This article is contributed by Good Friend of Team FatBird, Ultraman, an experienced Marathoner n Ultramarathoner who is a member of MR25 and SGRunners Forum.
Warming up
Warming up is essential. Not warming up properly is probably the biggest single cause of runner's injuries. It's not rocket science – when cold, tight muscles are pitched into an intense workout, they cannot be expected to perform at high level. Moreover, if they are pushed into it, something's going to give. In spite of such obvious logic, relatively few runners warm up diligently before every run.
Of course, with distance running, not warming up isn't going to be as potentially dangerous as it is for sprinting, as you can start off very slowly and work up your pace gradually.
However, warming up isn't only about injury prevention. Warming up prepares a runner physically and mentally for task ahead, thus a warmed up runner will be able to give their best from the moment they hit the course.
Typically 2 types of warming up:
Pulse warming is the basis of any good warm up, and consists of light jogging that slowly increases in speed, on the spot running or star jumps, anything to get the pulse rate up, hence the name.
Dynamic stretching is a series of slow, deliberate movements designed to increase your mobility and loosen you up so that your muscles are ready when you start working hard.
Warming up and pre race stretching will be much more important for a sprinter than for a distance runner – they have no time to ease into what they will be doing, as explosive, efficient muscles contractions will be required from the gun. It's a rule of thumb that the shorter your distance, the more attention you need to pay to preparation.
Cooling down
Also known as "warming down", this is probably the most neglected aspect of any sort of training routine, not least running. While failing to cool down properly after intense activity is unlikely to cause you permanent damage, it can cause considerable discomfort both straight away and in a few hours, and it can have an effect on your next run.
Cooling down consists of getting your system back to normal in a gentle fashion, and doing some static stretching.
Essentially, cooling down is warming up in reverse, and the main purpose is to reduce your heart rate and breathing after the intense levels they reached during exercise. The best way for a distance runner to do this is also the simplest – tail off and slow to a gentle jog for about 10 minutes and then reduce that to a decreasingly brisk walk for another 5 minutes.
As your cardiovascular system normalizes, you will stop producing large amounts of adrenaline, which will assist lowering your heart rate. Slowing down your circulation will also keep blood moving through your veins and prevent it from collecting in the extremities, which can cause dizziness. Your breathing will slow as the need for extra oxygen in your bloodstream progressively drops.
The tapering off will also get rid of any unused lactate in the muscles in a very controlled fashion. If you just stop dead, any extra lactate produced in anticipation of great effort will stay in the muscles where it will become lactic acid and cause stiffness. Cooling down gradually reduces the amount of lactate produced, and at the same time ensures the pulse rate is sufficient to pump away any waste products that might have remained in the muscle tissue had you simply stopped short.
Massage
One of the greatest ways to round off a hard run or a tough training session after you have cooled down and stretched is with a deep tissue massage (sometimes called a sports massage).
A massage will knead away any lingering waste products in your muscles, speeding up the healing time of any muscles and soft tissue injuries you might have incurred during your run. Regular massage will also reduce tightness and improve flexibility and the joint's range of motion.
During a deep tissue massage, the pressure will be stronger than for a regular massage but it shouldn't be agony. Everyone will respond differently, so tell the therapist if you are experiencing any pain.
Stretching
If you run 1st thing in the morning, make sure your warm up routine includes plenty of stretching, as during the night, your body's soft tissue (muscles and tendons) can contract by 10% compared to its usual relaxed lengths, that's why people instinctively stretch as they get out of bed.
The older you are, the more your muscles will lose natural elasticity, and thus pre-run dynamic stretching becomes increasingly important.
A dynamic stretching is a mobility stretching and should be performed as the second stage of your warm up route. It involves moving your joints in gently increasing movements to loosen connective tissue and wake the muscles up.
A dynamic stretching routine will involve:
(1) Neck
(2) Shoulders
(3) Trunk
(4) Hips
(5) Knees
(6) Ankles
Static stretching is another form of stretching that does not involve repetitive movement; this is usually carried out after you run. You assume static positions then push gently to extend the muscles to its limit for:
(1) Feet and ankles
(2) Achilles tendon
(3) Calves
(4) Quadriceps
(5) Hamstrings
(6) Groin
(7) Lliotibial band
(8) Hips and glutes
(9) Lower back
More than providing immediate benefits, over time static stretching will loosen your muscles to leave them much better equipped to handle the impact involved in road run.
"No pain no gain" is total nonsense. The whole reason we have pain is to tell us something is not right; it is crucial to recognize this when doing any kind of stretching.
Stretching dos and don'ts:
Don't:
(1) Never stretch a cold muscle, make sure you have performed a pulse warming routine before you start.
(2) Stretches should not hurt. You should experience some mild discomfort as the muscle is pulled, but if that becomes painful, stop immediately as you are stretching too far.
(3) Don't hold your breath while stretching. Breathe slowly and evenly for maximum relaxation.
(4) Don't stretch any muscle that has recently strained or sprained, until you are 100% sure it has recovered.
Dos:
(1) Increase the mobility as you progress with the stretch.
(2) Stay in control of the movement and your balance.
(3) Make sure you are wearing clothes that will allow you to move and stretch freely.
(4) Create your own stretching routine as you decide what is best for you and the type of running you are doing
(5) Incorporate the time to stretch into your running schedule, so that it does not seem like an extra. This way it will stand less chance of being skimped on if you are short of time.
View Related Articles:
- Marathon Training Tip #1: Getting Started
- Marathon Training Tip #2: Running Gear
- Marathon Training Program - Week 6
- Marathon Training Program - Week 7
- Marathon Training Session #5
- Marathon Training Session #6
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