I think any swim with a current - so basically any river swim - has no swim warm up. Augusta, Alcatraz, NYC... all currents and no swim warm up, to name a few. I'm not sure how you'd do those with a swim warm up either. All things equal, I'd prefer a swim warm up. But not a problem for me if not available. I do a lot of other warming up prior, bands, dynamic stretching, etc. And I often start a bit easier at the beginning until I feel I'm ready to push. If it's a beach swim, I'm not sprinting in and spiking my heart rate, so start a bit slower buy safer and can often catch up as I get into the flow. My two cents...

Not sure if this has been mentioned before here in this thread....

I did IM St. George in 2012, when the shit-storm wind hit just after swim start. I recall that there was an unconscious unresponsive swimmer who was plucked out by a ski boat, and brought back to shore and ultimately (last I recall hearing after the race) was revived. I fully suspect that this life threatening incident was due to the crazy wind and waves. But, also that water at Sand Hollow is very cold and that may have played a factor as well.

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Team Zoot-Texas, and Pickle Juice

I was there in 2012 as well, when the first waves hit us I thought who is the a hole out in his boat making the rollers. Then looking up to the North and seeing that massive dust cloud coming I knew we were in for one crappy swim. I have boated many times on that lake and have never been in waves as big as they were that day. Looking back now I can smile about it as the turn buoys were blowing away and people were swimming all over the place. Scary for a moment, but wow that was an experience.

The identity of the man who died in the swim was announced locally today. He was from Boise, his name was Gary Martinez. He was a self-employed business consultant, father of 3 little kids. He was relatively new to the sport, this was his second 70.3. He was 51.


He had been swimming in the pond here to acclimate to the cold water he would face in St. George, which is common practice for most of us doing early season racing in cold water (StG, Wildflower). He was also riding "dump loops" aka 18 mile loops through the foothills with like 1800ft of climbing per loop to prepare for the hills in St.G. (I can tell you I did the same when prepping for Vegas 70.3 worlds and Wildflower, IMC, LP, CDA. It's a tough loop.)

He had a massive heart attack half way through the swim. Out of respect, please don't speculate on further. As a USAT ref, I had a fatality in the swim at a local Olympic a few years ago. 40 year old, fit, doctor, experienced. It just happens.

I did not know him personally, as I retired from racing in 2017, which seems about the time he began, but I do know the two coaches he worked with and they are accomplished and fantastic people.

A gofund me has been set up:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/gary-martinez-family-legacy-fund?utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link_all&utm_source=customer

Ugh... This is terrible. I feel so bad for his family. Especially tragic with leaving behind such a young family. Breaks my heart.

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http://dontletitdefeatyou.blogspot.com

My thoughts also go out to his family. 51 is very young...I'm turning 48 this year myself, so that's pretty close to the mark.Definitely, gives me pause to think about my training, and my priorities.

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- John
"Have courage, and be kind."

My heart goes out to his family.

This was a tough race emotionally. I was in one of the slowest swim waves, and even before we entered the water a gentleman had collapsed at the top of the ramp. Medics were attending to him and he was conscious thankfully. Then the man who went down at roughly the 25-mile mark on the ride. I passed him as they administered the electric shock to his heart. It sounds like he pulled through from the various social media pages. And then this tragic death. At 31 or 41 I wouldn’t have given these events a second thought, but at 51 it’s a different matter. I love this sport and want to keep doing it as long as I physically can, but last weekend’s race is going to take some time to process emotionally.

Bumping this for the GoFundMe

Was in shop yesterday, and found out this was part of my community.

That really sucks especially someone who picked up the sport (and it sounds like he has been at it for a few years before all the lockdowns so its not like he had zero experience) and it is great that he got to swim in the local venue in Boise before the race.

"Let’s examine what happens when you jump into a cold lake. Most swims are in bodies of water that are at least 10 degrees colder than body temperature. Cold water immersion leads to a phenomenon known as the Mammalian Diving Reflex. This reflex decreases breathing and slows the need for oxygen and is life saving for non-swimmers and children who fall into water . The more dangerous response is the Cold Shock Reflex. This reflex will cause you to take a deep breath, followed by uncontrolled hyperventilation. A triathlete who jumps into cold water, or at least puts their face in cold water, will have a temporary breath-holding reflex. If this same triathlete starts swimming quickly, they would be out of breath before even starting. Imagine running down the block while holding your breath; you would feel out of breath very quickly. Hyperventilation will happen immediately following and is one of the components of feeling panicky. A rapid rise in heart rate will also accompany the Cold Shock Reflex and can also lead to a feeling of panic. A tight wetsuit can make breathing difficult as well. It is these heart and lung changes, not panic, that are responsible for many open water deaths."

"Hyperventilation can have a negative impact on the lungs. It is not uncommon for hyperventilation to have an effect on the airways and lead to coughing or even spasm of the vocal cords. This makes it harder to breathe and leads to increased hyperventilation. Which can in turn lead to increased anxiety. Anxiety worsens the cold shock response. With repeated cold water immersions (4 days apart), the amount of hyperventilation is shorter and not as much. Less frequent immersions diminish the length but not the magnitude of the response. One way to reproduce this habituation to the cold shock reflex is taking repeated cold showers at 50 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 minutes. 3 minute showers at 50 degrees may save your life Finally, how can we screen for the ill-effects of the cold shock reflex? One way is to perform maximum hyperventilation while monitoring lung changes. This is a regular component of the cardiopulmonary exercise testing. If changes in measured lung volumes or coughing is present, perhaps these changes should be treated. Standard cardiac stress tests will probably not be useful for screening for the cold shock reflex. If we are to prevent triathlon swim death, other tests and decreasing the response to cold water are essential."

-Dr. Michael Ross R.I.P.

https://rothmanortho.com/...ng-triathlon-death19

It seems like allowing athletes into the water to acclimate could save lives.

I understand your and other's concerns, but let me present a different side. I lost a brother to a heart attack 6 months after my dad died of one. He was 43. Now approaching 70 and 41 years in triathlon, my 2 younger brothers 3 and 4 years younger than me, have numerous health issues. I'm the only one who has maintained a fitness regime and have raced long distance for decades. I am of the very strong opinion that this sport and movement enhances our lifetime. I had a customer buying running shoes yesterday who still ran at 82.

My heart aches for this athlete and his family, but perhaps he was happy with his life choices. Yes, we need to be very vigilant and monitor our bodies and I think the actual medical post just above this is awesome.

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Kiwami Racing Team

A couple of questions (apologies if I missed this from your explanation). Not poking or being obtuse - serious Qs...

- is there a direct relationship between the cold water shock (>> hyperventilating) and a heart attack / cardiac arrest ? (Rather than straight drowning as is what usually happens to people who dive into cold deep water on a hot day and involuntarily suck in water).

- if there is a direct relationship, does taking the 3 min 50F showers increase the risk of having a heart attack / cardiac arrest at home instead? I.e. transferring the problem from race day to home (ok granted there's maybe better chance of survival at home than in deep cold water at a race - though maybe not if doing the shower when alone in the house)

Bringing back the conversation about swim warm-ups... Gulf Coast 70.3 does not have a swim warm up this year. There is an unlimited sea with no constraints, so I thought warm-up would be a no-brainer. But, I kind of see why. I still think they could have solved for it.

They want all the racers standing by their bikes in the transition area, and they plan to stage everyone into swim start based on predicted swim times. So, the nut is they want everyone contained for easier logistics. Seems like they could have accomplished an orderly swim staging without eliminating warm-up.

I cannot wait for all the Covid silliness to be over. (This is silly... it is outdoor and folks are required to be masked.)