Warm Ups Before A Race

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Comments

  • I've always warmed up but often never for long enough (mostly due to shocking time keeping or queuing for the loos) but at the last 10k I did I was there early enough to do a more vigorous warm-up and got to the start line with a bit of a sweat on - the end result knocked a minute off my PB from the previous month.

    Nothing more than light jogging as a warm-up for any of the half or full maras though. Use the first few miles/kms of the race to get the heart rate up.

    Will continue to experiment and hopefully see the race time come down.
  • XL-man
    Have to admit, I've always been a bit dubious about longer warm ups thinking that I've got to race 10k (6.21 mile), don't want to tired myself out, however, I'm 100% sure that this is the way to go.

    As for pace, when I did the warm ups for my 10k race on Sunday, they were around 7:30 m/m pace, quite easy, would be able to talk fine etc etc... now my race pace was meant to be around 5:45 ish... so as a percentage of my race pace... around 23-25% slower than race pace and it worked perfect...

    Maybe try the next percentage... but form the off, even in the first mile of the race, I was warm, stretched, not overly excerting for once... it was like my lungs and body hadn't been shocked... which in a 10k race, is unknown for me!!!

    I'm gald this thread has helped, but the figures speak for themselves, if you check the heart rates in the first warm up compared to the second, they're lower in the 2nd warmup and that was at a faster pace (not intentional, just probably cause I was warming up)...

    Inceidently, I ran the race around 10-12 minutes after I finished the 2nd warm up as I went back to the car and changed into my racing shoes and took all my warm up gear off!

    Pug
  • When you say 'few' what would you recommend for a half marathon? The first two miles, three, or does it depend on the day and the course?
  • Well, I'm doing a half marathon in January, The Four Villages, and I'll probably do 2 steady 7:30 minute miles as warm up... with some carb drink straight afterwoulds... but that's just me...

    Suppose it depends what level you're at... I have stamina in my legs from Marthon training, so a steady 2 isn't going to make any difference, where'as if someone is struggling to finish a half, I'd say just stretch and walk around then race!


    Pug
  • Has anyone found a pace/speed benefit in wearing lycra leggings as opposed to shorts this time of year? Just wandering whether trying to stop the muscles losing heat too quickly might help.

    I am still running and cycling in shorts but notice my thighs are really cold to the touch but feel fine. I am waiting for some lycra leggings to arrive. Presumably if my legs are cold to the touch they might function more slowly. I have been struggling to increase my pace and have started interval training. It's a long shot but I wonder if the cold weather has contributed?
  • Whoah - crosspost,
    your message wasn't there when I wrote my question to G, F & M

    Thanks Pug.
  • Go-KLGo-KL ✭✭✭
    My pre-race routine is the same for all events up to a marathon:
    Get out of car, do 5 minutes very gentle jogging.
    Go through a full stretch routine.
    Run another 5 minutes, this time at a faster pace, with heart rate close to what I aim to run in the race.
    Get back in car/tent whatever, and chill for a bit.
    Get changed into race kit, then do another 5 or so minutes steady with 3 or 4 quick progressive accelerations - no idea why I do this, just always have.
    Make my way to start line.
    Add 5-6 trips to the toilet and I'm there.
    Marathon is slightly different, just limit it to 2 2-3 minute very easy jogs with the stretch in between, as I have no intention to go off hard from the start and can 'warm-up' as the race starts.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    nice thread

    i expect to really fulfil my race potetntial i should do some of the tips you guys suggest.

    instead of the usual...sheer nerves when i get up 3/4 hours before the race and try and eat the minimum to not feel too full.

    about 10 toilet attempts eeking out the "last".

    try and get to the race a good 40mins before the start
    sit about in car glad to have made it in good time for 5-10mins

    slowly change into gear..do my essential stretches, deep heat the legs up, put the achilles supports on

    then amble over to the startline
    and always feel bad in the first mile or two adn then it suddenly eases!
  • I am going to run to my next cross country (and back) for reasons other than warming up, but will try to find the thread again to report if I have a better run, as it happens I have been running so badly I can't possibly sabotage anything. Incidentally my longest "cool down" after a cross country was 30 miles- Skipton to Leeds along the canal.
  • Monique

    30 mile cool down... awesome ROFL!!!

    We have a nutcase... nutcase alert ;-)


    Pug
  • I'd agree with the longer the race the shorter the warm up. Marathons don't need a warm up - the first few miles are doing that anyway, and any energy expended before the start is energy wasted.

