For any running addict, performing a good warm-up before running is key to being able to continue adding kilometers avoiding discomfort and injuries, however it is frequently forgotten by both novice and experienced athletes. We are going to break down this issue, explaining why to do it, how to warm up before running and our vision of dynamic stretching before or apart from running.

Why should we warm up before running?

Warming up for athletics is the best way to avoid injuries and discomfort typical of runners such as overloads, patellar tendonitis or plantar fasciitis, which can make life miserable for the most experienced runner. It is important to keep in mind that warming up should be mandatory whether we are going to do general or specific training. However, it must be borne in mind that having a good technique is just as vital to running without injuries, no matter how much you execute your warm-up table before running perfectly, poor technique will very often lead to injuries.

What is general warming?

The definition of the general warm-up is a set of muscle and joint exercises, ordered gradually in order to prepare the body for better physical performance and avoid any type of muscle contraction or physical injury.

The sports warm-up usually consists of a set of exercises that produce an increase in body temperature, especially the exercises that will be affected during sports practice.

What is specific heating?

The specific warm-up is defined as the one that is always done after the general warm-up and consists of exercises focused on the activity that we are going to carry out. The objective is to prepare the body for the preparation of a specific activity and deals with preparing certain parts of the body in a timely manner.

For example, whether we want to warm up before running or warm up to play soccer, we must focus on the technical gesture that we are going to perform, whether it is the run itself or kicking the ball.

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How to execute it: phases of the general warm-up

These exercises for general warm-up must always be carried out no matter what training we do. We shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes to do all the parts of the general warm-up that we propose.

1. Gentle jogging as a general activation of the organism, between 3 and 5 minutes.
2. General joint mobility warm-up in which we warm up the different body segments. It is usually done in an ascending order (ankles, knees, hips, and shoulders) or vice versa.
3. Dynamic displacements with which we mobilize different muscle groups, are key to warming up before running, the most common are lateral running, crossing legs, raising the heels, raising the knees… but there are many.
4. Stretching There is a lot of controversy about whether stretching fits into the general warm-up or at another time away from training, but we consider it appropriate to comment on it. It is important not to get into pain or make sudden movements to maximize the benefits and avoid injuries.

How to do it: specific athletics warm-up

There is a warm-up for each discipline that we can practice, although in many cases they are similar. A general soccer warm-up should not be very different from a running warm-up since the base is the lower body in both cases.

Within athletics, there are different types of training that require different general and specific warm-ups. For example, in the event that the training is a running at a constant pace, the general and specific warm-up coincide. It is important not to forget that we are not training yet and to control the intensity of the warm-up.

In the event that we are going to train by intervals or similar, the warm-up exercises before running become different as the demand changes. In this case we are interested in a warm-up in which we are doing short series increasing the intensity to raise the lactate peaks little by little. The upper body also comes into play more than in continuous running, so we must add exercises to warm up before running that involve the upper body from all planes and axes that each joint has.

Finally, if we are going to do speed training, such as 100 or 200 meter dash, we recommend other warm-up exercises for speed. In this case, after the general warm-up we opted for activations and drills with exercises such as knee lifts, heel lifts, skips, cariocas or crossed displacements. Subsequently, to finish the warm-up before running, we will do some series of progressive strides in an interval of 50-100 meters in which we increase the intensity, always below maximum effort.

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How long should the track and field warm-up routine last?

There is an unwritten rule of thumb, the shorter the workout, the longer the warm-up should be. This is because the intensity increases as the distance of the race decreases. For example, in the case of a marathon, you could even warm up as you go in the race, but if you are going to do a short 4 or 5 kilometer race, when you reach your optimal point the race will already be over.

Normally for a 5k race, the warm up goes up to 45 minutes. If it is a distance of 10k, the warm-up exercises to run it usually last half an hour. In the case of a marathon, carrying out a specific resistance warm-up is sufficient and lasts around 10 minutes.

Same warm-up for running a race as for training?

The main difference is that in a race the main variable we play with is the duration of the race, while in training time is less important.

However, in the end, the warm-up exercises for running are the same: jogging, stretching, drills and strides will be present in our warm-up before running, whether for a race or for ordinary training.

Well, I’ve already warmed up and trained, now what?

