Should we warm up before we do our warmup?

[Hatman]

Should we warm up before we do our warmup? This is a long one.

MuddledGardener started a post about the difficulties of breathing in the first ten minutes of running, toxic ten, was this just new runners? Hope you don’t mind MG, but I passed it on to the 10k forum, the big girls and boys playground. I’ll try to give a summarised answer from the great pool of knowledge and ability up there, with my thoughts too.

Many years ago, I took a job that required me to use a portable computer the size of a couple of hardback books for data entry. This is pre tablet device. The demonstrator lifted the lid, fingers flashed over keys, then this, then that. Happy? I thought so, Yes. I was left to get on with it.

When I thought she’d be home I phoned to ask where the on switch was!

My point here is; we rush off to run, foot position, arms do this, head does that, proceed at this speed, cover this distance, midfoot strike and all the rest. Knees ache, gasp for breath. Can’t do this,

Sort out the on switch first. We rely on oxygen and blood flow to circulate energy round inside us. If we can’t breathe in fast enough. Then we stop. In an aching heap.

Not just our knees and feet are involved in running. We haven’t used our breathing in anger for a long time and perhaps we should start using our lungs better now?

New runners breathe too shallow and don’t draw in enough oxygen.

A large number say that within two years you too can happily be running 10K and hardly noticing any initial discomfort. Just like them.

Ten minutes discomfort in a twenty minute run is half of it. By the time you run for 60 minutes, that ten is a smaller proportion, almost irrelevant as you enjoy the really good fifty minutes.

Practise using your lungs, they get stronger, you cope better with exertion!

Don’t miss out on warming up properly!

That’s where I fail. My brisk walk should be brisker to get things going really fast inside. Heart, blood circulation. There’s a quote of a 22 minute 5K runner warming up by running multiple 100 metres first! Warming up! So his heart is at fuIl tilt before he starts his run. I would need to really warm up just to do the 100 metres, never mind the 5 K too.

That is the problem. We didn’t warm up enough for the one, one and a half and three minute runs. We got into bad warmup habits, then had problems when it came to the twenty minute runs. Felt horrible for half the time and didn’t do enough ‘good’ running to make up for that.

It is not too late to concentrate on warming up properly, getting heart rate up and blood surging before we start to run. Then going really slowly for the first section, speeding up only as your muscles warm up and relax.

I shall be spending longer actively warming up. Not just a walk. Deep breathing before I set off, there are 10 stones steps nearby. Up and down them several times. Then I will switch on Laura and start my five minute brisk march.

So I will try that today I said. Belly breathing first! Normally we just flutter our ribs to breathe. Those of us lucky enough to have a belly, can lie on our backs and push out our tums as far as they will go. Belt, elastic etc. should be slid down for comfort here. We have breathed in deeply. Touch your spine with your navel now and empty the lungs. Now belly out to the count of five, hold it for five then swift out, touching navel to spine, for a count of three. And again. This should fill the lungs and blood vessels with loads of oxygen. It’s the opposite of a mindfulness exercise for relaxation.

Try this twenty times, keeping count by closing a finger to your palm at each out breath, both hands twice. Then off and up and down those steps. Get dressed properly, find keys and a final wee most likely lost any benefit I gained from that. Better next time? Up and down the steps and off for my “walk” with intent, switching Laura on.

Up the hill I think I am having toxic ten now, rather than when I run. Over the crest and it’s an onshore wind again. Open mouth and collect oxygen, little breathing required as I start my slow run. Switch on Strava. At 8 minutes Laura goes quiet. Does running out of credit affect a podcast? Never mind. No sounds. Naked running I think it’s called. I can do Laura’s 1234,1234. Keep that up most of the way round. At least it’s dry. Today’s score is almost four bus stops. Stop Strava at the end of the road. 3km In 30 minutes. Not earth shattering, but I am happy with that. Did the extra breathing and stepping help? I possibly had a little struggle in my “walk”, but the “ run” was painless. Is that success? I’ll try a few more times before I decide, but I will definitely make sure “warmup” is a major part of my run.

Whether you put more effort into your warmup is your choice of course. Judging from the opinions of the elite amongst us. DebJogsOn, K8nno, Telford_mike, damienair, Jell6, Bluebirdrunner,Abaggs, knittingrunner, backintime & Jaybrass73 to name but a few, who all say similar. Thank you folks for taking the time to write.

Warm up properly, start running at a slower pace and build up slowly. Still struggling? Then slow down a bit! It gets easier as you get more used to exercising your lungs. Enjoy your running, it does get better still.

[backintime Graduate]

Thanks for the great summary.

One error, I am so far from elite !

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

You make some very important points that are particularly relevant if you are heading out to beat your pb.............get the toxic ten out of the way before you start the clock. However, if we told all newcomers to C25K that they need to do a vigorous ten minute warmup before they start to run, then I suspect many fewer would follow the plan. The number of times we get asked whether it is really necessary to do even a five minute warmup walk, suggests that a lot of people feel pressured for time and would not want to increase the overall duration of their workout session and many might be too exhausted to complete that extra duration.

You only have to watch the experienced runners at parkrun doing extended warmup routines to see that most of them believe that it makes a difference, not just to performance but to reducing injury risk also. This makes absolute sense as there is no, or little, toxic ten effect to overcome........ blood vessels are dilated, joints lubricated and muscles warmed up and responsive, as well as the brain sending the correct signals about demands to be expected........so maximum effort can follow with minimum responsive lag.

I always do a five minute brisk walk warm up, occasionally, especially in cold weather, do some extra dynamic stretches such as lunges, but, unless I am attempting a pb, I don't add anything else for a routine 5 or 10k run.

For anyone not clear about "toxic ten" this will help healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Thanks for your post.