Race day Warmups for a Miler

[AntSizeRunner]

I need help with my warmups before my track meets. For home meets I usually have an hour before I run. When should I start warming up and what should I do? I am clueless and becuase of my poor warmups I run horribly
Thanks in advance for the advice

[Slinke]

if your meets are setup whereever you are the same as they are in st. louis, then start during the 4x8. i usually run around the infield, race takes about 10 minutes to finish, so its a good warmup. i usually have about 15 minutes before the mile.

[izzm]

I'd start warming up a little about 15 mins before the race. Jog very easily and stay relaxed, and do a few very easy and relaxed strides. Before that, I'd stay off of my feet.

[DCtrack]

I would do 10 minutes of light jogging, followed by dynamic flexibility and form drills. Then you can jog 5 minutes or so, do strides, and relax for the last few minutes before your race. Do more if it is cold. Do less if it is hot and you are sweating profusely.

[Lagrange2miler]

For different people, it varies, myself, i start stretching and warming up 1hr. b4 the mile. I like to take my time wit my streches and stuff, and have time incase something happens, ya never know. I do a 1 mile warm up slowly very slowly, then do some streches for all of my muscles and then get one of my friends to do some two man streches that relax the muscles, then i do my aerobic warm-ups(high knees, kareoke, um ya know that stuff that gets ur heart beating) and after that a couple of strides then stay loose for the race ya know. This usually does a good job for me, i always pray when im streching and at the starting line, and after the race.

[RunforFun]

Here's a flawless method for you. At the start of the meet, do your little 2 lap jog with your team. Do all of your stretching then, your whole routine. At this point, you should have 50 minutes or so until you race. Go sit down in some shade for 35 minutes, drink some water and do whatever bathroom you gotta do. Then go jog two laps to get your body ready to run and start slowly doing some last stretches on whatever muscles feel tight, while putting on your singlet and racers. do at least 4-6 striders, not hard but fast. striders are extremely important. you need to be used to running fast before that gun goes off. stop striding at least 2 minutes or so before the race and get yourself calm and siked

then go crazy my friend.

[yeahtrack123]

din addition to some of the stuff people said, about 15-20 min before the race i would do drills, such as butt kicks, a skips, b skips, spme hurdle stuff, etc.

This always keeps my legs fesh

then about 2-3 minutes before the race i'd just shake out a little bit and do some striders by feel

[s2h5k]

if you sit around for 35 minutes, you have totally wasted your warmup. most people dont warmup nearly enough at all. before a mile race, i will jog for 3 miles, stretch for a couple minutes, do some light drills, then run 4-6 100m strides before chilling the last 10 minutes before the race. the key to a good warmup is getting warm and staying warm.

[runnin_fool_87]

ok it says this thread is for the mile, but i think its kinda pointless to make a whole 'nother thread for the 2 mile. what do you think works for an awesome warmup to that? thanks in advance

[izzm]

I am typically against stretching before a run, and I only advocate it after the run, though I realize I'm probably in the minority here. I have read studies that stretching before a workout can lead to greater risk of injury, even when properly warmed up. I have also read studies that suggest that stretching before a workout can decrease performance. From personal experience, stretching before a workout always led me and my runners to subpar efforts. Either my or their times would suffer, or I could see it in their strides that they were tighter than normal.

[DCtrack]

I agree. I have read similar studies and have used anecdotal evidence. Dynamic before, static after.

[Dillerho]

Your warmup shouldnt change very much at all from event to event

[AntSizeRunner]

I am typically against stretching before a run, and I only advocate it after the run, though I realize I'm probably in the minority here. I have read studies that stretching before a workout can lead to greater risk of injury, even when properly warmed up. I have also read studies that suggest that stretching before a workout can decrease performance. From personal experience, stretching before a workout always led me and my runners to subpar efforts. Either my or their times would suffer, or I could see it in their strides that they were tighter than normal.

If you arent supposed to stretch before you race, wont you be tight? Then wont you be more at risk for pulling a muscle? When I dont stretch before my legs are wicked tight and I cant run that well.

[izzm]

Actually if you do a proper warmup and some strides and a few drills, you will be less tight if you don't stretch.

If you feel tight if you don't stretch, you are not doing a proper warmup.

[izzm]

I'm going to try to explain as simple as I can what happens when you warmup and stretch.

If you do a warmup, you are essentially working your muscles very very light. This gets the blood flow to them. In this state they are very pliable. If you race, since your muscles are very pliable, you feel loose.

If you stretch you are stretching your muscles making them less pliable. That is to say stretching some of the "pliability" out of them. You should essentially feel tighter.

If you then race after you stretch, your muscles are not as pliable as they can be. That is to say they are in a greater risk of injury if you go out and make your muscles contract like crazy.

If you don't stretch prior to your race, and instead do a very good warmup, your muscles are in their most pliable state. That is to say they are less prone to get an injury resulting from a pull or tear from the muscle itself being "tight."

[DCtrack]

If you are tight when you start running it is b/c you haven't streched well enough after your runs...

[cnick]

I don't really change my warmup routine for different races and workouts. This is what I normally do:


Half mile jog slowly
Full stretch
2 mile jog
Drills, strides, more stretching....anything to stay loose


Sometimes I'll add things like using hot packs to warm up my hamstrings or calves and some extra stretching from our trainers (I realize this may not be available to all high schoolers but have a teammate help stretch you out).

[MonWoodrunner]

15 min jog
stretch out
another mile of jogging
drills a, b, butt kicks...
Strides
relax for a couple of minutes (put on spikes and uni)
one more stride than head to the line



as to the studies on static stretching, they've been going back and forth for years.... so i say do whatever you think works

[Lagrange2miler]

Make Sure You Use The Bathroom, Plz, And Eat Drink Like Some Water 30 Mins. B4 The Race Not Alot Just Like A Half Of Gatorade Cup Thingy....

[Ash Ketchum]

If you are tight when you start running it is b/c you haven't streched well enough after your runs...

EXACTLY

I do a 10-15 minute warm-up nice and easy
Come back and do leg swings (2 sets of 20 on each leg)
Continuous motion (skipping, karoake, side skip, high knee, etc.)
Striders

I find that warm-up very helpful for me and it usually works very well

I also like to not sit down before the mile and to keep walking to say loose

[Beanfontaine]

mile warm up - should take you up to 10min today.. start off nice and easy jog than every lap pick up so last lap is a brisk jog.

5min stretch of anything that maybe tight

drills, stride outs than do another 5 min jog wutever...works for me.