In the same way that we perform a specific athletics warm-up to prepare our body for an effort, once it is over, it is just as interesting to prepare our body to calm down again. Cooling down is defined as the process after a physical effort and whose objective is to restore resting metabolic and neuromuscular values.

In contrast to the specific athletics warm-up, the cool-down is practically the same no matter what training you have done. The main objectives pursued are:

– Normalize organic functions and homeostatic balance.

– Restore the energetic sustats and overcompensate the organism.

– Restore cellular structural elements and enzymatic systems.

The cooling or cool-down is usually carried out in two phases:

– An initial phase in which the exercise continues but at a lower intensity. In the case of athletics training, you can walk or jog more and more slowly.

– A final phase in which the same warm-up exercises are performed to run static stretching of each muscle group, 2-3 times between 15 and 30 seconds long.

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conclusions

A good warm-up before running is key to progress without discomfort or injury. What’s more, if we skip this part of the training, injuries are practically guaranteed.

Never forget to do your general warm-up and the exercises that make up the specific warm-up for your discipline. The speed-specific warm-up is not the same as a track-and-field warm-up when you do a test, although the running warm-ups are the same, the execution is different.

In the event that we are going to run a test, the distance will determine the duration of the warm-up and, just as important as the warm-up, is the return to calm once we have finished training.

Not everything in life is going to be running, we must also worry about keeping our mind active between training sessions. For those who think about running 24 hours a day, we present this list of books for runners in which we can continue to dedicate ourselves to our passion while we rest from our last race.

In this ranking we touch on all the important topics that every runner wants to know: running technique, nutrition, motivation and mentality without leaving aside stories of personal improvement related to running and even novels set in the race.

From these 20 books for runners, divided into different areas, you will be able to start training as a self-taught runner, although this would only be a start, we would create a good base on which to learn.

Training and technique books

Change life. Get running Eva Ferrer Vidal- Barraquer

This book on athletics written by the doctor and specialist in sports medicine Eva Ferrer Vidal-Barraquer is a very good base for getting started in sport in general and in running in particular, although it can also be very useful for athletes already started.

It contains a lot of useful information for the practice of running from the physical and anatomical aspects, nutritional guidelines, injuries, training plans, technique and anatomy and even the differences between genders when running. Una visión holística de la materia que lo convierte en el libro para runners underlined por excelencia publicado en nuestro país.

Where to find it? En Amazon por 15,20€ en formato físico o 9,49€ en formato digital.Body

Mountain running. Practical manual Marc Bauls

Si te quedaste con el gusanillo de las carreras de montaña tras la lectura anterior, en este libro para runners de montaña, encontraremos las herramientas que nos permitirán avanzar campo a través.

Marc Mauls has a degree in CAFD and a specialist in endurance sports, and he brings his knowledge and experience in this type of event here. We can find training plans adapted to both beginners and already experienced runners and touches on other sticks such as nutrition, the use of GPS and mental training.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €17.50 in physical format.

Running Smart Hal Higdon

With a strong scientific base and forty years with his shoes on, Hal Higdon solves the most common doubts of hundreds of runners with the help of doctors and scientists.

From how to prepare for a marathon to how to choose your first shoes, going through all kinds of nutritional and technical advice, any runner will be able to take advantage of this reading.

Where to find it? En Amazon a 19,00€.

ChiRunning: A Revolutionary Way to Run Effortlessly and Injury-Free – Danny Dreyer, Katherine Dreyer.

Ultra-marathon runner Danny Dreyer has developed Chi Running, a running technique that, based on principles of Yoga, Tai Chi and Pilates, promises to minimize the risk of injury and shorten recovery time after a race.

With this program, divided into ten chapters, four “chi” skills and three development phases, we will learn to use our abdomen more efficiently in the race and thus be able to cover more kilometers safely and sustainably.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €19.83.

The Beginning Runner’s Handbook: The Proven Thirteen Week Jogging Program Ian McNeill

More than 3,000 people have completed the program for thirteen weeks with favorable results. People who were reluctant at first but the sessions in this book for beginner runners are designed to challenge you but not be painful or annoying, achieving high adherence which is key to improving as a runner.

Apart from the program itself, this book on athletics collects real testimonials, the criteria of professionals in the field of nutrition, sports medicine, training or psychology, making it one of the best training books on the market.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €15.20 in physical format.

biographical books

Run or Die Kilian Jornet

Our most international mountain runner, Kilian Jornet, breaks down his philosophy of life and shows his character through his personal diary captured in this book for runners.

