Posts

What Constitutes a Proper Warm Up for a Race? (with Video)

2 Comments/in , /by

A while back, I talked about the importance of a warm up before running a race.

But what exactly constitutes a proper warm up? Because at a lot of races I see people that think they are doing the right things to get themselves ready for the race, when that actually is not the case at all.

A Proper Warm Up Should…

  • Increase Your Heart Rate. If you’re going to want to run hard from the start of the race, no matter the distance, having your heart already thumping is a good thing. You’ll place less strain on your ticker if you bring your heart rate up a little bit before the race starts.
  • Loosen Your Muscles/Tendons. Cold muscles don’t work as well as warm ones. That’s just a fact. Cold muscles don’t produce as much force (so you won’t be able to run as fast) and are more likely to strain/tear (increased risk of injury) than warm muscles.
  • Move Your Joints Through a Full Range of Motion. The harder you’re going to run, the more motion you’re going to need in your hips, knees, and ankles.

The Most Common Mistake

If I had a dollar from every person I’ve seen before a race performing static stretches on their muscles, I wouldn’t be a millionaire but I’d definitely have a lot more cushion in my bank account.

Y’all, don’t hold your stretches before a race/hard workout!

This will actually decrease your performance, by decreasing the amount of elasticity in your muscles.

If you hold those stretches before a race, you’re decreasing the amount of force those muscles are able to exert (in the short term) which is going to result in you not be able to run as fast.

Yes, stretching is important. Just save it for after the race.

What are Your Thoughts on Warming Up Before a Race? Do You Have a Routine that You Follow? Share it Below!

Best Stretches for Runners

0 Comments/in , /by

Most runners know they should stretch after a run, but what exactly are the best stretches for runners?

In this video, I’ll talk about why stretching is important and demonstrate what stretches are best for runners.

And here’s a hint, these stretches have been around forever and they are definitely some of the most beneficial stretches for runners.

So after your next run, make sure you add these stretches to your cool down routine!

Best Stretches for Runners

Get a free PDF guide to remind you how to properly perform the stretches talked about in this video.

Powered by ConvertKit

How Often Do You Stretch?

Many Runners Want to Know the Truth About Stretching

2 Comments/in /by

There is so much conflicting information when it comes to the truth about stretching for athletes, especially for runners.

Some experts swear that stretching prevents injuries, while just as many say that stretching has nothing to do with injury prevention. Some runners include stretching as a vital piece of the warm up, and some only stretch after their runs. Some believe in static stretching, while others only hold each stretch for a few seconds.

Who’s right?

The truth about stretching is that there are no cut and dry answers to anything related to stretching. Stretching has been studied time and time again, and ultimately there have been very few (if any) black and white conclusions that have been drawn, especially in regards to injury prevention.

Here is the Truth About Stretching

Stretching HAS NOT been shown to reduce injuries. That said, maintaining adequate flexibility by stretching regularly does allow your joints to operate within their full range of motion which can put less stress/strain on your muscles and tendons. Excess strain on the muscles and tendons can cause irritations (such as tendinitis, bursitis, and any other itis), so it could be seen as logical that regular stretching CAN reduce the risk of injury over time, yet it is far from conclusive.

Stretch Armstrong, Truth about stretching

Stretch Armstrong

It has long been believed that effective stretching requires holding your stretch for 15-30 seconds (or more). Going hand and hand with the static stretching theory is the assumption that bouncing while stretching is a sure fire way to pull or tear a muscle, which is an even worse injury than any itis you were trying to prevent in the first place. So what’s the truth? Static stretching is a fine way of increasing your range of motion, but should only be done as part of a cool down. Dynamic stretching is also a great way to improve ROM, and is fine to do before or after your run, but make sure your muscles are warm before you begin. The key is to hold each stretch for 2-6 seconds before releasing it. As long as your muscles are already warm, and you’re not reaching too far, dynamic stretching is safe AND effective.

My Take on Stretching

In my experience, both me personally and with the runners I’ve worked with, regular stretching is a good thing when done correctly. I almost always wait until after the run/race to do my stretching, but will occasionally do a minimal amount of dynamic stretching after my warm up but before the race.

Gumby, Truth about stretching

Everyone Loves Gumby

 

My preferred method of stretching, however, is to pop in a yoga DVD on days that I’m not running as part of a recovery day. I don’t do this as often as I’d like to, but whenever I do I feel better and my next run is usually better as well.

What do you do when it comes to stretching? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments, pro or con, when it comes to stretching.

And if you’d like to hear me expound a little bit on the virtues of stretching and elaborate a little more about what I talked about here in this post, just press play on the player below.

Nothing Like That Plantar Fasciitis!

13 Comments/in /by

As I near taper time for my upcoming marathon, I’m starting to notice a lot more aches and pains than I remember having a few months ago. While I’m pretty sure that most are just phantom pains or fatigue issues that the taper will solve, I do have some soreness on the bottom of my foot.

You veteran runners know where I’m going with this, the dreaded plantar fascia is barking at me again. Read more