W4 done ✅ Advive please!

Does anyone have any advice on pre-run stretches? I’ve just completed W4.. running great, breathing well but I find the first run on any session is an absolute mission! My legs feel like they belong to the tin man.. once I get that out the way I’m great! 🏃🏻‍♀️ I’ve tried longer warm up walks but it’s still the same. Is this normal? Any advice/tips would be great..thanks ☺️

[HoagyM Graduate]

My understanding is that stretching is best done afterwards (when muscles are warm) rather than before.

Only thing I do (and am at exactly the same stage as you) is throw in a pre-walk to get warmed up, before the 5-minute brisk walk that each session begins with. Typically my pre-walk starts slow and builds up to the "brisk walk" speed. And it all depends how I feel that morning - sometimes it can be a 10-minute pre-walk if I think I need it to sort of "get in the mood"... other times, like this morning, I just wanted to get on with it, so it was only a couple of minutes.

If it's your legs that feel like they need warming up, that approach might do it for you as well?

[Hidden in reply to HoagyM]

Yeah I do a longer warm up walk as I thought it may be that.. maybe I need longer! Will give it a go.. thanks ☺️

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

It is all covered in the guide to the plan healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

[Hidden in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Thanks!

[Hidden]

I had a few problems at the beginning so looked into stretching. Most advise against cold stretches and suggest dynamic stretching before a run instead. I usually do some walking lunges, high knees and kick-bums (I'm sure there's a proper term). Then if I have my music on already then I'll have a little twist and boogie. Must look like a complete loonie in the garden before I set off, but whatever works. All in I only do around 5 mins of messing around. If I miss it the first run is murder. As you rightly say, it's much easier on warm muscles. After my run ì also started stretching. For this I found a good website and pretty much follow that to the letter. See nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/...

I didn't think I'd be able to continue until I started adding stretches as I was picking up minor injuries, but debilitating all the same.

Whatever you do, good luck going forward.

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thank you for the advice.. I have been adding a little extra warm up but will try your moves too.. I’ve started stretching properly after runs so hopefully it will all help. Thanks again 😊

[Hidden]

P.S. My other half and I just finished W4 today too, so really hope the stretching keeps working, for all our sakes! Bring on W5...