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race day warm ups

diddsdidds Posts: 655
OK ... here's a rookie level question...

what is a reasonable warm up on race day?

there's an article in a recent triathlon plus 9may even be this months) - but the warm up as described takes 45 minutes.

That's 50% of many people's sprint race tiume, and in excess of that for anybody that is even remotely decent.

I would say that may be a "good" warm up, but for many rookies that would be total overkill, and for many first timers (if not 31st timers!) that would exhaust them before they've even started.

So - you experienced dudes... what is a realistic warm up for rookies in a sprint?

(3 tris to date so i ain't experienced!)


  • TommiTriTommiTri Posts: 879
    In a recent sprint, my race lasted 49mins, I did a warm up of about 45mins!

    In my personal experience, particularly from the running side, the shorter the race the longer the warm up.

    I do 15-30mins for half marathon
    40 mins for 10k
    45 mins for 5k

    The idea being that the faster the race the less time you have to get yourself up to race pace, you need to ready to go from the off. In a half marathon you can build up the pace a bit more, and even more in a full marathon I guess.
  • TRIumphantTRIumphant Posts: 850
    As an experienced Triathlete with a handful if races behind me, I do very little warm
    up for a Tri. Arm swinging to get the upper body going, but have never seen the point in cycling or jogging, as I felt that the muscles would cool down before the race, and that the swim should give me a warm up
  • diddsdidds Posts: 655
    picking up in TRiumphant's point...

    It did make me wonder why you might cycle on a turbo for 20+ minutes and run for 15 if you are going to spend the next ten minutes getting briefed (and cooling down) and then the next (say) 7 minutes laying on your stomach with little leg movement in contrast..

    That said I see Tommy's points entirely as well... but would rookie's be able to benefit from that much preperation? especially those whose race plan is to finish, rather than (WADR) actually "race"?

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