In 2004, 101 runners lined up at the start of the Olympic men's marathon in Athens. When the race started at 6 p.m., the temperature was 80 degrees Fahrenheit and the relative humidity was 40 percent.
Instead of doing their usual warm-up, many of the marathoners shortened their pre-race routine, which is saying something given the minimal warm-up most marathoners do. Before toeing the starting line, many of the men sat indoors; some even put on ice vests to keep their core temperatures cooler. Among those wearing an ice vest was Meb Keflezighi, who went on to score a silver medal.
Granted, most of us aren't obligated to race when it's too hot, as the Olympic marathoners more or less were. Still, it's likely you'll find yourself at a hotter-than-ideal race. In that situation, should you do your full warm-up routine? Or is there a point where warming up can lead to melting down, and an abbreviated warm-up makes more sense? And, regardless of weather, what if simple logistics necessitate curtailing your warm-up? What if you oversleep or traffic is bad or you get lost and have scant time before the start? Should you do all of your normal prerace activities, but less of each, or perform triage and do close to full versions of one or two aspects?
LATE FOR A VERY IMPORTANT DATE
When you find yourself pressed for time pre-race, the warm-up run trumps all, says coaching legend Jack Daniels, who says 10 minutes of running should leave you reasonably ready to roll. The in-a-pinch twist is that, after starting at your normal easy warm-up jog pace, you run progressively faster so that the final 3 minutes are at threshold, or roughly half marathon pace. Try to time the 10-minute run so that you have 5 minutes until the start, during which time you can get in place among the field.
"Ten minutes of running is typically adequate for the muscles to get warmed up," Daniels says, "and by increasing the speed of this warm-up run the aerobic system will be pushed into gear and breathing will be challenged some." An added benefit: "The runner will start the race realizing that he/ she can't go out too fast," Daniels says.
Former Olympian Steve Plasencia, now the head cross country and track coach at the University of Minnesota, agrees, saying, "I would keep my warm-up to nearly exclusive running. I would probably proceed at a pace a little faster than normal but leave a few minutes before the start to make sure I 'gathered myself' for a race as I normally would.
"When the gun goes off," Plasencia says, "I would want my cardiovascular system to at least be reasonably warmed up, and I think running would be the best way to accomplish this."
If there's time, Plasencia advises, try to squeeze in a few strides, increasing from 60 to 120 meters. But because you're literally running late, Daniels' warm-up-with-fast-finish will usually work better logistically before you need to join the rest of the field.
Once in place behind the start line, use that time--during the usual pre-race announcements--to do a few standing stretches for the areas where you're usually tightest, says Plasencia.
HEAT WARMS THINGS UP
Gary Brimmer, who coaches runners in San Antonio, Texas, deals with plenty of hot temperatures. A 2:31 marathoner, Brimmer knows heat, having also lived in Hawaii as well as in Iraq while serving in the Army. During the summer, when the temperatures are often over 100 degrees in San Antonio, Brimmer has his runners limit their warm-up to a mile jog and a few dynamic drills, such as leg swings and rotation drills for the hips and hamstrings.
"One thing I stress to my runners is when it's hot, you just can't stress warming up that much," Brimmer says. "When it is warm, it does not take long to warm up."
Brimmer is a fan of pre-race dynamic drills in the heat because "that way there isn't a lot of aerobic stretch on the body," he says. "It just loosens the legs up." Before workouts and races, Brimmer's athletes use the Myrtl routine.
Plasencia advises sticking with pre-race strides in the heat if they're a regular part of your warm-up routine, but to allow extra time between them to allow for close to full recovery. That can take close to 75 seconds in the heat.
In the heat, Plasencia says, it's also important not to have your warm-up jog, no matter how short, dehydrate you. Warm up in as little clothing as possible, he says, because "we do not want to perspire so much that we draw down body fluids before competing." If you're a heavy sweater, consider changing outfits after you warm up so that you're not starting the race in gear that's already soaked, which could lessen its cooling properties.
If possible, says Daniels, go inside until race time once you've warmed up.
"I encourage them to go inside and cool off, even placing cold, wet towels on themselves," Daniels says of his runners. "The muscles will stay warm even if you cool the skin."
No matter what your pre-race routine in the heat is, Brimmer has one last piece of advice. "You have to ease into the first mile or so of the race," he says.