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can I count my swim as warmup?

Hi, new here so this post is also by way of introduction! I'm Paul from Naas in Ireland and I've been lurking around for a couple of weeks.

I have many questions, but maybe I should try to keep them in separate posts to avoid confusion? I put my basics in my profile about my experience and general condition of health.

My question is about using my swim as a warm-up, and warm-up in general. Up until this week I swim 4-5 times a week, usually 60 lengths (1500 meters) in 30-35 mins. Could this count as a warm-up before a run or would I need to walk first to warm up specific muscles? I guess time is the issue here. If I am dedicating 5-6 days a week to training I need to keep it realistic.

I would love some general warm-up and stretching tips. I know there are countless tips online, but I'm really interested in hearing people's personal preferences, specific stretches for each category, how long you warm up for. For example, I found a programme for running from scratch and it recommends starting with 27minute walk and just 3min run in week one, but it also says your warm-up should be: 5m walk, 1m jog, 5m walk, light stretch, 5m walk, proper stretch, then your 27m walk, 3m run, 10-20m cool-down walk, stretch. does this not seem excessive? I can appreciate you would need this amount of warm up, stretch, cool-down for a 30 minute run, but do I need to do all that for 3 mins?

It's all new to me but it's very exciting and addictive and I love that the forum seems really enthused about your (our) sport! thanks guys, Paul

Basic/Newbie Forum

Welcome to trifuel! Doing 2

Submitted by beads1985 on February 22, 2010 - 08:09

Welcome to trifuel! Doing 2 workouts back to back is something I do as well.
The swim is a good warmup, but I would still start the run easy for the first 5 - 10 minutes and then pick it up after that.

After you are done make sure to do a cool down and some stretching.

I live about 1/2 mile from

Submitted by Triathlete954 on February 22, 2010 - 08:25

I live about 1/2 mile from the pool and I usually run right after swimming too about 3 times a week. What I do is end my last set of swimming with kicking drills to loosen all the muscles up and I run about 3 miles after at tempo pace. Doing this I noticed I can out run the competition at races to T1.

helvetica wrote:Up until

Submitted by TriSooner on February 22, 2010 - 10:13

[quote=helvetica]Up until this week I swim 4-5 times a week, usually 60 lengths (1500 meters) in 30-35 mins. Could this count as a warm-up before a run or would I need to walk first to warm up specific muscles? [/quote]

That's a pretty good swim session so 1) I'd consider that a solid workout all by itself and therefore 2) I'm sure you're warmed up well enough for anything to follow.

[quote=helvetica]I found a programme for running from scratch and it recommends starting with 27minute walk and just 3min run in week one, but it also says your warm-up should be: 5m walk, 1m jog, 5m walk, light stretch, 5m walk, proper stretch, then your 27m walk, 3m run, 10-20m cool-down walk, stretch. does this not seem excessive?[/quote]

Absolutely excessive. OMG I looked at that plan and you spend more time walking and sitting on the ground stretching than you do running. Someone's goofin' on you. You'll know when you're warmed-up and ready to go - and it doesn't take an hour. And many people think stretching/warming-up before isn't necessary. Skip it and just starting running. There. You're warmed up.

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-241-287--7001-0,00.html
http://walking.about.com/cs/med/a/stretch0304.htm
http://www.physorg.com/news166121437.html

And what happened to Eireman? I thought you guys had a full Iron-distance?
http://www.eireman.org/

Unless I've tweeked

Submitted by Amphibious Triton on February 22, 2010 - 11:37

Unless I've tweeked something or I feel tight, I don't stretch at all anymore. I never did growing up as a swimmer/runner. When I started getting back into running last year, I stretched more because things were sore all the time. Now........nothing. I always start out my runs slow for the first mile or so before starting my Tempo Run. That'll stretch you out.

You probably don't need to swim that much. I'm assuming you have a swimming background if you swim that much. The non-swimmers keep out of the pool as much as possible. If that's your strength, back it off to 3 times a week and focus on what you're bad at. That's my two Abe Lincolns.

My opinion is to error on

Submitted by TryScott on February 22, 2010 - 13:05

My opinion is to error on the side of caution and listen to your body to see what works for you. If I stretch before, it's extremely light. No reason to push cold muscles to their limits.

My approach is to start off slow, but not so slow that I'm walking. I walk to and from my car, and I walk the dog, but once you start running, I'm not sure why someone would walk. Maybe if you're training for an ultra, or if you are just starting out and can't keep running, then you walk to keep moving forward.

jaysus Paul a fellow Irish

Submitted by Warrior on February 22, 2010 - 13:37

jaysus Paul a fellow Irish man, welcome. It really helps to warm up to prevent injury, the most important is warming down right, or stretching otherwise you start getting stiff. then pull something.

And what happened to

Submitted by levitronix on February 22, 2010 - 14:26

And what happened to Eireman? I thought you guys had a full Iron-distance?
http://www.eireman.org/[/quote]

Ha Ha Ha Ha that race last year turned out to be a distaster lmaooo , they cancelled the swim because the chop was to bad , two people doing the half distance event missed the turn on the bike and done the 180 bike haha , and run course wasnt marked out right some people took short cuts ... biggest distaster of a race ever , am so glad i opted out that day ... Only good long race in ireland is a half ironman called the lost sheep

Thanks for all the feedback

Submitted by helvetica on February 23, 2010 - 03:35

Thanks for all the feedback people! The lost sheep, I love it! I should have mentioned I'm aiming for a sprint tri first, must manage expectations. Warrior did you compete in the eireman? It looks like fun swapping the road bike for the mountain bike, maybe the organisation will be better this year? There is a nice looking sprint in slane valley involving a Swim in the River Boyne and a run in the grounds of Slane Castle. Hopefully U2 will be playing a gig that day!

I meant to mention that I have a 'crunchy' knee (chondromalacia patella) and had herniated discs 2 years ago so maybe the warm-up is even more essential, but glad to hear I don't have to spent longer warming up than training! I'll have a good read of those articles and many thanks for all the feedback. see you all around the forum!

Paul

Helvetica i done the eireman

Submitted by levitronix on February 23, 2010 - 14:48

Helvetica i done the eireman x last year lmaoo another diaster !!! and one bottom bracket later, sand salt water and bikes dont mix well :( only fun bit in that race was jumping the 6 foot drop into the river and then struggling to climb the bank on the way back out and then on the turn around to find out we had to go back in again lol