Running Prep

Thanks to my sister now living a block away from me, I finally have a running partner.  While I initially made excuses to absolve myself from having to leave my comfortable bed in the morning for the early 5 am pavement, we have begun consistently meeting first thing in the morning and running for 5-6 miles.

The workout has always been the easy part for me, but the warm-up and cooldown are quickly forgotten due to “lack” of time or laziness (mostly laziness disguised as busyness).  Below is the warm-up that I have begun using before workouts and it has significantly improved each of my running workouts.  It comes from my favorite mobility coach, Kelly Starrett, and has opened up my hips and back before each workout and prepped my body for faster recovery before the workout even starts.

Next time you only have an hour for a workout, cut the run a little shorter and perform the warm-up above.  It will make a big difference in your long-term performance.