You can do this at the start of nearly every run, so get out there and give it a go.
Back to basics and something is often done so wrong it causes more problems than it's supposed to fix.
At some point, in running we were all 'taught' how to do a warm-up; that might have been those shit static stretches you were taught at school or read in a magazine, or even when you turned up at your first mass start race and felt like you should join in, but exhausted yourself, in some Mr Motivator style workout by a minor celeb…
This is not how we want to warm up for running!!
Often people conflate being bendy with flexibility. Think of your running joints as springs. Stretching a spring damages its ability to rebound, your legs are like springs bound by elastic tendons and muscle; over-stretching is limiting their ability to rebound and produce power. Increasing your range of motion can limit your performance. Increased mobility does not equal flexibility; it's essential to be strong and contained.
What about dynamic warm-ups? This is better, we want to ease our muscles and tendons into working efficiently so that's great! Careful now: don't end up like all those people you see at the start of races swinging their legs about, doing skipping, high knees, shuffles? Do you want to be like that??
Don't waste energy, or look like a tit! Start all warm-up runs with a gentle trot and then play with speed; ease into sprints. A few seconds of gunning it isn't going to tire you at all and gets your heart going, endorphins up and adrenaline pumping. Run and, literally, have a laugh while you do it. See it as a mini fartlek run.
Every race I've done this before has been a good one: Have fun have a warm up and try one of the other Training Sessions when you're ready
