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“Toes in the water, butt on the ice?”
Mastering Cold Water Swimming
Mary DeLaney, PT
Allen DeLaney, MD
USAT Certified Coaches
Are you are stoked for triathlon season! You have been riding the trainer, hitting Masters’ swim practice, running the rubber off the treadmill and now, finally it is time to get outside! But wait…that early season tri that looked inviting when you signed up, sitting in your toasty house with the fire crackling and a warm beverage in your hand, invites you to dive into water that might be in the low 60’s or even the 50’s. Are YOU ready for that? Better yet, how can you use cold water to your advantage over competitors who are not prepared?
First, FOCUS on pre-race heat conservation. Make sure you have your car heater on high en route to the race site. Wear warm clothes, socks AND a warm cap. Keep them on until 10 minutes before the race start. In cold water, your head becomes a major avenue for heat loss. Science supports the fact that pre-warming allows you to be exposed to cold longer before becoming hypothermic.
Put your wet suit on early! Do not even THINK about wearing a sleeveless wetsuit! Keep your fleece cap on as well as your socks and shoes. Watch other triathletes shivering with goose bumps and even purplish extremities and other signs of early hypothermia. Your full wet suit is far warmer than even two sweatshirts. If you are still cool, put your warm jacket and pants on over your full wetsuit. Forget flip-flops, wear your shoes.
Beg, borrow or steal a neoprene wetsuit cap. These are great cold water devices. Get one that looks like a racing swim cap with a chin strap. Don’t get a full hood. Put the cap on under your colored swim cap. The blood vessels to your head can’t constrict with cold exposure, so your head becomes a major avenue for heat loss in cold water. You may also need to consider neoprene socks (not booties) if the water temperature is projected to be less that 60°.
Before race day, find out whether the water temperature you’ll be swimming in makes you dizzy. As water temperatures fall below 65°F, many swimmers experience dizziness due to cold water entering their ears. If you get dizzy, you will need to swim with some form of ear plugs. You should experiment in the pool and find out which ones work best for you. http://www.macksearplugs.com/ This website will get you started, but they are available locally in local stores.
Take a large disposable (1qt+) bottle of warm water to the swim start. Stow it in the middle of your gear bag to keep it warm. About 5 minutes before you enter the water pour it down the neck of your wet suit. Make sure it is not hot enough to burn you. The warm water in your suit will prevent the rush of cold water into the suit when you start swimming.
Avoid a swimming warm-up. Most likely this will only make you colder as you wait for your wave to be called. Instead, warm up with a short run. Then, less than 5-7 minutes before your wave start, thoroughly splash water on your face or dunk your face in the water several times. Get your face and neck used to the water temperature. This tactic will largely eliminate the shortness of breath many of us experience with cold water entry. Science calls this the “Diving Reflex.” This reflex causes you to hold your breath upon exposure of your face to very cold water. It also closes your larynx, which means you can’t get your breath. Pre-conditioning yourself to the cold water on your face and neck will decrease that possibility.
When you come out of the water, dry off and consider arm warmers, a light jacket or a long sleeve jersey if air temps are below 62-65°. Even if you don’t usually wear socks or shoe covers, you may want them for cold weather racing. Expect to be cool or even cold as you start the bike leg of your race, but you should warm up in a few minutes of hard pedaling. Don’t be that person racing in a singlet and Speedo with no thermal protection when it is 55°. Hypothermia on the bike is not a successful race day tactic! If it is raining, and below 65°, for races longer than an Olympic, put on a rain jacket.
Your feet will feel like ice bricks. They will thaw…maybe. Don’t neglect your hydration and nutrition because you are cold. Generally, humidity is lower in cold weather. Stick to your established hydration and nutrition program. Drink even if you don’t feel like it. (You DO have a tried and true strategy, right?)
By T2, you will have warmed up, but your feet might still be cold. Get out as fast as you can. You will get warmer on the run. You can roll down arm warmers or tie the jersey/jacket around your waist as you warm up. Continue to hydrate and take in nutrition. In the sad event that it has started raining or gotten colder, grab cap and gloves (if the race is longer than a sprint) and a jacket. After the race, pack fast, and get back to your warm car. Be sure to go collect your hardware!
Practice swimming in cold water. Use all the strategy tips listed above. Rehab to Racing offers an open water swim venue in Haymarket, VA. We have a triathlon course set up with buoys in a pristine lake for you to practice your open water swimming. We hope to start swimming April 18. The water will be very cold, usually mid to upper 50s. Realize that races are starting earlier every year. http://www.rehabtoracing.com/openwater.php lists our swim dates and information for joining us in our swims. There is no substitution for getting into cold water and learning how to swim in it. In April and May we will be offering specific cold water swim instruction at Millbrook Quarry, our site.
Triathlon is an outdoor sport. One challenge is weather. Like all other challenges, cold weather and cold water are part of the sport. We educate ourselves, prepare, and race in conditions that present on race day. Being prepared for cold water swimming will give you a huge advantage over your competitors and eliminate the fear factor for you.
Train smarter, Tri longer! We’ll see you out there!
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