Formulating Your Optimal Race Warm Up By LifeSport Coach Lance Watson

Jul 12, 2012

Most athletes and coaches believe in the value of a good warm-up, though all to often it is forgotten on race day. Have you ever been guilty of rushing down to the swim start in time for a quick fifty meter dip, then asking your body to fire on all cylinders at full race pace? A good warm up prepares you for racing by increasing the blood flow to the muscles, which delivers oxygen and glycogen for energy and performance.  Warm muscles are better able to meet the demands of your event right from the beginning.  Warm ups also help protect against injury.  If your muscles are loose and lengthened it is less likely that you will tear or pull something when you start into your faster race pace.  Finally, warming up allows you to sharpen your skills and activate your neuromuscular system to feel coordinated and engaged.  Most athletes have drills or routines that help make them feel fast and doing those things before a race will better prepare you for a great performance in your event.

An optimal race warm up routine is individual and event specific.  In order to figure out your best race warm up you must figure out what works for you and what doesn't.  Use your pre-race workouts to help you determine a routine.  Once you have established a general routine it is easier to make educated adjustments according to the demand and logistics of the day. 

It is important to be properly activated for the swim, as this is the first leg of the race. The first step it to think about swim workouts where you have performed well in the past. What did you do in warm up and the workout prior to your top performance? For instance, if you are an athlete who swims a personal best for a timed 400 meter freestyle at the end of a long set, then you likely need a longer swim warm up to feel activated. People who feel best right at the beginning of swim workout likely need a shorter warm up.  Consider how you would feel after a 300-400 meters of swimming with pick-ups. Swim fitness dictates the warm up as well. If you get tired after swimming for 10 minutes continuously then don't venture out into the middle of a lake on race morning. If you are very fit and comfortable in the water, then a longer swim warm up of about 10-15 minutes would be just what you need.  Start out with a nice, easy three to four minutes of swimming. Incorporate some drills that you like and ones that make you feel fast. Do two or three sets of 20 to 30 strokes of drills. The drills should be done with a bit of tempo, not just floating along. After the drills do some pick-ups to engage your muscles in a race specific range of motion, and to increase arterial blood flow. Increase you stroke rate and build up your speed over a certain number of strokes. An athlete who needs more warm up may do 150 meters (or 100-150 strokes) at your triathlon 1500 meter race pace. The athlete who needs less warm up may do three or four repeats of 20 to 30 strokes at race pace. At the end of your warm up you should leave at least a 50 to 100 meters to swim back in easy and loose and to check out the swim exit.  Use this warm up time to familiarize yourself with the course. What are you going to be looking for when towards the water exit?  Is there a large buoy that is easy to see, or tall building or tree that would be easier to sight off of?  It is always reassuring to finish your warm up with a few good exhales and some good confidence building thoughts in knowing the racecourse and specifically the swim exit and the entry into the transition zone.  

Each race will present it's own challenges in terms of run and bike warm up. The primary purpose of a pre-race bike or run is to loosen your legs prior to a light stretch. There are several options and variables for bike and run warm ups, and it's important to try different routines prior to a swim practice to see how you feel. For instance, some athletes have success with a fifteen minute easy run two to three hours before race start. This gets their metabolism going (and facilitates a trip to the washroom!). Some athletes feel heavy in the swim if they ride prior. Others feel like they are ready to ride once the exit the swim because they have recruited their cycling muscle fibres prior to the race. Try bringing your bike trainer to the pool and test out your bike protocol before swimming. Ten to fifteen minutes of riding is usually sufficient. Incorporate two to four minutes gradually building to bike race pace while in your aero position. Spend the whole warm up at race cadence or above. Take note that many courses do not allow you to bike on the course before the race.  In this case you can commute to the race on your bike, bring a wind trainer along and set it up somewhere, or skip the bike warm up all together. Logistically it is easier to do a run instead of a bike warm up but don't let that dictate your plan for optimal performance.  Running two to three sets of drills and strides (building speed over approximately 100 meters to a quick pace) is a common routine for many triathletes, if they have been doing them previously in their run workouts.   

After you have decided on a race warm up that works for you then consider the specifics of your particular race's logistics.  Where can you bike or run? How long do you have in the lake/ocean to warm up, and how long before your event starts do you have to be out of the water? If you must exit 30 minutes before your race start, then you should make sure you have an extra towel or change of clothes near by and a water bottle or gels if that's part of your plan. On a hot day pick a cool shady spot to sit down and relax until you are called to the start line.  On a cold day bring a backpack full of clothes, gloves, a warm hat and an extra towel to keep you warm. If the air is cold and the water is extremely cold (below 16c), getting in prior to the race may actually be detrimental as the cold water drops your core temperature. Create a systematic dry-land progression of arm swings and arm circles (like the Olympic swimmers do prior to their race), and consider setting up some swim stretch-cords to warm up your muscles. Arm swings are very complimentary to a shorter swim warm up as well.  Last, figure out how long it will take to get from the transition area down to the water's edge, put your wetsuit on and do your warm up.  These things can take longer than you think so plan wisely so you get the time you need to warm up. Race day can be full of excitement and energy so the more you have practiced your race warm up, the more at ease you will feel having an established routine. Avoid spending the early part of your race still warming up while your competitors speed off out of sight. Being properly prepared let's you start your race at full throttle. Take notes after your race on how you felt and review your routine. An optimal race warm up that has been worked on and reworked will leave you confident that your body is prepared for the task at hand.  

Warm Up Tips:

Review your best workouts to decide whether you need long or short warm ups. Do a proper swim warm up, this is where the race starts. Do an easy swim, followed by "feel fast drills", pick ups, and then more easy swimming. Practice a pre-swim bike and/or run warm-up in training to see how you feel. Consider how the logistics of the race will affect your routine. Be conscious of having enough time to warm up. Create a timeline. Review how you felt after the race, and refine your race warm-up regimen for next time.