your heart rate. Sometimes I’ll do light squats and lunges to keep blood flowing. And again, keep it light and only do a few of any of those movements. Everything should be kept super easy. I’m gonna emphasize it again: light, light, light.”
2. Old-School Arm Shakeouts
This is a swimmer’s bread and butter warm-up to wake up the muscle groups—the deltoids, shoulders, and triceps—that will literally pull you through your swim.
“Do all those classic movements we see: arms criss-crossed back and forth, the arms thrown in an overhead circle to loosen the shoulder joints and surrounding muscles,” Chura said. “They provide a little mobility to stretch and wake up the muscles. Do a few arm swings and shake out your arms.”
3. Experiment with Stretch Bands (Moderately)
Chura doesn’t often bring stretch bands to a race venue and strap them around a light pole, but she recognizes their value. While she doesn’t use stretch bands in her own routine, she recommends that athletes give them a try. Many athletes swear by bands, and they can help mobilize and activate key muscle groups, particularly if done in moderation. Part of dialing in your warm-up routine is experimenting in training to find what works best for you.
“I’m not someone who brings stretch cords to a race, but if you really like them, keep it to really light resistance,” she said. “You don’t want to make yourself sore with too much tension focused on any one muscle group.”
4. Put on Your Wetsuit and Warm It Up
Wait, what? Putting on your wetsuit is a warm-up? Chura contends it is…
“Even putting on your wetsuit is a warm-up. You have to get it pulled up, and that takes a fair bit of effort,” she said. “And it takes time to make sure it’s fitting tight enough and snug with no gaps under the arms or in the crotch. I like to give myself five to 10 minutes to get the suit on. And if the air is cold, I’ll get the suit on earlier to keep the heat in.”
Chura’s pro tip if it’s still cold: warm the suit from the inside out—just add warm water.
“If the water is going to be cold, I’ll put water in the suit to start warming that layer of water that’s going to be against your skin,” she said. “Bring a thermal bottle full of warm water that you can pour right in and warm up right away. On a cold morning, it’s pretty nice!” With a bit of foresight, you’ll be warm, comfortable, and ready before you even enter the water.
5. Wear Socks (Use the Old Ones with the Hole in ‘Em)
Socks? Why? The rationale is pretty simple: getting cold feet before a race is more than a metaphor. Warming up or waiting to get into the water with bare feet on cold, ice-cold sand, or cold, wet grass (brrrrr!) is unpleasant and potentially counterproductive. Just thinking about it sends a shiver down our spine. The solution? A pair of socks you can dispose of right before the start.
“You’re probably not going to be able to warm up in your shoes,” Chura explained, “so I bring a pair of socks that keep my feet from feeling cold. Then I just peel them off and toss them as soon as I’m called into the water.”
With these tips, there’s no reason to go into the water cold. You’re poised to start your race with your engine warmed up and ready to go. Hopefully, these 5 warm-up tips will help you achieve your next PR!
