Watch the majority of runners as they gather for the start of a race. How many of them are preparing their bodies as well as their minds for the best race possible? Probably not too many.

Perhaps it's a little too cold to get out of the car, so they keep the heater on, read the newspaper, and sip some coffee before they leap out at the last minute and plunge full tilt into the race. Or perhaps they find some long-lost acquaintance and catch up on all the family news just five minutes before race time, or their shoelaces aren't tied quite right...and then they run a slow, disappointing race.

Then watch the elite runners and notice what they are doing to prepare. They're getting their entire body, especially their cardiovascular system, ready to race. How? By performing warm up routines designed to get them to the starting line at their peak of readiness.

A proper warm up will raise the pulse to between 75-85% of maximal heart rate. As the heart beats faster, it speeds the delivery of blood and oxygen to the leg muscles, which diminishes lactic acid production in the early stages of a race. At the same time, the heart is preparing for the stress of exertion. A heart that is pumping at 140 beats per minute after a good warm up is ready to absorb the stress of a pulse that jumps to 170 or higher in the early stages of a race.

The big problem with a good warm up is, however, that the heart rate returns to normal very quickly after running is ceased. Runners standing still at the starting line for more than 90 seconds after a warm up will find their pulse dropping by as much as 25%. This means that as soon as they start racing, less oxygen will be delivered to the leg muscles with a resulting large dose of lactic acid, and more strain will be placed on the heart.

To be most efficient, a warm up should last at least 10 minutes, which is enough time to increase the temperature within the muscles and lower the viscosity of the fluids inside, both of which make muscle contractions more powerful. The warm up should be run at 60-80% of 5K race pace, or 70-85% of maximal heart rate. If the warm up is easier than this, the cardiovascular system doesn't get a proper jump start; if the warm up is faster, the runner risks tiring early.

Warm ups for shorter events should differ from those for marathons and other more moderately paced races. For the shorter races, the warm up should include a few 200-meter strides at close to race pace. One benefit of strides is that the increased blood flow to the legs causes tiny blood vessels (capillaries) to dilate, thus increasing oxygen delivery to the legs. However, as a marathon has lower oxygen demand, the warm up need not include strides but should consist of very easy running. One study has shown that 20 minutes of such easy running actually conserved leg-muscle glycogen because it increased the rate at which the leg muscles utilized fat.

So before you reach the starting line of your next race, jog a little, stretch, then run at 70-75% of your maximal heart rate for 10 minutes, including a few 200-meter strides at your planned race pace if the race is 10 miles or shorter. When you get to the starting line, don't stand still, but run in place until the gun goes off. Your heart and muscles will thank you for your concern.