weather sucks 😆 In a couple of hours I ‘m going to a local small race (44th edition tho!!) and it’s raining a lot.
This week the most noticiable feat is that I managed to be consistent with my plank challenge, so I comfortably established over 2’. A couple of long (2h.) walks and two easy run sessions. Now race day!
Even on weeks like this I’m greatful I can run, enjoy running with others.
Right now I’m just doing 8km runs trying to keep a cardio base, but I signed up for a marathon 6 months from now so training for that officially begins in January.
Yesterday I ran a local 10 mile race that I have been participating in every fall since 2018 (except 2020). 5 years ago I was running at about 90 minutes, but I’ve been getting quicker every year. This time I managed to beat 70 minutes with a 6:58/mile pace. I had hoped to keep every mile under 7:00, but I couldn’t do it. No complaints, though. At my age (upper forties), I’m thrilled to be able to get out and continue to improve at all. Having now finished my last considerable race of the season, now is the time of year where I try to review, slow down, add some easy miles, and let my body heal from a ton of spring and summer training.
I run almost every day, I also just tread easily for a minute until my legs remember what they’re supposed to be doing and then slip into my normal pace.
I have tried warm up and warm down routines and have never noticed a difference, while I’ve noticed a huge difference adjusting my breathing, posture or pace while running, so I just don’t bother with warm-ups or stretches anymore, although if you’re looking for flexibility, I’m sure it would help to stretch after you run.
while I’ve noticed a huge difference adjusting my breathing, posture or pace while running
Like something you do in place of a warm up? or rather by comparison to a warm up?
I think, based on just layperson random reading, cool downs are not generally hugely important except that stopping abruptly can cause locking up (more uncomfortable than dangerous). Warmups however do seem to be implicated in injury prevention, I think it’s a combination of gentle clearing out debris between the white slidey crap (fascia? no good with the terminology, just function) and the muscles + vasodilation/general circulation meaning they have a good supply of oxygen and don’t do anaerobic work too early and tire out.
If you’re not launching into flat out intensity it’s probs not that serious though.
I mean that as techniques that affect running, breathing techniques, pacing techniques, and posture will affect my running experience far more than any stretches, warm-up or cooldown will.
I’m an old man, and do 5k a few times a week for context. Started doing a battery of dynamic stretches a few months back and I really love it. Gets me warm and adequately stretched, and I haven’t pulled anything since I started this instead of traditional stretching. Check out www.runnersworld.com/…/dynamic-warmup-stretches/
Not a lot really, I’ll roll my shoulders and arms for like a minute as I’m leaving the house to loosen up my shoulders but as another commenter said I have played around with more intense warm ups and post run stretches and for me I find it does nothing but waste my time really.
If I run a marathon then I will stretch my legs out a bit after whilst do a bit of a post run cool down walk which I do find helps me be a bit less sore the next day.
It is worth noting though that I do also kickbox and when training for that I will do plenty of stretches to loosen up as well as aid my flexibility. I will also foam roll when particular muscles are feeling tight but I don’t have a regular routine for that. All of that must play into it but specifically before / after running I do practically nothing.
I active walk the first hundreds of meters (letting the GPS time to warm up) and run easy the first km. At the end, easy last km. That’s it.
Science shows that static stretching before is counter productive. Static stretching at the end depends on you: it can be productive or counter productive. If you feel the need, you can do it, bit if not, nothing wrong to not do it.
A couple things that have really helped me lately are prone ups/Cobra (like a push up but you stay in contact with the floor from the waist down) and another stretch where you lay flat on your back and throw one leg over. Both were recommended by the PT to help stretch my lower back and they, along with some strengthening exercises, have made a big difference for me in keeping my lower back from aching toward the end of runs.
I don’t do a lot to warm up, but for recovery I can’t stress enough how helpful foam rolling and downward dog (the single best calf stretch) have been for me. Early on in my running I was getting shin splints and leg pain, and these two things made a world of difference.
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