Pre-Swim Warmup Tips from Haley Chura

Ask any triathlete, and they’ll agree: one of the most stress-inducing aspects of a race is the first five minutes. Because of a rolling start or cold conditions, sometimes the first time you get wet gives you just minutes before the mass start or wave start. You jump into the water, and it’s GO GO GO from the start; the heart rate spikes, and that can be daunting. It begs the question: how do you get warmed up for that zero-to-full-speed race start, so you’re ready for the spike in muscle burn and heart rate and can either stick to those fast feet in front of you or, heck… just lead out the swim?

We asked the right triathlete: QR pro Haley Chura. 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. So an active warmup, and a few little tricks, are part of my plan.”

Run. (Well, a little one—most of the time)

“I usually go for a jog,” Chura says. “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 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, I mean 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, light and few of any of those movements. Everything should be kept super easy. I’m gonna emphasize it again: light, light, light.”

Arm Shakeouts

This is a swimmer’s bread and butter to wake up the muscle groups—the deltoids, shoulders, and triceps—that will literally pull you through your swim.

“It’s all those movements we see; arms criss-crossed back and forth, the arms thrown in an overhead circle to loosen the shoulder joints and surrounding muscles,” she says. “They provide a little mobility stretch and wake up the muscles. Do a few arm swings and shake out your arms.”

Use Stretchcords (Moderately)

Chura isn’t one to bring stretch cords to a race venue and strap them around a light pole but recognizes the value to mobilize… particularly if it’s done in moderation.

“I’m not someone who brings stretchcords to a race, but if you really like them, keep it to really light resistance,” she says. “You don’t want to make yourself sore with too much tension focused on any one muscle group.”

Put on Your Wetsuit (and Warm It Up)

Wait, what? Putting on your wetsuit is a warmup? Chura contends it is.

“Even putting on your wetsuit is a warmup; you’re really having to get it pulled up, and that takes a fair bit of effort,” she says. “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: with a bit of foresight, you can 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 says. “And if you want to have it go in warm, 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!”

Bring Socks (The Old Ones with the Hole in ‘Em)

Socks? Why? The rationale is pretty simple if you’ve done a race: getting cold feet before a race is more than a metaphor. How many times are you warming up, bare feet on cold, ice-cold sand, or cold wet grass, (brrrrr!) waiting to get into the water. Just thinking about it sends a shiver down our spine—and yours too. 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,” she says, “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.”

Now there’s no reason to go into the water cold. You’re poised to start your race with the engine already warmed up and ready to go. (And you’ve got Haley cheering you on in your head for having gotten that engine nice and warm—even before taking a single stroke of the race.)