Tips for getting a better start with runs (warm-ups, etc.)?

[KeithTalent]

Hello friends. So I'm trying to really focus more on running again and getting my speed back up to an acceptable level. I've been running consistently for years, but some times I am more focused on it than others and right now I am trying to at least get close to the level I was at a couple of years ago.

Anyway, when I am running now, I feel I am just getting stronger as I go along, so my late laps are faster than my early laps and I want to try and even things out a bit. For example, I ran 10K this morning and these are my lap times:

1. 5:29
2. 5:13
3. 5:27
4. 5:35
5. 5:27
6. 5:17
7. 5:03
8. 5:00
9. 4:45
10. 4:57

As you can see my late laps are much faster (laps 3 and 4 are kind of outliers due to a couple of large hills). My goal is to get my 10K back under 50 minutes (I don't think I'll ever get back to sub-45 unfortunately) and I think I need help in figuring out the best warm-up routines, or any sort of tips/tricks to get those early laps close to on par with the later ones.

Thanks in advance for the help! 🙂

KT

 

[RagingBITCH]

Keith - warming up can be as simple as running 2-3 miles before your race, whether virtual or an actual 10K. Virtually everyone benefits from getting warm-up miles before trackwork, tempo, or racing.

It gets your heartrate up, blood pumping through your body, and your feet used to the fast turnover.

I don't know what kind of a plan you are on now, your weekly mileage, how many days a week you are running. All that has an impact on what (as a coach) that I'd recommend for you to run to warmup. Some people need a 2 mile progressive run before a 10K/half marathon to feel comfortable. Some people just need a 1/2 mile shakeout with 100m strides. It's all about experimenting to find what enables you to hit your times better.

Without knowing any additional background, I'd recommend a 2 mile progressive, starting out at a nice casual pace and gradually increasing every 1/4 of a mile. If you're not running 8+ miles yet, that might be a stretch to have a 2 mile warmup. (Again, not knowing what you do now on a weekly basis, day over day)

 

[KeithTalent]

Thanks RB.

My first goal is a half-marathon I'm signed up for in the middle of February, but I can't imagine I will be getting close to 13 miles prior to that.

I don't really plan on doing marathons, they seem far too long, I really like the half-marathon length, it feels just perfect to me. I will likely do some 10K runs with friends as well (nobody I know runs anything longer than a 10K).

So if I am consistently training for half-marathons (currently I am around three 10K runs per week, but will likely ramp that distance up a bit in the coming months), I should be doing around a 2 mile run prior to doing anything?
That sounds excessive to me, but of course I've never really tried doing something like that, I usually just do a brisk walk beforehand. Do you not run the risk of burning through you energy too early?

Thanks again for the help. :thumbsup:

KT

 

[neocpp]

Thanks RB.

My first goal is a half-marathon I'm signed up for in the middle of February, but I can't imagine I will be getting close to 13 miles prior to that.

I don't really plan on doing marathons, they seem far too long, I really like the half-marathon length, it feels just perfect to me. I will likely do some 10K runs with friends as well (nobody I know runs anything longer than a 10K).

So if I am consistently training for half-marathons (currently I am around three 10K runs per week, but will likely ramp that distance up a bit in the coming months), I should be doing around a 2 mile run prior to doing anything?
That sounds excessive to me, but of course I've never really tried doing something like that, I usually just do a brisk walk beforehand. Do you not run the risk of burning through you energy too early?

Thanks again for the help. :thumbsup:

KT

Based on your split times I'm inclined to agree with Raging in that you should warm up with a long (2 mile) progression. You don't need to always do a warmup -- although I tend to do so before anything "fast", including intervals or a tempo -- but it might help when you want to race. Like Raging said, you should experiment with the amount to get something that works for you, but the fact that you're getting faster after about 6k into the run gives you any idea of what to start with.

One thing that I like to do before intervals in particular is a "calibration lap" before each set. It seems like you're running these all in a row, so I don't know if this will help you, but if you really want to stay on pace before a set do a single lap at the pace you're looking for. So for example with a 3x1mile interval workout at 6 min/mile, I would do one lap (400m) in 90 before the first mile just to feel about how fast I want to go. I don't do this for tempos for some reason, but maybe before your workout you could try to do a single lap at your goal pace.

Although a long warm up (2 mi) sounds excessive, I personally find I need it in order to do well at the longer races. My best 2 mile time is from a race that kept getting delayed, so by the time it started I had already run ~4 miles (!) in "warm up". Needless to say after that I increased the amount of warm up I did before a race from a lap to around 2 miles. At 8k my best race likewise is from a 3 mile warmup (I had to run down to the start since I didn't have a working vehicle...).