Twelve editions since its publication in 2011 make this work a staple in the library of any self-respecting runner and for anyone interested in elite sport and the mentality it takes to reach the top both in sport and in sports. other fields like business.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €17.57 in physical format or €9.49 in digital format.

Don’t think, run –Juan Manuel Martínez Fernández

Chema Martínez es una referencia mundial que ha alcanzado la cima del atletismo con varios metales en los campeonatos europeos. Reveal all his secrets to become an expert runner, talking about food, the equipment he uses and various mental tricks that make it easier to last longer when forces fail.

Do not think and get this book for runners if you want to progress and exceed your limits as a runner, either in popular races or in more demanding events.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €6.60 in physical format and at €5.64 in digital format.

I don’t know where my limit is but I do know where it is not Joser Ajram

Stock market day trader and specialist in long-distance challenges, Josef Ajram teaches us how to get something positive out of failure. After the failed challenge of running seven marathons in seven days in a row, he manages to set new goals and surpass himself.

Reference among the motivating books for running in which we can extract lessons applicable to many areas of our lives.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €14.20 in physical format and €5.69 in digital format.

What I talk about when I talk about running Haruki Murakami

Written more than ten years ago but with the same relevant that when it was written, in this autobiographical book, Haruki Murakami takes an introspective journey in which he tells why he left the jazz bar he ran to dedicate himself to writing and began running at the same time.

A year later he ran the distance between Marathon and Athens and twenty-five years later with several works published around the world with great success, Murakami reflects on how his three passions: sports, music and writing influenced each other to shape his entire life. construction site.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €6.40 in physical format and €6.65 in digital format.

No Stop! Life as a challenge Emma Roca

Emma Roca es un ejemplo de cómo conciliar vida deportiva, profesional y familiar. Taking out the oppositions from the fire brigade while finishing her degree in biochemistry or proclaiming herself a world champion in raids while raising three children are some examples of this.

She draws lessons from each and every one of the tests in which she has participated, our most international ultra-distance runner gives us her philosophy of life in which life itself is a challenge.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €16.62 in physical format

Breaking Ground, My Life as an Ultra-Trail Runner Ryan Sandes

The most extreme races in the most extreme environments are the home of Ryan Sandes, who has won high-endurance events on five continents and Antarctica.

This marathon book tells how he gained confidence by getting very good results.

Tested in tests like the Gobi March in China, the Jungle Marathon in the South American jungle, or the Last Desert Race in Antarctica, summarizing their learning in the form of advice at the end of each chapter that corresponds to a test.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €17.00 in physical format and €7.59 in digital format.

Superpaco, kilometers of life Francisco Contreras

Surely a 77-year-old farmer is not the prototype of a race runner like the 101 km Proof of the Legion in Ronda. Well, this is the case of Francisco Contreras, better known as Superpaco, who is common in all these types of mountain races throughout the province of Malaga.

Dentro de esta obra encontraremos la historia de cómo Paco tras una visita al médico empezó a caminar y luego a correr, hasta terminar picado por el virus del running a su anciana edad.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €18.05 in physical format and €7.59 in digital format.

Marathon Man Bill Rodgers

If you fancy a simple marathon book in Shakespearean language, Marathon Man an entertaining account of how Bill Rodgers went from anonymous student to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated twice for winning the New York City marathon four times and Boston.

Where to find it? On Amazon at $14.74 in physical format and $16.59 in digital format.

Nutrition Books

Eating and running: dismantling the myths of runners’ diet – Julio Basulto and Juanjo Caceres

With the popularization of running, there are many myths that have been installed in the popular imagination about how runners eat. This book for runners solves the most common nutritional questions, separating habitual practices from jokes and answers common questions such as whether it is advisable to drink a lot of water in a marathon, pre-race nutrition and what to eat once the marathon is over.

Very complete reading that promotes healthy eating and that we recommend from our platform.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €9.45 in physical format and €2.84 in digital format.

Run, Eat, Live Scott Jurek

Scott Jurek has dominated ultra racing in the US. for the last twenty years, and in this book for runners he tells his story from his childhood in the Midwest to his transition into veganism that has been one of the pillars of his success.