    5k and 10k races need warming up for.

    The more interesting question is the half-marathon.

    I've never been one to warm up for a half - other than to amble round in half-hearted jog simply to ease the nerves and to stop getting too stiff with anxiety.

    However, for the Henley Half I was very late due to the huge traffic jam. I had to jog, and then run, and then run quite hard to get to the start on time. I was nicely warm at the start which was simply a continuation of my run. I did a PB even though I had a very nasty stitch during the last three miles.
  • I always do a 25-30 min warmup starting from about 50 mins - 1hr before the race. This starts out at a slow shuffle and imperceptibly picks up, but is slow enough not to waste energy, just gets the blood flowing to the muscles and a chance to check out the course in XC. Might be a bit shorter for longer races such as 10M where I might just do 10-15 mins. After this I'd change into racing shoes, take any extra layers off etc, do a little bit of stretching, just staying active enough that I don't cool right down again. Then about 10 mins before the start, I do a few strides at slightly quicker than race pace over a long stretch (100m+) to get my body used to something around the pace I'll start at. If warming up properly for your race tires you out, you're not fit enough!
  • I reckon it takes me up to 2 miles before my body realises I am not going to stop, so I think it would make sense for me to warm up for this distance. Not before a full marathon just yet though!
  • Best 10k I ever did was at the end of a triathlon. It felt really slow but was over 1m quicker. My Polar SDM showed the distance was right as well.

    So I go with warming up before racing is quicker.

    Jiff
  • Well, I'm racing this weekend for the club, then I'm in the Telford 10k on the 17th Dec, so lets see what happens and I'll report back to the thread ;-)


    Pug
  • Have read all messages with great interest, as I have a tendency not to warm up before a race to conserve my energy, but as i then have to use the race to warm up, and i'm not that quick i find everyone has disappeared from me by the time I get warmed up enough to run at a decent speed. Have a cross country coming up in two weeks so for the first time am going to give a decent warm up a go. Cant hurt to try can it?
  • Generally a warm-up will help performance.

    Composition of it is more interesting.

    15-20 mins should normally be enough to get body fully up to speed, but does depend on event, for an 800/1500 you need to be ready to go from the gun.

    Unless you're a reasonable standard runner (say sub 50 for 10k, not sure how accurate this is), then more than 20 minutes warm up would probably take a toll on your race performance. For runners of HC's standard you can do 20-30 minutes at an easy pace and it can barely affect the body, for slower runners it does have more of an effect.

    Does anyone else here do drills? I always get lots of queer looks when after doing normally about ten minutes of slow running (yes I don't follow my own advice!), then starting drills before strides. I just like to do drills as it gives you a set routine so regardless of nerves you can just do your "thing" and think it activates the full range of muscular motion.
  • I used not to do it. I would just stretch. Then one day I was almost late for a 10K in Regents Park and had to run fast from Baker Street tube to the race start, getting there just in time. Compared to the stressful sprint to the start, the race seemed quite relaxing and it turn out to be the best 10K I'd ever done. I got a PB, despite not really trying for a goal time.
  • Stevie  GStevie G ✭✭✭✭
    misread that for a second Bryn...thought you said sub 50 for a 10MILER was "reasonable standard"...phew!

    i'm going to test this idea at a race next year sometime in a bid to unlock whatever potential i might have.

    despite getting fitter over the last year and a half and setting pbs for 5k, 5m and 1/2m, I haven't been within a min and half of my 10k pb of 38;27!
    granted the 3 attempts have been on either really hot days of when i've felt off colour!
    However that 10k pb I remember hitting it hard from the start which was a little downhill and hanging in there for the later uphills.
    Maybe a warmup will remove that ugly early race feel!
  • This is very interesting thread. I tend to follow much of what has been said on here for 5 and 10K, spending about 20 mins doing a mixture of steady running, leg raises, stretching and bursts at race pace and that has worked fine but think I will increase the amount of steady running in response to what has been posted, starting this weekend with a half marathon where normally I do all of the above but in lesser qty's.
  • NeverTooLate, for your half this weekend I wouldn't do more than about 10-15 mins steady running max as you won't want to go off as quick as track races or 5k/10k on the road.

