Hey everyone,
I'm about to do my first 10k race in a week and half and was hoping to get some tips on what to do as a warmup. I've done 5k and half marathons before, and for both I usually just do a quick jog for 5 minutes or so and that's it (not ideal I know...).
If it matters at all, my plan for the 10k is to do the first 2 miles at 8:30, which is my goal pace for my fall HM. After that, if I'm feeling good, I figure I'll speed up to 8:15 or so. If not (it's too hot or whatever), then I'm fine targeting an 8:30 pace for the whole race.
Thanks for any tips!
PRs:
5k - 22:53 (May 2015)
10k - 50:00 (unofficial; part of 20k race, March 2015); 50:33 (official; July 2016)
HM - 1:48:40 (Apr. 2015)
Since the question is specific to you, I would say that come race day, do what you are comfortable doing, which is what you have been doing.
Now, if you happen to have some time between now and then to experiment, you could try to extend your warmup by five minutes or so and add a couple of strides (short bursts of speed for 20 to 40 seconds).
I guess the first thing to ask is how do you feel during your events with your current warmup? Any stiffness or tightness going on, or are you ready to bolt from the gun?
Caretaker/Overlook Hotel
There is nothing wrong with a 5 minute jog. I've done everything from sprints, strides, jogs, yogs and everything in between. (Including dynamic stretching *ONLY*). I actually think that a 5 minute jog is pretty good.
Ideally, I would do a 5 minute jog followed by about a 1 minute tempo or stride (not sprint) and then walk my ass over to the starting line.
Randy
Are we there, yet?
Is 5 minutes on a daily run enough to get you to where you're ready to settle into your pace for the rest of your run or enough that you'd be ready to run speed work? If not, then you should be warming up more. More typically it takes a runner 10-20 minutes of easy running and maybe some gradually accelerating strides to be warmed up and ready for a hard effort like a 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.
I do very nearly the same warm up for a 10K that I do for a 5K.
Short term goal: 17:59 5K
Mid term goal: 2:54:59 marathon
Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life. (I started running at age 45).
Hmm, I will definitely try the strides, thanks. LRB, I find that I sometimes (but not always) negative-split on the miles in a 5k race without meaning to, so that makes me think that maybe the 5-minute jog isn't getting me ready enough. I wouldn't say I feel tightness at the start though; it's more like I feel fairly good at the start but really lock in as I go on.
wcrunner2, I usually do a one-mile jog as a warmup for speedwork. I don't think I've ever tried doing less, so I'm not sure if I would do worse if I did less. I see the analogy though; it makes sense that if I'm doing a slow mile for speedwork I should strongly consider doing the same for a race!
I have to ask, reddrum, what's a "yog"? Haven't seen that term before.
Thanks all!
I find that I sometimes (but not always) negative-split on the miles in a 5k race without meaning to, so that makes me think that maybe the 5-minute jog isn't getting me ready enough.
I went from a haphazard warmup of 400 to 800 meters my first couple of newbie years, to a 2 to 3 mile detail oriented warmup this year and my race times have been sick.
You can also gauge how you are feeling on any given race day morning during your warmup, and adjust that days goals accordingly. For instance, during my warmup for my last 1 mile race, I felt fabulous. There was no stiffness, my legs were lively and I just felt good. I decided to shoot for the moon and I totally rocked it.
Other times, you get to run that lethargic feeling we sometimes get pre-race out of your system and end up with a better, more complete performance as a result.
I can agree with Rick, though I think I'd top out at 2 miles for a warmup. I think 3 miles would be a little much for me. (Though I've seen people run point to point 5k's backward, then forward.). (Shrug)
I have to ask, reddrum, what's a "yog"? Haven't seen that term before. Thanks all!
Yogging is a very technical term.........it is the moonwalk but in reverse, allowing for a fraction of 1 mph going forward as the moonwalk is typically performed backward. Don't ever confuse it with jogging or yawning. Those are 2 totally separate events.
That was one of the greatest nights in television of my life, I saw it live.
Haha, maybe yogging is my perfect warmup!