A large number of stereotypes about extreme event runners such as Bad Water are broken in this work, very pleasant to read, with each page we advance the desire to go running increases.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €8.50 in physical format and at €13.29 in digital format

Motivational books and others

Born to Run: The Story of a Hidden Tribe, a Group of Super Athletes – Christopher McDougall

The discovery of the Tarahumara tribe, considered the best long-distance runners without preparation or equipment for this type of event, was a revolution in the running community a few years ago.

Through White Horse, a curious character who has lived among them for years, Christopher McDougall managed to condense in this running book all the secrets that make them the best long-distance runners.

Where to find it? En Amazon a 19,85€ en formato físico y 9,49€ en formato digital.

Running for perezosas Marie Poitier

If you are one of those girls who think that running is not for them, you are very wrong. This humorous charger manual will help you regain your enthusiasm for sports with a plan designed so that in twenty-eight days you will be able to run for an hour.

This book for lazy runners has a journal section so you can write down your progress, as well as plenty of tips, stretches and tricks for self-improvement.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €11.35 in physical format.

Running with the Kenyans Adharanand Finn

After watching Kenyans dominate the world’s long distance events, Adharanand Finn left England to settle in a small Kenyan village and live like local runners do.

After sleeping in their camps, waking up at the same time as them and doing the same crossings, this book on athletics explains what we can learn from them, culminating in participating with the best athletes in the world in the Kenyan marathon on the plain. surrounded by lions

Where to find it? On Amazon at €33.99 in physical format and €9.49 in digital format.

Running is living at the top of power Cristina Miter

After the success of her previous book for runners, Women who run, Cristina Miter offers us a new installment full of tips to ensure that running changes your life and becomes the basis of a healthy life.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €5.65 in physical format and €7.12 in digital format.

The Long Distance Runner Patricia Nell Warren

Para terminar este ranking recomendamos esta novela que habla del camino tortuoso de las relaciones homosexuales durante los años 70 ambientado en el mundo del atletismo culminando con la participación en las Olimpiadas de 1976 en Montreal.

Hailed as one of the best love stories written, Warren’s style tears a story whose teachings and values live on today.

Where to find it? On Amazon at €20.90 in physical format and €10.44 in digital format.

conclusions

The possibilities that we find when looking for books for runners are much broader than we might think at first. Although to become a runner you only have to put on your shoes, with these titles we will be able to create a small library that covers the basic aspects of the world of running.

The bibliography is almost infinite and we encourage our readers to leave us in the comments their opinions about the books we present or what books are missing from this collection and why.

Greetings and run!

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Doing sports on a regular basis is extremely healthy for both our body and our mental health. Going for a run, without going any further, helps improve the state of our memory.

However, in some cases runners are accused of causing certain “addictions” that can affect them. It is almost believed that some runners can be considered addicted to running which can affect your personal and professional life and is already called runnorexia.

The first thing to remember is that there is no clinical manual for which runnorexia is classified or present as an addiction. In this sense, it is similar to what is known as addiction to work or addiction to shopping. They do not follow the same mechanism as drug addiction -it does not affect them at the same level- but they can affect our well-being and our quality of life.

As for the practice of “addiction”, very little research has been done on this point at this point, and what does exist refers not only to the practice but also to addiction to sport in general. These studies indicate that around 18% of people who regularly practice sports have a particular addiction to sport, especially in the case of aerobic exercise.

The factors associated with this situation refer to physical and environmental variables. In the case of physical variables, the joy produced by the release of endorphins can affect the improvement. In the case of environmental variables, the social and personal image of the athlete influences the mechanism that leads to addiction.

Some have an athlete role, play a particularly important role in refining an individual’s identity, and have a certain level of anxiety. These people may feel that their value as athletes also determines their value as humans and as humans. If they fail as an athlete or runner, they also feel like they are failing as a person.

This can, above all, lead you to the feeling that you need to go for a run or play sports, not feel guilty or follow an obsessive-compulsive behavior that is not enough. There is. These same mechanisms can affect people who are absorbed in other things, such as work. As a result, it affects your social life, your work, and your mental health.

The recommendations in these cases are for those who see normal life affected and obstructed by obsessive-compulsive sport to manage the processes that are affecting the discomfort and the use of sport. It means that you can ask for help from a mental health professional to provide you with the right tools.