    Bryn, yes I do drills before the start of races, not always for XC/road as I find I need to do less dynamic stuff directly before the start of those races, though even then I'll sometimes do one or two drills before striding out.
  • I have read through all the posts with some interest.
    As a triathlon and running coach I can offer my advice which may help.
    Generally I get my athletes to run at least a mile before doing dynamic stretches and then running drills before each training session. For recovery runs you don't really need to do this as the first part of the run should be nice and steady but for harder more intense running sessions or races you should definitely do this. As a triathlete it is true that you can run almost as fast off the bike as you can on the flat. My fastest 10K off the bike was 32 minutes (the swim section was very short - which used to kill me), and my normal 10K times have been around a similar time depending upon whether conditions and the course. Personally before a race I like to spend a fair while gently warming up and then dynamics and drills. Going for an earlier run is very beneficial too as this helps warm the muscles up, sets the heart rate into a lower rhythm and produces lactate buffers into the blood stream. You do need to do some hard efforts of say 20 seconds during this run. Doing an earlier run also has the benifits of losening the bowels which always feels good.
  • Ralph, how do you manage transitions? Back in Oct I did my first duathlon 10 mile XC run + 16 mile XC mountain bike circuit. I warmed up/stretched before hand and all was fine until the bike secton when I suffered cramps in the inner thighs. I tried to stretch this out but in the end had to ride through it. You can't really be expected to stretch out in the transition so is there a warmup technique that could help?
  • I wonder if this is why I run better later in the day - whole body been on the move and functioning better. I did a training 10k last Saturday morning and struggled, then a 5m with serious hills one afternoon during the week and felt great. I also notice that after about the first 10mins it all gets easier, so perhaps I should aim for 10 min warm up. I'm training for 10m in Feb and 1/2 marathon in May. Need to up distance without dropping speed (8.30/m). Currently do about 5m x 3 per week. Any suggestions for a plan? bearing in mind I'm over 50 and comparative beginner.
  • Interesting topic. I'm really bad at warming up before a race even though I know it takes me about 2mile before I'm running comfortably and up to speed. I have an annual 10km on 17th dec, so this year I will go out with the intention of doing at least 15mins of warm up and put the theory to the test - will I achieve a PB for this course! I'll let you know!

    Scriptor, I know how you feel - I run rubbish in the mornings and much prefer late afternoon/evening training. If it were me, I would make one of the runs you do slower and longer. That will increase your endurance. The general rule of thumb is to increase distance at a rate of 10% per week. At the same time use one of your other sessions as a speed/interval run so maybe shorter but faster. You'll find fairly rapid improvements overall.
  • Re: The last 2 comments.

    I used to teach a 10am Step Aerobics class then took on some private clients at 8.30am. From then on my 10am class was seen as 'harder' by the participants. I think it's just a 'being up and at em' thing...
  • To answer you question about the cramps in your abductors Craig, this is actually quite common in Duathlons and I have had this quite a bit. It comes down to nutrition and if you get this right you don't get the cramps. There is a technique to help your legs recover for the run off the bike but if you are having the problem before you get on the bike then its not the warming up which is a problem it is definitely the nutrition leading up to the race.
  • Left Foot...

    May be the warm-up, just as likely to be the course. Apparently they have now changed it, but when I last ran it (Feb this year) Regent's Park was a VERY fast course, I cruised 33:16 without even feeling like I was running that fast and going through a lot of backmarkers on the last lap which slowed me down a lot.

    StevieG- Sub 50 for 10 miles, yep I think we can all agree that's a reasonable standard :P

    HC- I definitely find it's needed more for track and road. XC it's so undulating and so forgiving that if you're a little heavier on your feet than usual for the first km or two it doesn't really matter!
  • Well, I'm resting today and rcing tomorrow, 5 miler in our local borders league... so I'll do around 3-4 mile of warm ups and see how I go. However, once again, the wind may be putting a serious doubt on quick times...so it could just be a position thing ;-)

    I'll post how I did and felt tomorrow ;-)

    Pug
  • Ralph - the cramp happened in the inner thigh so the adductor not the abductor... and a couple of miles into the bike section when I started to climb. Nice to know it probably wasn't my warm up but I am curious about nutrition on the lead up to the race and exercises to help, will look into it. I did plenty of 'mini' duathons in my training phase, 6 miles XC then 14 on the bike but I had slack transitions. Never had the cramps during training so just put it down to a quick transition or electrolytes on the day. Thanks.
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