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Warming Up – Cooling Down

Warming up and cooling down are critical in decreasing incidents of injuries, preparing the body to launch into action, aiding recovery and reducing soreness for the workouts to come. It is also best when tailored to you!

Generally, the shorter the race or the faster the workout means the longer and more thorough your warm-up should be. And the longer the race, the less warming up is necessary. Stretching, as we know through research, does not decrease injuries per se. However, they can be integral to improving range of motion which can increase stride length which is one way we get faster. Over stretching has also been shown to reduce power output of the muscle (think like an old overstretched rubber band); not a good thing.

• Do not stretch cold muscles.
• Run easily for a minimum of half-mile to two miles. For the more novice runner, warm-ups are still important. The adjustment is to reduce paces and distances of the warm-up routine. Alternating walking, fast walking and jogging.
• Do some EASY stretches. Remember, do static stretches and never stretch to the point of discomfort or pain. Never do unusual/different stretches the day of a race.
• Run a bit faster and add in pick-ups of varied paces and distances. For instance, run 50-400 meters in very fast to 5k pace to your goal race pace for the day.
• Perform skipping and form drills, and add in a few stadium stair repeats.

Workouts
If you are doing a quality workout, be sure to start with slightly easier repetitions then move on to the faster ones.
If you are going on a longer run or just an easier run, you generally should not need to do much warming up. Just start out slowly and then gradually get into your pace. Do not be afraid to stop along the way to stretch out some tight spots. Do not become obsessed with “not stopping”. Sometimes it is the pause that refreshes and makes all the difference in your workout.
Develop a pattern in your warm-ups that you will adopt on race day. Predictability is a key ingredient to racing well.

Most of the remaining comments are for more experienced runners and racers.

Racing
Under 5K: These distances require the most thorough warm-up. There is no time during the race to “get into pace”. You will need to hit it hard from the start. If you’re waiting until you’re warmed up to get into pace, the race will be over.

5K to 10K: If you are at a race, use the same warm-up you use in training. Do not vary routines. The shorter the distance, the longer your warm-up should be. For a 5K, I suggest running at least 2 miles in warm-up and strongly prefer to run the 5K course as the warm-up. This also gives you a competitive advantage by knowing the course.

Half-marathon: This distance is highly variable. The faster you intend racing it, the better the warm-up is needed. I suggest about a mile of running with pick-ups along the way as described above. If you are trying to finish this distance, as opposed to racing for a time, warm-ups are minimal! You’ll have 13 miles to “warm-up”.

Marathon: Unless you are running a very fast marathon (subjectively I would say well under 3:00) you do not need to warm-up very extensively at all. Jog around a bit. Do a few easy stretches. Stop. Conserving your energy is more important. This race is plenty long enough to “get in the groove” as you go along without impacting your race plans.

Cooling Down
Cooling down should include light jogging (or walking in the case of a marathon) and some light stretching. Remember, stretches will stay with your muscles longer now that they are fully warmed up from your workout. Take advantage of this time to stretch if you like. Perform static stretching only. Do not feel you have to stretch. Know your body and keep in mind your injury history.

When in doubt how to warm-up or cool-down – ask! Don’t avoid this vital training element to injury prevention and better performance!