Over the last 7 week marathon build – and the last 4 weeks of my running recently I’ve stuck to a pretty similar set of warm up routines, fuelling, dependant on the type of run I’ve been doing and the outcome for the runs that I’m looking for. Time / patience / comfort all play into how we warm up and below is what hit the sweetspot for me, in terms of getting me feeling physically and mentally ready to run. On occasions I’ll add other things in, but on the whole below are the stalwarts that are ever present. The harder session the more attention / time I’ll spend getting myself ready to do the work – which seems sensible. I use a combination of mobilisation (both me moving & assisted), nutrition, breath to get my physiology & mentality right.
All easy runs: Walking for 2-3 mins before the run, starting the first 1-2km slowly, easily, quick soft feet until I’ve got myself into the run. All of this breathing nasally, which then carries on for the remainder of the run. Wake the body up slowly and let it feel it’s way into the run
Speed / tempo sessions: Anything that is at lactate threshold pace or below.
- Hip capsule mobilisations x5 on both sides. This really helps get my hips open, stretch out the glutes, give some pre-movement to the joints before I move them. The hip I’m working on, I lock the leg into place by fixing the opposite knee behind the ankle/tibia and then posterior / anterior tilt my pelvis, focussing on feeling the glute med expand and lengthen on each anterior tilt, avoiding over extending my back to cheat the pelvic tilt.
- 5 x step downs on wedges. This a great one for balance & hips again. I’ll get a step out, set up wedges under 1st/5th metatersals & heel, then with my left foot on the wedges reach my right foot out behind me to gently touch down on the floor behind, forcing a hip hike on the left and a drop on the right. Kicks in the muscles on the left to support. 5 of these on the left then swap feet and move to the right.
- 3 x bow and arrows. I’ll sit on a chair, which keeps my pelvis still (or on the floor), have both my hands straight out in front of me and then draw my right hand straight back, as if drawing a bow string back. Making sure my right elbow is going straight back. This leading me to rotate my thoracic spine and ribcage, helped by sitting so my pelvis is locked into place. Then repeated on the other side.
- Occasionally I’ll roll my thoracic spine out on a peanut (2 lacrosse balls together). This usually hurts, but feels really good once done. I’ll lie down, ball under my spine. Breathe in as I raise up on the ball, hold breath for a count of 4 as I move my spine around on the ball, then lower for a count of 4. Move the ball slightly up or down and repeat 3-4 times
- Eat a Marks & Spencers chocolate flapjack. 60g of carbs pre run, and doesn’t sit heavy on my stomach
- Use the Theragun pre-run routine for 6 mins. I find that this really helps in loosening up my muscles, shaking off any tightness or making me aware of any soreness / DOMS that I should take into account.
- First 10m run easy breathing nasally
- Next 5 mins split with 2.5 mins holding my breath for 5 steps, then 3 rounds of breath before holding again. Then 2.5mins of above, but for 10 step holds. This begins to raise my heart rate, increase the oxygenation in the muscles, increase the temperature of my body as CO2 builds.
- Short walk then 5 x breath hold accelerations. Here I exhale & hold my breath, then walk, jog, run, stride progressively until air hunger is uncomfortable. ON stopping I take 5 short, sharp rounds of breath nasally – to extend the hold. Wait 30 secs and repeat. This a great way to amp my body up post stage 8 above and always makes the first rep feel so much easier than the others
- Have a caffeine gel pre starting the actual work in the session.
All Longer runs (marathon pace to steady pace)
The same first six stages as on tempo / speed runs above, but not the breath holds / 5 x breath accells on the run as I find these too aggressive and unnecessary for a longer run at slower paces. What can happen is set off too hot on a marathon paced section, finding it too easy which only serves to cause me problems later on into the run. What I usually aim for is 20mins nasal breathing, easy and controlled before I get to the point where the work starts. This warms up my diaphragm, muscles and helps my body get into a good place to begin the session itself. I’ll have a gel pre the work, but whether caffeine / non caffeine depends on the time I’m running for and how this fits into the work out as a whole.
