Warming-up and surviving the swim

Here is a copy of the article I recently wrote for XTri.com. Enjoy.

Warming-up and surviving the swim

Open water swimming is never boring. Whether you are an accomplished swimmer or a first timer, there is never the "same" open water swim. Variables are always changing and it’s not too often you swim with a few hundred other athletes starting at the same time, trying to get to the same point.

Proper transition set-up and warm-up are essential to having a successful race. In short Course Triathlons (Sprint & Olympic Distances) the importance is magnified even more so because every second counts. Long course athletes have room for error but why waste those precious minutes and seconds when you can maximize your advantage over the competition.

The first step to a more successful and enjoyable event may seem like a no brainer, arrive early on race day. You might remember the guy that arrived as the transition area was being cleared search frantically for a spot to rack his bike. This is an all too common scene in triathlon and can lead to a disastrous day.

Once you’ve secured your area in transition, stretch, are numbered, and have gone to the bathroom (twice) it’s time to get in your pre-race warm up.

There are several reasons aside from the obvious why you’ll want to include a solid pre-race warm-up before every event. A proper warm-up, preferably in each event, with a few accelerations to race pace will get your heart rate going and prepare your body for task at hand. As if you need more reason, there is a strategic advantage to knowing what to expect once the gun goes off. What’s the water temperature (cold or warm); are there landmarks you can use to navigate possibly spending less time and energy sighting; what are the water conditions (currents, swells, surface chop, sun, rocks)? All of these factors can vary from day to day so even if you’re able to pre-swim the course in the days leading to the race nothing is certain on race day. Prepare for the unexpected.

Armed with all this information you can now seed yourself properly and take every advantage to get to the first turn buoy ahead of those that might otherwise be stronger though less prepared athletes.

Remember having a plan and being prepared is half the battle.

Fighting back illness

One of my current athletes, training for an early season Ironman has come down with flu like symptoms thanks to a co-worker that was kind enough to share his germs with the entire office. He was a bit concerned that he’d lose some of the fitness that we’ve been able to build up these past few months.

In his particular case the symptoms were entirely above the neck, mostly congestion and sore throat. That being the case we continued our scheduled workouts but reduced the intensity a bit to ensure we remained completely aerobic.

Had the symptoms been below the neck (body aches, fervor, etc...) it would have called for a different protocol, namely take a few days off. Generally, if you take a break and rest you'll get over the entire illness faster than if you try to suffer though it. If you try to push too hard when sick with a cold or flu you could easily end up with further complications.

Have respect and listen to your body when it is trying fighting illness.

Goal Setting

Now is the time of year where we are generally thinking about the coming race season, deciding which events to register for and prioritizing which races we really want to well at. Goal setting is an indispensible tool for maximizing performance. When you set an appropriate goal that represents the true current limit of your capabilities, it is much more likely you will achieve the most you are capable of than if you simply try to do your best without setting an objective, measureable goal.

Don’t neglect to set well defined goals this season. Your goals should basically include two elements—what exactly you want to achieve and when you want to achieve it. The more tightly you define your goals the easier you will find it is to work toward their successful accomplishment.

TrainingBible Coaching Training Camp

It’s amazing how much "Triathlon Camps" cost these days … some upward of $5000 not including food & rooms. March 12-15 TrainingBible will be hosting a training camp for triathletes and cyclists in Tucson, Arizona and the cost … you’ll want to sit down for this … just $100 for athlete clients, $300 for non clients (Does not include housing or meals though we have lined up some sweet discounts).

This is a heck of a deal and would give you a nice escape from the ice and snow to get some miles in. Many or our coaches including Joe Friel will join me there to assist you with your training and growth as an athlete working over the 3 days on each sport, doing some training as well as teaching. This will include swimming, biking and running. And did I mention Tucson is a great place to train.

If you are interested in attending or simply have questions you can contact me at JVicario@TrainingBible.com

Hope to see you there!
Coach Jeff
_________________________________
Jeff Vicario
Coach
TrainingBible Coaching
310.755.5857
jvicario@TrainingBible.com
www.TrainingBible.com
_________________________________
"You bring the passion. We apply the science."

Sunday Palos Verdes Trail Runs

Meeting at the Dolphin Park in South Redondo Beach before 11:30am, ready to run at 11:30. We will run approximately 1 hour. Pace will be moderate (8:30 – 9:30 min/mi). The course (distance and duration) will vary week to week following a periodized plan. Depending on the route, there is one water fountain around the mid-point of the run so it’s a good idea to carry a small bottle. I like to finish up with a ½ mile beach run back to the starting point.

Plenty of free parking at the Riviera Village parking lot, across the street from Trader Joe's, Jamba Juice and Starbucks.

Email me any questions, hope to meet some new faces out there..
Jeff

_________________________________
Jeff Vicario
Coach
TrainingBible Coaching
310.755.5857
jvicario@TrainingBible.com
http://www.trainingbible.com/
_________________________________
"You bring the passion. We apply the science."