What to Do (and NOT Do) When the Swim is Cancelled in a Triathlon
When changes are made to your race, just days or even hours before you compete, it can be very frustrating.
Looking at posts on social media, a few common themes pop up.
Anger- “When will I ever get to race a full 70.3?!”
Frustration- “Swim cancelled. So sad right now...”
Defeatist mentality- “Just another training day, I guess.”
You’re probably feeling all the emotions: disappointment, anger, and even anxiety. That’s ok.
And yes, it sucks, especially if it’s your first 70.3 instead of your tenth, but the most important thing to remember is that there’s still a race to be had!
We sign up for stand-alone running races and cycling events, so why should a bike/run automatically become a “training day?” It’s still a race. They still award medals, points, and World Championship slots (if you’re into that kind of thing).
But a cancelled swim brings with it a few changes to the format of a triathlon, so let’s review my top tips for when the swim is cancelled.
#1- Reframe Your Mindset
When the swim is cancelled at a triathlon, you might feel like all the work you did leading up to this point was for nothing. If this is your first 70.3 (or worse, first 140.6) you’re probably disappointed that you won’t be able to complete the full distance.
I understand.
However, it’s important to realize that in any endurance event, there are factors outside of our control. You can waste precious energy worrying about something you can’t change, or you can give yourself space to feel those emotions, and then get on with it.
There’s still a race to be had, and worrying about what might have been won’t help you perform to the best of your capabilities.
Those 5 am training sessions in the pool weren’t worthless. The time you spend in the pool is valuable, not just for the swim portion of the race, but also to help you become more fit- which makes you a better cyclist and better runner.
Part of being a triathlete is having the ability to be flexible, adapt, and keep moving forward no matter what gets thrown your way. This is no different.
Don’t fall into the defeatist mentality trap. Make it your mission to have the best bike and run performance you can on the day. Every race teaches you something and provides you with skills you can use in the future.
Remember when Kristian Blummenfelt got a flat tire at 70.3 Oceanside? (Reason why you need to carry a flat kit and know how to change a tire! But I digress…) He went on to run an incredible 1:07:19 half marathon and placed 15th.
Kudos to him for not quitting, which would’ve been easy to do. He was racing IRONMAN Texas in a few weeks. Just call it a day and save his legs, right?
Not a chance. It provided a unique opportunity for him to test things out, race unburdened by expectations, and take some risks, which paid off when he won IRONMAN Texas a few weeks later in 7:24:20.
Triathletes don’t quit. You sign up for a race. You finish the race. The only time an athlete should consider not finishing is if continuing will cause physical harm, ie. broken bone, concussion, ect.
#2- Time Trial Bike Start
Now for the practical stuff. When the swim is cancelled at an IRONMAN triathlon, the race typically begins with a time trial format on the bike. Basically, you put on your cycling gear, line up at your transition area, and follow your group to the mount line when the announcer calls your row.
This of course means that you’re starting in number order, which typically goes from lowest to highest. Typically, race numbers at IRONMAN events are awarded by the order in which you check in at Athlete Check-in. That means athletes who check in earlier get a lower number than those who check in later. (Policies vary for special divisions).
There really isn’t too much concern where your number lands, because the process happens pretty quickly in order to get everyone out on course. However, this creates an interesting dynamic on the bike course.
When a triathlon begins with the swim, the faster swimmers get out of the water first, followed by the middle tier, back of the pack, ect. More often than not, the faster swimmers also tend to be faster cyclists, therefore that group is gone before the novice swimmers even get out of the water.
But with a time trial start, you begin by race number, so the faster and more novice athletes are all mixed in together. This can cause problems if athletes don’t communicate on the bike. Fast athletes can blow by the novices and not let them know they’re coming, which can be dangerous. Novice athletes may not know the rules very well and ride in the middle of the road or side by side, instead of in a line.
With a time trial bike start, pay attention to the athletes around you. Always say “on your left” when passing and stay focused.
#3- Always Bring Nutrition on Race Morning
For those racing 70.3 Chattanooga this weekend, you have plenty of advance notice to adjust your race morning plan. But for most athletes, swim cancellation happens the morning of, like it did at 70.3 Gulf Coast last weekend. At this race, the start was also pushed an hour back.
If you didn’t plan ahead and bring a sports drink or gel with you to transition, you risk getting behind on nutrition before the race even starts. With the weather forecast looking bad, we knew it was very likely the swim might be cancelled, so we brought a bottle with us that morning.
Also, because you’re starting in your cycling gear, you can make a few adjustments to your race day kit. For example, I knew I would be riding in very heavy wind and rain, so I put on cycling gloves, which I normally don’t do during a race. If you like wearing compression socks on the bike (me), you can start the race with those on already, instead of trying to get them on wet legs.
Everything You Need to Know About 70.3 Chattanooga
#4- Stick to Your Pacing Plan
One of the biggest mistakes athletes make when the swim is cancelled is changing their pacing plan. You might think, “Since I don’t have to swim, that means I can bike and run harder!”
Um no. That’s not what that means, and you’ll find that out pretty quickly.
By this point, you should have a very good idea of the effort level you can sustain for 56 miles on the bike, followed by a 13.1-mile run. If thinking about mileage is confusing, simply think about how many hours you will be on course.
Just because you aren’t swimming beforehand, doesn’t mean you magically become a faster cyclist and runner. Stick to the plan.
Also, you’re starting the bike cold, without the swim to swarm you up. If anything, take the first few miles on the bike a bit easier to give your body time to settle into a rhythm. If you jump the gun and go too hard at the start, you’ll pay for it in the later stages of the run.
(Which is hot in Chattanooga. Don’t say I didn’t warn you).
You can always do a few jumping jacks, stretches, or activation exercises in transition to help raise your heart rate just a bit before you get on the bike.
Headwind, Hail, and Heat: What 70.3 Gulf Coast Taught Me About Racing Smart in Utter Chaos
#5- Use it to Your Advantage
This is the message I received from my coach when the swim was cancelled at 70.3 Gulf Coast on Saturday:
“Stay positive about the race. Many athletes have already given up because of the conditions.”
Now, this was a bit different, because not only was the swim cancelled, we were also heading into a thunderstorm with hail, 19 mph wind, and rain… In Chattanooga, the river is just flowing at too high a rate, so it’s not possible to have kayak support because they wouldn’t be able to stay in place. But other than that, it should be business as usual with a regular bike and run.
But the main takeaway here is this: “Many athletes have already given up…”
When the unexpected happens at a race, some athletes just won’t be able to get over it. It messes with their carefully-crafted image of how the race was supposed to go, and they’ll crumble. They won’t start, or they’ll start and when it isn’t going well, they’ll quit.
Others won’t pace well. They won’t trust their instincts and go out harder than they should and crumble in the heat.
But you aren’t one of those athletes, are you?
Because you’re reading this blog, and you know how to use the unexpected to your advantage. Reframe your mindset, stay focused, be safe, stick to your pacing plan, and above all, race smart!
You got this guys.