warm up for 5k run

[nitehawq21]

Hi all,

I have been interested in doing some 5k runs for fun, but of course I'd like to run at my full potential. What is the best way to warm up before a run...such as what intensity should i warm up at? or how long before the race? Any suggestions would be great.

[g_samsa]

Different people have different ideas of what a warm up is. Basically, the idea is that you want to be warm and loose. You want to be able to go directly into the race without any speeding up or adjusting. In other words, it's like a NASCAR race. Ideally you would be crossing the starting line at near full speed and the gun would start for you. That isn't possible, so the next best thing is to do your warm up right up to the start of the race.

This is what I do: Run a half mile slow and easy, stretch for 10 minutes, then I run another half mile at 75% race pace. With any luck I get back to the start line a few minutes before the start and I get to go already ready to go full speed. That's the idea at least. Usually I end up waiting in the rain for a half hour for the stupid guy to find the blanks for the starting gun.

[BobbyCondo]

Thanks for the warm up info. I have always been curious about this. I agree that everyone is different and should find out what works best for themselves.

I personally find that I don't need to run as much prior to a race as you suggest. Rather, five to ten minutes of stretching seems to suffice (again, this is for me). Also, I don't pretend to compete for a finishing place in the these races, I simply try to outdo my previous performances.

The most important aspect for me is to have fun and maintain my fitness level.