Forums >Racing>Someone tell me how to warm up for a 5k.
I know that I need to warm up properly before a 5k but mostly I just flounder around jogging a mile or two, half-heartedly doing some strides, feeling just like I used to feel before a test, like what's the point of cramming stuff in now let's just get started. I need someone to give me some solid advice, just tell me what to do. A plan that will give me something solid to hold onto so come race morning I am confident and don't have to think about it, I just do the thing I need to do. I just ran a 5k this morning and I'm thinking that, in addition to other stuff, this warming up (or lack thereof) is really holding me back. What do you all do and/or what do you all recommend?
Warm-up doesn't have to be anything more special than what you do before a training run. An aprox. 10 minute slow jog or walk is fine. Just enough to warm-up the muscles, and your mind. Stretching before a race may or may not be beneficial. In some people, it increases the probability of injury. Tweak and personalize. Good luck.
MoBramExam
http://www.scienceofrunning.com/2009/09/warm-up.html
20-30 minutes of easy running starting really easy and working up to something approaching marathon effort for the last 3-4 minutes. Then 3-4 strides with full recoveries.
Runners run
I like that. How soon do you finish all of this before the gun goes off?
Thanks mobramexam, that gives me something to think about.
MTA: deleted nonsensical stuff
How soon do you finish all of this before the gun goes off?
That's always tricky unless it's a really small race. Ideally you want to finish the warmup run 15 minutes before the gun and do the 3-4 strides in the last 10 minutes before the gun, with full recoveries in between. Like standing on the staring line do a stride, jog back to where you started, stand around for a couple of minutes, do another, etc. But if it's a really big race and the start is chaotic, better to finish the warmup a little earlier just so you're not stressed.
I like to do about 10-15 minutes of very easy running. A few strides at 5K pace and that's it.
Also, when the race logistics allow, I sometimes run the course for the warmup. It's about the right distance, and you get a sneak preview.
Dave
what Mikey said, but for 5k I'll only do 15 min (2 mi) in most cases.
i think conventional wisdom is to warm up with as little latency as possible to race start with somewhere around 45 min being as far out as youd still benefit. dont know if there is any science to that.
like a test, I totally agree that stress mgt is more important than anything!
A plan that will give me something solid to hold onto so come race morning I am confident and don't have to think about it, I just do the thing I need to do.
If that's what you're looking for, then there are things more important than what the exact warm up should be. Everyone is going to have a slightly different warm up. I do what mikey says, but I don't do the marathon pace stuff and I stick some stretching in there. My point is that it's not exactly what you do but why you do. Like lag said, it's good stress management.
Important thing 1: Routine, routine, routine. So yeah, you need a routine for your warm up on race day, but there's more to it than that. Don't just do this on race day. Your warm up should be routine when you do workouts too. That's right, it should be practiced. Treat your workouts similar to race day. Figure out what works for you and do it...and do it...and do it.
Important thing 2: Mental preparation. You've got the right thoughts that it's something you can hold onto, but don't focus on how you feel physically. You can run a bad race when you feel great during the warm up, or you can run a great race after feeling terrible in the warm up. Let the warm up take you away to wherever you need to go mentally: race plan, thoughts or music to get you pumped up, thoughts or music to get you relaxed, or (again) whatever works for you. Again, practicing the warm up routine will help you disconnect from how you do or should feel on race (or workout) day with what you need to do.
I've probably got more, but it's Saturday night, and I need some beer.
There was a point in my life when I ran. Now, I just run.
We are always running for the thrill of it
Always pushing up the hill, searching for the thrill of it
SMART Approach
My routine.
20-30 min before race I do 10 - 15 min jog with the last 2 min at 5K effort. A few striders are fine right before the gun. It is usually closer to 10 min or even 8 min if it is warmer outside. 12-15 min if colder. Some people may need more. With the 2 min thing, I think it is important to tease the body or call it priming on what is soon ahead (5K effort). This short but sweet 2 min burst gets heart/CV system primed for what is ahead and maximizing energy system utilization early in race. 2 min is magic number. I got this info from great coach Tom Schwartz/Tinnam some years back. Also, I do this 2 min thing (tempo-5K effort) the day before the race (old friend to the site (NOBBY) encouraged this also as a primer for a race within 24 hours.
Run Coach. Recovery Coach. Founder of SMART Approach Training, Coaching & Recovery
Structured Marathon Adaptive Recovery Training
Safe Muscle Activation Recovery Technique
www.smartapproachtraining.com
Thank you. I really appreciate all of the responses. It's helpful for me to see the commonalities and details to get a big picture view. And abe_mend, that's fantastic. You are really getting to the root of the thing. Being relatively new to doing actual workouts, I sort of flounder around there too, esp with warm-ups before intervals. Routine and mental preparation. Totally been missing this part of it. I like that a lot.
ultramarathon/triathlete
I used to never warm up before races.
Then I started reading/being told I needed to so I would run easy for 10 or 15 minutes before the race and do some strides at the end. Personally, I don't think I've ever noticed a difference in performance.
Now for the 5k my warm up might consist of running to the start line (there are a lot near me that are around a mile or less from my apartment) and then the real warm up starts when the gun goes off and I run too hard for the first mile, harder for the second while trying not to barf and reminding myself why I hate the 5k and wondering why I race so many of them without ever really remembering that I hate the distance, and then trying to hold onto that pace for the last mile with a solid sprint to the finish and hopefully doing ok in the field.
HTFU? Why not!
USATF Coach
Empire Tri Club CoachGatorade Endurance Team
The only problem with this is that you're running so much slower that you get the feeling that every piece of the course is SO FAR AWAY.
Are we there, yet?
Note that this warm up is the same whether you are running a 5K, 10K, or even longer. The strides might be slightly faster with a warm up for a mile race and the length of the warm up somewhat shorter for a marathon, but otherwise you can use the same warm up routine for any race.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.