Stretching: The (Sad) Truth

Can't reach those toes even with help
from the family dog

The timelapserunner has made reference in a number of previous posts to flirting with injuries of one sort or the other during the past fifteen months of exercise. First it was an Achilles tendon ache that most likely resulted from a workout that included too many hills. More recently the source of problems have been clustered around hamstring, rear hip and groin areas. I had read something about pre-run stretching not being of much value and potentially of harm to runners, so I had limited my flexibility work to post-run static stretching.


Though the lower intensity (i.e., speed) of the marathon training preliminary workouts this past month have given my legs time to recuperate from the harder running I was into before, I've stayed away from stretching for so long that there's obvious tightening and shortening of my hamstrings, as indicated by the appreciable distance between the tips of my fingers and my toes. Even encouragement from our pet could do nothing to shorten that distance.

Not this kind of 'stretch'
(Courtesy geograph)

There's three potential values to improving flexibility through some form of stretching: a) possible performance improvement during the workout, b) possible reduction in muscle soreness the day or two after the workout, and b) possible reduced risk of becoming injured for those with increased flexibility. Of these, the last seems more important at this point to the timelapserunner, who'll gladly accept a little soreness or a few more minutes on the stopwatch rather than not being able to workout.

Static stretching has given way among many runners in the past decade or so to some form of dynamic stretching or gentler flexibility exercise. It's this idea that is appealing to the timelapserunner and certainly there are books and websites filled with little pictures of how to do these. But little pictures don't really tell the story well (because you can't really see the movement going on); this runner needs more.

So, after a bit more online research, we've identified a program with a great reputation and with a strategy that fits the bill here: Active Isolated Flexibility - the brainchild of Wharton Health. This should provide the clear instruction and structured low-impact flexibility exercise we need to crank up our injury prevention potential. It's not just for runners, either - but that's the angle we're taking. Watch here:

We'll keep readers posted on any progress the timelapserunner makes in pursuit of flexibility for injury avoidance and repair - after the Flex Kit package arrives and we start in with the exercises.

TODAY'S WORKOUT: Another uneventful 3 miles walking at roughly 15:56 per mile. Just the tiniest bit anxious to beat the rain today after yesterday's experience.