The Value of a Good Warm Up

Q: Proper Warmup for a 5K Race: What is the proper way to warm-up for a 5k (3.1 miles) race? The group of runners I'm concerned about are a high school cross country team. They seem to warm up very early and then for about twenty to thirty minutes before the race they sit and relax and maybe do some light stretching. When they get to the starting line they'll do a few runouts of about 50 to 80 yards and then they're off to the races. 

I noticed that no other team warmed up this way, they were all doing a lot of jogging in the fifteen minutes before the race started and then quite a bit of quick leg work the three or four minutes prior to the start of the race. What are the conditions you're trying to set up in your body in pre-race warm-ups? Is it just warm muscles or are you also trying to get your heart and breathing going?

A: Keeping in mind that energy and oxygen availability are two of the most important requirements for quality racing performances, then:

        1. assuming that runners have had a 36 to 42 hour period of tapering and eating normal amounts of carbohydrates in order to restore their glycogen supplies, running out of energy in a 5k race is not a concern.

        2. knowing that starting a race cold can lead to severe lactic acid buildup, running out of oxygen is a big concern.

Therefore, being as warmed up as possible right at the very start of the race is highly important.  In fact, runners should have their heart and respiratory rates well above resting levels when the gun goes off in order to minimize the amount of oxygen debt that will be incurred in the initial race for good position.

My recommendation for a warm up routine is the following:

                A. 45:00 before the start, go for a 20:00 slow jog. (Remember that one has enough glycogen energy in the muscles and liver to run hard for 10-13 miles before "hitting" the wall.)

                B. 25:00 before the start, take 15:00 to do all of your "housekeeping chores" like changing into racing flats or spikes, going to the Porto Potty, stretching, pinning on your number, taking off or at least unzipping your sweats etc.

                C. 10:00 before the start, report to the starting line and begin a series of 50-75 yard strides with a jog back recovery.  Keep doing these so you can re-warm your muscles and elevate your HR and breathing.

                D. Once ordered on to the starting line, keep your heart and respiratory rates up by jogging in place, hopping from one foot to the other and/or bouncing up and down. In short, do NOT let yourself cool down by just standing still while some long winded official takes several minutes to explain the procedure for the start and how you will be re-called if someone falls down in the first 100 yards, reminds you to tuck in your shirts, to take off your jewelry etc., etc.

When the gun goes off, you want your blood circulating as much O2 as possible as fast as possible in order to replace immediately what is used by those first contractions of your mighty sprint muscles. By having your engine's rpms revved as high as possible when you start, you minimize the time it takes your cardiac and respiratory systems to respond. Why wait for the 'second wind' when you can experience the 'first wind' in your warmup?

In short, the shorter the race, the more critical this procedure is for a successful effort. Basically, for a 5k, you can never warm up too much.

If you ever arrive late for a race and don't have time for all of the above, spend as much time as possible doing C. and D.  Those are the most important parts of an emergency warmup. Don't waste time stretching. Run!

     Hope this helps,
     --Coach Benson