Can't get going on the bike leg post-swim? It's not unusual, and there are several factors and scenarios that could contribute to this frustrating situation mid-race.

　　Here are some considerations and tips to prevent and treat the feeling should it affect you.

　　Can the swim affect my bike leg performance?

　　If you've had a stressful swim – say you've been hit repeatedly by other swimmers you've had your googles knock off and/or you've encountered a water full of jellyfish – this may increase the stress response of your body.

　　During stress, blood vessels can narrow reduce blood flow to certain areas of the body. So for example, blood flow could be directed away from your less-active muscles – i.e. your legs.

　　This may leave them in a semi ‘dead’ or numb state and could then take a few miles for the blood flow to be redistributed and wake them up.

　　Reducing stress is a good way to perform better, so make sure to build this into you pre-race routine in a way that works for you.

　　Swim start: what’s the best position to be in?

　　How to start open-water swimming if you're nervous, and build up confidence

　　Another consideration is that your perception in water is very difficult and because of that we tend to swim slightly harder than we realise.

　　This can have a similar affect as stress, as detailed above, drawing blood towards the working muscles and again leaving the leg feeling sluggish.

　　It's for this reason that us coaches will recommend that you kick harder in the final 200m or so of a swim. This redirects the blood to the legs ahead of time and prepares them to work though T1 and onto the bike.

　　Swim leg: How to start and finish strongly

　　Does the timing of the event have an impact on bike performance?

　　The body is highly adaptable so, depending when your race is in the calendar – say it's at the start of the season and you haven't raced for several months a few months – then it might be that your body is simply not used to the transition from one sport to another.

　　What happens to your body when you start exercising after a break?

　　How brick sessions help you bike leg performance

　　You can prepare your body for switching between two sports by planning in some swim-bike brick training efforts to better prepare for the demands of the race.

　　Ultimate bricks: Swim to bike

　　Transitions: The physiological changes your body goes through

　　The benefits of a swim warm-up on your bike performance

　　Lastly, it's key to switch on your muscles through a vigorous warm-up before the race. It's not uncommon for triathletes to skip a warm-up altogether and many will only perform a basic swim warm-up, leaving the legs unengaged and muscle fibres simply not ready to work.

　　A good warm-up should include leg activation exercise before moving onto more of an upper body focus.

　　How to warm up for a swim

　　Cold water swimming gear: essential kit to keep you warm and safe