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Runner’s World January 2007
By Jeff Galloway

Q & A
Q: Should I change my warm-up and cool down in colder weather?

A: When it’s cold out, your ligaments, tendons, and muscles take longer to loosen up, so it’s good to extend your warm-up. I usually recommend walking for three minutes, followed by five minutes of alternating walking and jogging before you ease into your training pace. During the winter, extend your initial walk to five minutes, then alternate walking and jogging for another six to ten minutes. When it’s below freezing, try part of your warm-up indoors. If you have a treadmill or you start your run at a health club or near a mall, do as much as you can inside, then head out once your legs feel ready but before you start sweating.
To avoid getting too chilled after a run, keep your cool down brief: Slow your pace for three to four minutes, and then go inside. Take extra layers off and keep moving (walking on the treadmill, through a mall, or just around your house) for another five to ten minutes before hitting the shower.

Let the Good Times Roll
Feeling good? Extend a great run with one of these two strategies:

1.) Go longer. Ease off the pace a bit and add a half a mile loop to the end of the run. Then run a second loop- and maybe a third. Adding short loops allows you to add distance without taking you too far away from home base. And running loops at a slightly slower pace will virtually ensure that you’ll feel good for at least an extra mile or two, continuing your enjoyment.

2.) Go Stronger. At the end of a run, find the nearest hill. Jog up very slowly, then enjoy the pull of gravity as you “glide” down- keeping your feet low and only lightly touching the ground. While you will naturally speed up on the downhill, you should actually reduce the energy you’re expending and just let the slope do its work. Two to four repeats will allow you to finish still feeling great.