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The value of a good warmup is often underestimated, especially in longer endurance events. A warmup is the gradual transition from being at rest to the required exercise intensity. If we go from standing to running at race pace, our oxygen delivery will lag behind our oxygen consumption as our heart rate gradually increases, causing an oxygen debt (see image below). This oxygen debt can be disruptive to our aerobic systems and impair performance. This rate of change of oxygen delivery is called [[VO2 Kinetics|V̇O<sub>2</sub> Kinetics]]. The warmup period also allows a gradual increase in muscle temperature, an increase in the oxidative enzyme activity, greater blood flow, and improved availability of fuel in a form that is usable by the muscles and improved muscle recruitment[[Muscle Recruitment]]. It is only after this warm up that our bodies are ready to perform optimally.
[[File:Warmup.jpg|none|thumb|500px|A graph of [[VO2 Kinetics|V̇O<sub>2</sub> Kinetics]] when going from rest to high intensity exercise.]]
* '''Slow running'''. The initial running should be at a fairly gentle pace and build up gradually. How long can you need to spend building up the pace will depend on your target intensity. If you're intending to run at an easy pace, then the buildup may only need to be half a mile or so. At the other extreme, if you're intending to do high intensity interval training, then you may need to build up over 3 or 4 miles, with a final pace being reasonably fast (around 10K pace).
* '''Dynamic stretching'''. Some dynamic stretching can help improve mobility and range of motion, while at the same time warming up the muscles. Ideally the dynamic stretching should be performed after the main warmup. However, it could be the earlier in the warmup if it's cold outside and you want to do this stretching indoors in the warm. In that case, I'd recommend doing the dynamic stretching after some air squats, and taking extra care to avoid overstretching injuries. See [[Stretching]] for more details.
* '''Plyometrics'''. Plyometrics are short explosive exercises, and they tend to improve the muscle recruitment [[Muscle Recruitment]] as well as building strength. Plyometrics have been shown to improve running economy, probably through the changes in muscle recruitment[[Muscle Recruitment]]. Because of the short intense nature of plyometrics they should be done at the end of the main warmup. I would recommend some simple jumps, starting as a gentle bouncing and building up to a moderate intensity. The video below shows some simple air squats followed by plyometrics.
{{#evp:youtube| x1oejm5dfEg |Warmup – air squats followed by plyometrics|none}}