Run warm up

[javo123j]

I've always kept to around 5 or 6 minute walk before I run since I started C25K in February but I've always found the first 2k hard going. After that it's like a switch happens and the runs become comfortable. My resting BPM is 50 but it can get to 180 during the beginning but soon drops after the 2k. I will have to try a longer warm up and see if it helps.

[nowster Graduate10]

I always keep to 5 minutes of warm up walk, except for races.

And what you're experiencing is the Toxic Ten, which I usually get regardless of whether I've done a warm up walk or not.

You're also one of the quicker runners here with an impressively low HR for that speed. 👍

[javo123j Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

Thanks. I've heard of the toxic 10 but I thought as I got fitter it would go.

[nowster Graduate10 in reply to javo123j]

Nope. Sometimes it's more obvious than other times.

It's all a matter of your body and metabolism gradually waking up to the increase in effort. A brisk walk helps but doesn't completely eliminate it.

There's a similar 10-15 minute period of ramping down at the end of exercise too.

[ForbiddenPlanet Graduate10]

Excellent splits and even better HR. Wow!

Personally, I run about the same distance as you, and I've switched from a warmup walk to a light jog for 0.5 km. (Same for warm down). Sometimes this can be slower than my fast walking pace, but I can never get my heart rate up into the warmup zone by walking whereas a light jog gets it in there.

The first km or so of my run I still regard as warmup, and is usually the slowest part of my run. I wait for the muscle memory to kick in and my steady pace to appear. Sometimes this happens in the first km, sometimes a little later.

If I were you I might consider a warmup jog instead of a walk?

I'm a bit younger (64) but my resting HR and max HR are about the same as yours.

[javo123j Graduate10 in reply to ForbiddenPlanet]

Thanks. I am going to try a longer run but with a much longer warm up to see if there is any difference