 

[KeithTalent]

Based on your split times I'm inclined to agree with Raging in that you should warm up with a long (2 mile) progression. You don't need to always do a warmup -- although I tend to do so before anything "fast", including intervals or a tempo -- but it might help when you want to race. Like Raging said, you should experiment with the amount to get something that works for you, but the fact that you're getting faster after about 6k into the run gives you any idea of what to start with.

One thing that I like to do before intervals in particular is a "calibration lap" before each set. It seems like you're running these all in a row, so I don't know if this will help you, but if you really want to stay on pace before a set do a single lap at the pace you're looking for. So for example with a 3x1mile interval workout at 6 min/mile, I would do one lap (400m) in 90 before the first mile just to feel about how fast I want to go. I don't do this for tempos for some reason, but maybe before your workout you could try to do a single lap at your goal pace.

Although a long warm up (2 mi) sounds excessive, I personally find I need it in order to do well at the longer races. My best 2 mile time is from a race that kept getting delayed, so by the time it started I had already run ~4 miles (!) in "warm up". Needless to say after that I increased the amount of warm up I did before a race from a lap to around 2 miles. At 8k my best race likewise is from a 3 mile warmup (I had to run down to the start since I didn't have a working vehicle...).

Thanks very much for this. Both of you.

I gave it a bit of a shot yesterday (did about a half-mile warm-up) and it seemed to work as I only had two laps over 5:00 (both at 5:10) and the rest of my laps were under 4:55 with a 4:40 peak lap.

Going to keep working with these parameters and see how it goes. Not sure I'll be able to get much faster, but it should at least help me with consistency.

Thanks again!

KT

 

[alkemyst]

I haven't used them, but there are a few phone/iPod apps that simulate you being chased by various things for motivation. My running friends talk about them.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Thanks very much for this. Both of you.

I gave it a bit of a shot yesterday (did about a half-mile warm-up) and it seemed to work as I only had two laps over 5:00 (both at 5:10) and the rest of my laps were under 4:55 with a 4:40 peak lap.

Going to keep working with these parameters and see how it goes. Not sure I'll be able to get much faster, but it should at least help me with consistency.

Thanks again!

KT

Glad it helped 🙂 PM me what you are doing from a day over day, week over week perspective. Let me see if I can help tweak it a little bit 🙂

 

[marmasatt]

You need to stop playing so much TF2/L4D2 and actually stretch out a bit...............😀

j/k

In all seriousness, I jump rope pretty frequently and I really like the way it warms me up for various activities (running, soccer, hoops, etc)...

 

[KeithTalent]

Glad it helped 🙂 PM me what you are doing from a day over day, week over week perspective. Let me see if I can help tweak it a little bit 🙂

Whoa, missed the subcription for these posts. Thanks! Will do. My legs have been getting kind of tired and sore the next day, so I've been looking at additional stretching exercises/yoga I can do to up the elasticity in my muscles.

You need to stop playing so much TF2/L4D2 and actually stretch out a bit...............😀

j/k

In all seriousness, I jump rope pretty frequently and I really like the way it warms me up for various activities (running, soccer, hoops, etc)...

:awe: I've actually been crazy with work, so not much game time unfortunately. 🙁

I've been doing the gym for cross-training and I'm hoping hoops will start up soon, just need it to warm up a bit here. I am awful at jumping rope! So uncoordinated.

KT

 

[Nebor]

I haven't used them, but there are a few phone/iPod apps that simulate you being chased by various things for motivation. My running friends talk about them.

Wouldn't work for you though, you'd stop and fight rather than run. Then you'd have to add another street fight to your total.

 

[Stuxnet]

I always just start at full-bore. I don't like warming up. Once in a blue moon I might stretch, but when I head out, It's an 8:30 minute mile from start to finish. I do warm down over 2:30 minutes, though.

 

[neocpp]

I always just start at full-bore. I don't like warming up. Once in a blue moon I might stretch, but when I head out, It's an 8:30 minute mile from start to finish. I do warm down over 2:30 minutes, though.

Do you do this for your faster runs as well? For the longer distance workouts my pace doesn't change very much; I'll probably go from 7:35 to 7:20 over a 16 miler. But if I'm only doing a 4 mile tempo I'll probably do a few at 7:35 and then do the actual workout at a much faster pace -- if I tried to just start off without the warmup my legs tend to feel like crap, even though I don't end up going much slower.