Does anyone not stretch at all before workouts/races?

DavidBrent wrote:

I've been stretching less and less lately and haven't noticed any difference, if anything I feel slightly stronger when I actually get going in a workout. Does anyone out there not stretch at all? Reasons, experiences etc?

You want to focus on doing dynamic stretching, where running movements are being performed to

stretch soft tissue. That is why running drills should be an every day routine before any kind of run is endured.

Your body needs to extend a certain length and a certain height in order to run, and over extending and under extending

will hurt performance and could lead to an injury. I'm not totally against stretching, but I believe it should be done on a day that is specifically for stretching or getting a massage, and not done before running.

Also, stretching after running would be more feasible. Muscles are very warm after a run, so they are a lot easier to stretch when in that state, as opposed to stretching cold, tight muscles before a run.

Running is more about tension then flexibility. Muscles, tendons, and ligaments need to be solid and strong, so that your body can endure the constant pounding of the surface.

Possibly John Walker

A quote from Dave Moorcroft's coach, John Anderson, in an old Sports Illustrated article:

For one, Anderson dismisses the stretching that most runners do. "It's rubbish," he says. "The received idea that by touching your toes you lengthen the fibers in your hamstrings is wrong. Soft tissue stretching like that is a learned skill and doesn't carry over into running. Dave requires a flexibility, a joint mobility, but running fast is the right kind of stretching for him."

The world-record holder mutely demonstrates his suppleness by reaching toward his toes. His fingertips get down to about midshin.

I have been involved in the sport since 1960 as an athlete and as a coach. After jogging we always stretched out as a team or in small groups. Most of the exercises we did probably weren't very valuable. We did do a lot of striding, running faster and getting a greater range of motion as we proceeded. I still believe that's the most important part of a warm-up. The jog, of course, does warm up the muscles but the strides get one ready to train and race. As a coach I still let the kids do "those stretching drills." I look upon that period as a social period which I believe is very important. Hurdlers of course do drills which stretch the muscles and are a vital part of hurdling form. Arthur Lydiard told me that he didn't believe in stretching at all. However, the drills that he emphasized did stretch out the body and prepare one to run hard.

I do some static stretching before heading out. May be more mental than anything.

I recently listened to a podcast interview of Gene Dykes and he does not stretch at all.

I'm 57 now. But for over 30 years, I never stretched. My first 2-3 miles of my runs was my stretching. I do stretch now. But, I only spend about 2 minutes overall doing it.

DavidBrent wrote:

I've been stretching less and less lately and haven't noticed any difference, if anything I feel slightly stronger when I actually get going in a workout. Does anyone out there not stretch at all? Reasons, experiences etc?

If I was doing mile repeats or a tempo run I wouldnt stretch too much. Anything quicker then I have to stretch.

I would recommend reading "Anatomy for Runners" by Jay Dicharry. He talks about this point a lot and that dynamic stretching or dynamic trickery as he likes to call it should be used before running or other activity. Static stretching could be harmful for you if you don't do it correctly, aka over stretching cold muscles.

Subway Surfers Addiction wrote:

Possibly John Walker

Subway, I was in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the final day of Olympic Track & Field competition for the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. I saw Walker stretching, at least briefly on the track, just before he raced in the 5000m final. He crossed one leg over the other while standing and reached down to the ground. Then he switched legs and did the otherwise same stretch.

I never stretched before workouts or races in college and had a relatively good and injury free career ( All American Sub 13:50 and sub 3:45).

In my experience what I did after workouts was much more important

Stretching has always been a disaster for me. Every few years I'd read something that made me think I should do some and I always ended up with something getting hurt. Recently I tried working with a physical therapist to improve my lower back and knee arthritis. Everything was about increasing flexibility, range of motion, etc. The bad knee got no better, the "good" one got much worse and my shoulders have hurt ever since.

Never before but always after.

No stretching of any kind, at any point.

I do some very easy range of motion stuff before a run, and try to walk up to a half mile before I actually run to get things flowing any real stretching I do is post run. I fully believe in the analogy that stretching before a run is like trying to bend a dry sponge...it doesn't make sense.

No stretch before a workout. The "stretch" comes in the switch of stride when I go to faster paces.

Full stretch after a warm-up before a race and then speed strides shortly before start time.

It has worked for me so far (since 2006, when I started back into racing)

Take a rubber band and put it in the freezer and then take it out and snap it. It will break. That is why you should not do static stretching before running. Dynamic stretching is fine but just start out slowly for first half mile.

as my buddy says... "Does a dog stretch before he chases the mailman?"

Never. Hobby joggers don't stretch.

Karl Hungus wrote:

Never. Hobby joggers don't stretch.

Yes they do.