Warming Up: It's Not Just for Winter

It's January.

This is the time of year when two things happen:

1. Many people need to learn how to warm up because they are just starting a running program as a New Year’s resolution
2. Nobody really minds warming up, because it’s winter and cold out!

But, of course, warmups are necessary year-round.

The Purpose of a Warmup

A good warmup should consist of moving your body to increase your heart rate and respiratory rate and prepares your body for the upcoming activity. A great warmup would consist of moving the actual parts of your body that you are about to exercise. Read on for an enlightening experience I had that taught me how to warm up.

An Example

During the week I usually run at work, during lunchtime. That time works best for me for multiple reasons, and we are fortunate enough to have showers at work, which makes it acceptable to my co-workers. I am also fortunate enough to have an office that adjoins a county park with a 2.6-mile paved running trail as well as wooded trails. Sometimes on “easy run” days, I’ll take an easy run for about a mile and a half to a pull-up bar in the park. I’ll do a few sets of pull-ups and pushups and then finish my easy run around the park and back to the office. The thing is, I noticed that the “easy run” was more difficult after the calisthenics than before. What’s up with that? I’m not an exercise physiologist, but I am a self-proclaimed “perpetual student of all things running.” Here’s my theory.

What's Up With That?

My experience at the pullup bar demonstrates first-hand how working a muscle sends more blood supply to that muscle. It makes sense – muscle activity requires oxygen, and it’s the blood that brings oxygen. Have you ever worked out any muscle and felt that “pumped” feeling? That pumped feeling is, among other things, the extra blood sent to your working muscles. However, a person has a finite supply of blood in their  body. So, if there’s “extra” blood pumping up your arm and back muscles after some pullups and pushups, there must be less blood somewhere else! Therefore, if working out other body parts makes running harder, working out your “running body parts” should make running easier. Of course, “harder” and easier” are relative terms.

A Warmup Should Be Specific

Back to the warmup itself. You want a light workout of the muscles you use during running in order to get those muscles prepped for the run. What’s the best way to do that? Running! Of course, your running warmup needs to be “easier” running than your running workout is going to be. Based on your pace, maybe that means walking to warm up.  I like to warm up on a continuum, starting really easy and then ramping up to the running workout. And my preferred warmup has changed over time. As I’ve mentioned, I read and study and evaluate new things and if they work, I start using them regularly.

My Warmup 

I start my warmup with the “starting stance” from The Sling Method (feel free to go look it up. Tell Paul I sent you.) Then to add some more activity, I stand on one foot doing an exaggerated “running motion” with the leg that’s off the ground”. That means, knee high up in front, cycles through with the foot rubbing the ground on the way back, full follow-through kick. I repeat 20-30 times and then repeat on the other leg. Then I start off my run with 1 to 1.5 miles of very easy running. For reference, my mindless easy pace is about 9:15/mile, and I start off at about 10:00-10:30 per mile. If I am going to be doing speedwork that day, I will add some 0.05 mile stride intervals during the last mile of warmup: 0.05 mile fast, 0.05 mile easy, repeat.

 Now Go Do It

That’s it. A good warmup doesn’t need to be complicated. But it does need to precede your workout! Every time. Even if the weather is warm.

New Year, New You

It’s the single-digits of January, a time when many people vow to change their lives. For runners, it’s the time to set new annual mileage goals, plan to crush some PRs, or sign up for that first marathon. Whether you’re a brand-new runner or a veteran, there are a few steps you should take to get the most out of your New Year’s Resolution.

First & foremost, stop talking about – or even thinking about – the negatives. You’ll make more progress by turning around those self-deprecating thoughts into self-affirming words. For example, unless you’re a professional or competitive runner, your speed/pace doesn’t matter. No one cares about it except you. Stop telling everyone how slow you are. Everyone is slower than someone, and everyone is faster than someone else. If you’re up and moving, as the cliché goes, “you’re faster than those sitting on the couch.” If that statement itself doesn’t make you proud that you’re moving, and you truly want to be faster, then start working on getting faster!

If you’ve decided that this new year is finally the time you will become a runner, congratulations! Your negative thoughts might be telling you how hard it’s going to be, but I’m here to tell you that it will never be easier. If you’re just getting up off the couch, that’s an accomplishment! You have nowhere to go but up.

If you’ve already been running for a while, maybe this new year is your promise to yourself to improve. Remember that there are many aspects to improvement: farther, faster, longer, stronger, etc. There are also many paths on which to find that improvement: run intervals, run hills, run longer distances. There are also hidden paths that can help you get to your goals. Improve your diet, hydrate better, lose weight, strengthen your body, get more sleep; all of these are indirect ways that you can improve your running.

Regardless of your running experience, there a few things to remember that are critical to your success. Do your research. Take the advice of experts. Test and verify. Be Consistent.

Do Your Research

We are lucky to live in the information age where real scientific data is available at our fingertips. Too many people make the mistake of asking friends (real or virtual) for running advice. That practice is like rolling the dice. Your friends, whether in real life or on Facebook, are not necessarily running experts just because they run. Even if they run a lot. One thing about science is that it is, by nature, always changing. Hypotheses are tested and new discoveries are made. I see a lot of running lore passed on that is not necessarily the latest and best information. Which leads to the next section…

Take the Advice of Experts

Friends will try to help you by telling you what works for them. Sometimes they say it very authoritatively and you believe it. However, what has worked wonders for one person isn’t necessarily the best thing for another. It’s likely to really be a good thing, but even so it might not be the place where you’ll see the most improvement at this time. Talk to a coach. Visit running-science web sites or Facebook groups. These people are experienced with dealing with multiple runners, not just a data set of one. They can help you set realistic goals instead of just telling you what you want to hear. They likely study the latest science and know how to evaluate you to suggest what you should do next. But you should always…

Test and Verify

Pick one thing at a time to change, dedicate yourself to it, give it some time, and don’t give up. If you change more than one thing at a time, you won’t know which one worked and which didn’t. Invest in a running watch that gives you lots of data. Learn how to evaluate that data. Keep good records. Be dedicated for at least six weeks. Compare the new you to the old you. If you’re better now than you were before, keep doing that new thing, and add another new thing. If you’re not improving, drop it and move on to the next new thing.

Be Consistent

Finally, be consistent. Keep doing the things that make you better. Stop doing the things that are holding you back. If something doesn’t give you value, consider dropping it to make time for something that does. Keep learning. Keep verifying. Keep improving.

Happy New Year!