Just curious if anyone else has every experienced this.
If I get my wetsuit stripped after they yank it over my feet, I guess my calves contract so hard that I get a Charlie Horse from Hades.
Last weekend I took electrolytes and a salt pill prior to the swim and it still happened. I feel that I have semi flexible ankles, wondering if next time I wear one maybe I’ll just pull it off myself. Maybe the violent ripping over the foot is causing it.
I dealt with this also in my first couple of seasons. (was also getting calf cramps in the pool
pushing off the wall as well). I found that by coating my lower leg and ankles with body glide
before putting the wetsuit on really helped this to become a non-issue. With the body glide when
you go to yank the suit off race style it just slips right off your feet with minimal ankle flexion,
which helps to not tweak off your calfs.
That much being said I don’t suffer from calf cramps these days in the pool either so maybe it
is coincidental or maybe not. I still use the body glide during races and the suit comes off my ankles
and wrists like butter.
Hope this may help a bit.
Just curious if anyone else has every experienced this.
If I get my wetsuit stripped after they yank it over my feet, I guess my calves contract so hard that I get a Charlie Horse from Hades.
Last weekend I took electrolytes and a salt pill prior to the swim and it still happened. I feel that I have semi flexible ankles, wondering if next time I wear one maybe I’ll just pull it off myself. Maybe the violent ripping over the foot is causing it.
More likely you are not accustomed to pointing your toes for long periods of time, as you do in an open water swim. You are lightly flexing your calf muscles the entire time, then you are probably flexing them strenuously after getting out of the water and while the strippers are doing their job.
It’s a combination of swimming harder than normal for an extended period of time and having your feet in the same position and not relaxing.
I’m somewhat cautious when I go to lay down and have my wetsuit pulled off. I’ve cramped in the past but have had no problems recently.
Just curious if anyone else has every experienced this.
If I get my wetsuit stripped after they yank it over my feet, I guess my calves contract so hard that I get a Charlie Horse from Hades.
Last weekend I took electrolytes and a salt pill prior to the swim and it still happened. I feel that I have semi flexible ankles, wondering if next time I wear one maybe I’ll just pull it off myself. Maybe the violent ripping over the foot is causing it.
Hasn’t the idea that electrolyte loss as a cause of cramps been disproven?
My swimming “cramping” resume is long and distinguished. I DNF’d an IM and a HIM race due to wicked and debilitating calf cramps. I got lots of tips ranging from get in better shape, to eat bananas, to drink pickle juice, to take magnesium, to work on ankle flexibility…
What fixed it for me was getting into the habit of kicking every now and then while swimming in the wetsuit. My theory was it kept the blood flowing and took some tension off my calves. I don’t know if it’s just a different body position or what, but I am prone to cramping when wearing the wetsuit.
My swim fitness is off-the-charts when comparing 2015 and 2016. I have dropped my distance pace by about 40 seconds per 100 yards. I’m swimming more than ever usually 3700-4000 yards per session. I’m doing fast intervals, distance intervals, hard kick sets, drill work, etc. Last night in my second OWS practice session, I was fighting cramps after only about 1000 yards in the wetsuit. I wasn’t kicking. As soon as I started kicking some, no more cramping.
I realize kicking in the wetsuit is not necessary and might even be counterproductive. I’m not talking about kicking for 50 yards at a time. I’m talking about a little flutter every couple hundred yards for about 3-4 seconds. I’d liken it to shaking your arms out while running to remove tension from your upper body.
At least it has worked for me.
I agree with the toe pointing thing. Add these stretches to your routine (I combine with the “cobra” stretch) and I bet in time you have no issues.
Just curious if anyone else has every experienced this.
If I get my wetsuit stripped after they yank it over my feet, I guess my calves contract so hard that I get a Charlie Horse from Hades.
Last weekend I took electrolytes and a salt pill prior to the swim and it still happened. I feel that I have semi flexible ankles, wondering if next time I wear one maybe I’ll just pull it off myself. Maybe the violent ripping over the foot is causing it.
I’m going in a bit of a different direction than those above ^^ and thinking it’s the action of pulling your legs back as they pull the wetsuit off perhaps. I’ve done tons of races over 10 years and only ever had two with strippers. IMAZ in 2008 and last weekend in Chattanooga. Both times I’ve had that little cramp flare when they are pulling off the wetsuit. I’ve only had that a couple times in any other race where I took the suit off myself and when I’ve had a bit of difficulty and had to pull up a bit more than usual.
my n=1 It’s definitely related to some movement involved in taking off the suit. I think with strippers there’s a natural tendency to yank back as they are yanking the suit off.
I get this all the time and learned to take my wetsuit off without pointing my toes. Lol.
It’s definitely because of the prolonged toe pointing. So should I kick more it kick less? I think I try to kick less in the swim leg to prevent the cramps and it may actually be the cause!
More likely you are not accustomed to pointing your toes for long periods of time, as you do in an open water swim. You are lightly flexing your calf muscles the entire time, then you are probably flexing them strenuously after getting out of the water and while the strippers are doing their job.
Thanks for the responses. I think next time I have to wear a wetsuit in a race and the strippers are present I’m going to pass. At least I can run to T1 unlike with a cramp, so the time saved with the strippers is wiped anyway.
I’m going to try some of the stretches mentioned as well.
Sucked for sure, was still sore the next day…
As 125mph mentioned I too when wearing a wetsuit tend to kick less and try to save my legs…I do point the toes but not to the extent of when yanked off, but I regress. Removing my own for now!
Dorsiflex your feet several times during swim and you’ll be fine. I think all seasoned triathletes learn this one.