There is a lot of issue surrounding an athletes best way to prepare for a race. E.g How many fast run/drive run should a sprinter do before they run? How far so 20m,30m… How is this affected if there are 3 round say? surely an athlete would not do 3-4 fast 30ms before a final having run 2 races already. Can you please comments on this please…
Phase Duration Time to race Activity
Pre race Do not eat within 3 hours of your raceCheck you have got all your kit and aids - Trainers, spikes, shorts, socks and vest, track suit, spare spikes, spike key, safety pins, drinks, food, running number, race entry card, waterproofs, lucky mascot, cassette player and tapes, spare set of running kit, rug to lie on, umbrella.Arrive 1 to 2 hours before your race - Keep out of the sun as much as possible
Massage 5 mins 85 mins Pre warm up leg massage – if required
Relaxation 5 mins 80 mins ط Find somewhere quite and cool - Lie down - starting with the feet and working up to your head tense, hold for 5 seconds and relax each group of muscles one at a time (feet, calves, thighs, buttocks, stomach, chest, arms, hands, face)ط Breathe through your nose and become aware of your breathing. As you breathe out, say the word “one” silently to yourself. For example, breathe in . . . out, “one”; in . . . out, “one”; and so on maintain steady deep breathing - listen to music or relaxation tape
Joint rotation 5 mins 75 mins Standing position with your arms hanging loosely at you sides, flex, extend, and rotate each of the following joints: Fingers, Wrist, Elbows, Shoulders, Arms, Neck, Shoulder blades, Hips, Knees, Ankles, Feet and Toes
Warm up jog 5 mins 70 mins 400 to 800m easy jog – focus on 2-2 breathing rhythm
StretchingDynamic 10 mins 60 mins ط One leg balance x 30 seconds for each legط Squats x 10 then hold squat for 10 secondsط Arm and shoulder swings x 10 rotations for each armط Cross Leg swings x 10 swings for each legط Forward Leg swings x 10 swings for each legط Hurdle leg action x 10 each leg
Drills 5 mins 55 mins 30m – walking on toes, walking on heels, bum kicks, skips high knee, side strides, skips for height (5 easy - 5 fast - 5 easy - 5 fast) - Bum kicks, Single knee raise
Technique runs 20 mins 50 mins Full recovery between each run (3-5 mins or PR or 100-110) 2 * 100m - gradual acceleration 2 * 60m – 30m easy and 30m fast frequency
Massage 5 mins 30 mins Pre race leg massage – if required
Relaxation 5 mins 25 mins ط Find somewhere quite and cool - Lie down - starting with the feet and working up to your head tense, hold for 5 seconds and relax each group of muscles one at a time (feet, calves, thighs, buttocks, stomach, chest, arms, hands, face) (2 mins)ط Breathe through your nose and become aware of your breathing. As you breathe out, say the word “one” silently to yourself. For example, breathe in . . . out, “one”; in . . . out, “one”; and so on maintain steady deep breathing - listen to music or relaxation tape (2 to 3 mins)
Visualisation 5 mins 20 mins Visualise each part of the race - start, each part of each lap, finish (sprinting past the finish line)
Report to start 15 mins 15 mins Do not talk to other runners - concentrate on your objectives - keep relaxed - maintain mobility - stretching - drills - deep breathing - positive thoughts only - visualisation of running relaxed, smooth , tall and driving with the elbows
Call to start 2 min Depending on weather conditions – remove excess clothing (tracksuit) - Quick set routine - Close your eyes, clear your mind and maintain deep rhythmical breathing, in through your nose and out through your mouth (physical cue) , Imagine a previous race win, see yourself crossing the line in first place and recreate those emotional feelings of success (emotional cue) , Return your focus to the sprint start, think of blasting off on the ‘B’ of the Bang with the appropriate limb action (focus cue)
THE RACE
Warm down 5 mins Trainers and tracksuit on - 400m to 800m jog
StretchingStatic 10 mins General exercises – hold each stretch for 15 to 20 seconds – Standingط Arms out to side - palms forward - stretch arms backط Arms out to side – palms back – stretch arms backط Arms forward – hold hands – bring shoulders togetherط Arm across chest – hold with other armط Hands over head – reach down spineط Hands together behind back – reach up – keep back straightOn the floorط Lying on your back – stretch away from the body with feet and handsط Lying on your back - knee to chestط Lying on your front - heel to bumط Lying on your side - leg raise upper legط Lying on your side - leg raise lower legط Sitting legs apart – stretch to each footط Sitting heels together – ease the knees towards the groundط Sitting leg straight/heel to thigh stretch – rotate foot left/rightط Sitting leg crossover – elbow behind knee
Massage 5 mins Post race leg massage
Reflection 10 mins Complete race assessment form with coach
this is how i warm up before the first round the before the second round i jog 400 meters make static stretches and some accleration runs 50 meters i do 2 then relax and concentrate on the objective
This is a very useful discussion. I’ve been swimming for most of my life (I’m 30) and I have yet to really feel like I have a “system” for warmup.
It generally depends on how rested I am.
First I stretch, upper and lower body.
I’ll swim 200 yards or so very slowly. Then I swim a 50 freestyle at about 90%. Then I do 1 - 2 25 yard butterfly sprints at 100%. THen I take one or two starts off the blocks. Then I’m done. Sometimes this works, and sometimes I can tell that I wasn’t fully warmed up.
Demolisher,
Thanks for your input about your own prep. The bit am bother about is still the actual FAST runs just before the actual Compititions. Alot of athletes tend to do TOO MUCH and fire all the neurons and have nothing for the race. Any ideas…
as in my way to warm up i do 2100 meters accleartion then i make 260 as i told u this makes me awake and sober also it doesnt tyre me as i rest between them enought u must do speed runs but not too much as this will tyre u ,u need to save the energy for the race 
Charkie Please Can you shed some light on this please. Thanks
I see you got this information from Brian Mac website and not from a ‘coach’ that is specific to YOU. Have you reaped many benefits from this? What has your coach said about following someone elses routine?
i think that pre competition warm up is very specific to every athlete. obviously there are limits so as wat to do, but i think of it as ’ do watever makes u feel ready to run fast’.
obviously when 2races in one day are invloved, depending on the time difference, the warm up for the first should be much more, cause i remember charlie saying about world champs how the finals are only 1.5hrs after semis, he said that their bodies are somewat warm already so dont require 'as much ’ of a warm up as for the semis
this warm up really suits me as did it in many of my competition and it works for me but the second race usually require less warmup so i just settle for some staticstreatching and some accelartions