Adding tempo running to your race day warm-up routine

The goal of a race day warm-up is simple: to have the body and mind get to the starting line as ready as possible to handle the demands of the race. Typically, this looks like a  few miles of easy running (considerably slower than race pace), some drills, and a few short strides (often faster than race pace). Adding in an extra ingredient may provide a performance boost when the gun goes off. 

Working in a short segment of running at or around threshold effort (“tempo”) helps all systems prep a bit more specifically to the race demands. The increase intensity helps the aerobic system kick into a more powerful mode than simply easy running. While short drills & strides aid in neuromuscular coordination of moving well, the sustained duration of tempo running can help the body work through kinks in movement. And the progressive but continuous effort offers a warm-up to the mind to stay engaged, calm at faster speeds, and ask the body for progressively more as the warm-up unfolds. 

Tempo warm-ups tend to work best for races lasting up to 90 minutes. Beyond that, conserving fuel becomes a factor, and easing into the early miles is often a part of race strategy, serving a similar role to the tempo warm-up. 

We typically have two ways of adding tempo running into your race day warm-up: 

Integrated Tempo WU

When: Starting ~45 minutes before race time

20 minutes total: 15 minutes EZ running, 3 minutes progressing to tempo effort, 2 minutes easy 

Best for: Time crunched warm-ups; folks who prefer one continuous warm-up effort. 

Separate Tempo WU

When: 60 minutes before race start - standard warm-up (15-20 minutes of EZ run)

Then, ~30 minutes before race: 7 minutes total (2:00 EZ, 3:00 progress to tempo, 2:00 EZ) 

Best for: Building in an extra “pit stop” before the race; higher mileage runners or folks looking to add volume to race day totals 

As with any new race day routine, test driving tempo warm-up at an early season race can be an effective way to learn about what works for you and refine your warm-up process ahead of your most important races of the season. Focus on a gradual progression from your easy warm-up pace into your tempo effort. The goal isn’t to spend the whole 3 minutes at tempo, but to smoothly work the body down to a sustainable effort. Listen to your body’s feel rather than aiming for a specific pace on your watch. The warm-up isn’t a test of your fitness, but a way to prepare for the test to come when the gun goes off.