Eccles Pike

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A short lung burster this week. A bit over 3 miles, on a there and back course. How had could it be?

Oh. That hard.
Having not really run since the last race 2 weeks ago I decided to head out for a run last night, which you can read about on my other blog. It was only a 1 hour little run, but I think it took enough out of me to make me really feel it on the race.

It was a beautiful evening, sun in the blue sky, not too hot, not too cold, a good field of runners, no midges, and a route that was going to hurt. Fantastic. We turned up and there were already a number of Glossopdaleans kicking around, all talking down the amount of running they had done in the past week, and each and every one of us saying "oooh, feeling a bit tired today... not sure about this one", I suppose in a feeble attempt to out-psyche each other.
I went off for the customary jog with Gwyn (so that I can at least pretend that I can keep up with him) just around the beginning bit of the course, and then went back to the start. The crowd started to gather, and it was evident that a fast start was needed to get across the field and around the first corner without getting trampled on by the rest of the pack.
The starting crowd continued to build, but there was no starter around to tell us to go... I suggested to a couple of guys around me that I should be the starter, and all times would go by my watch, therefore, anyone who finished before me wouldn't count as a finisher... but that idea was shelved pretty quickly.

Eventually the starter arrived in a car, driving down the field like something out of Blues Brothers, wandered around with a megaphone and generally apologised for the lack of startingness of the race, and very soon, proceeded to get us underway.
Panic run across the field with 120 other people, (its quite fun, all we needed was a load of swords and shields, and it would have made it a whole lot more exciting, but I digress).

Stevie overtaking me

I got to the end of the field near the front of the pack, and I saw John hoof it up through a load of long grass and he got a 10 metre jump on me going around the outside. Well, at least I was somewhere near the front now, and past the first pinch point, now a nasty little run down a road (I can see Paul Stitt in front of me as well, always good on the road- and Gwyn floating along like he has springs in his feet right up at the front), and I lumber after them. Down and left past the pub, along and through the carpark, and Stevie from Pennine cruises past me with a quick "hello there". Flipping heck, I think the only time I've seen Stevie on a race before was during Wormstones when he was a marshall... he's normally way ahead of me- must have got a bad start.
Up and over the twisty turny bridge over the dual carriageway, and my lungs are beginning to burn.
Already?!

oh dear. I can see John up ahead, so I'll just try and stay in touch with him, see how far we get. Up onto the football pitch, overtaken by the eventual First Woman, up right, more damn tarmac. I lose another couple of places, left, and up a hill which goes into a track, and I make the places back.
Left and into a field, and the front of the pack is strung out in front of me, I can see Gwyn and the leaders already going up the hill on the other side of the "valley". As ever I am astonished at just how damn fast they run. Seriously. Thats a ridiculous speed. I can't see Stevie. He's probably teleported.

Down the hill, through a bog, and up the hill, chasing John. I'm not feeling great, but I dig in a bit, keep the legs going, this isnt really a hill, its a minor slope. Fight up the hill, legs pumping, and emphatically not looking behind me. My heart is already beating hard, and I'm not entirely sure how long I can keep this speed up. Over a stile, onto a track and the pace is relentless, I think I get overtaken by a couple of people, and then one more, but I can still see John and Paul, still not quite in touching distance, but a realistic enough distance away to make up. Grit teeth and keep going. The pace is starting to hurt now as the ground levels out and the speed increases. Stride out and keep breathing, thats the key. I know we aren't yet half way through and we have the real kicker coming, but I've been running above the redline for the entire race so far, whats another little bit? Through a gate with someone encouraging me on- "go on Glossopdale!", I get overtaken by 2 more people, hard right and UP.

Thanks Geoff.

I take the 2 places back as they falter and slow to a walk. Thanks for that, I'll have those places. Keep the pace going, keep the legs moving, fool the body into thinking that its still running. I can see John up ahead, he's still running. Or at least, he looks like he is, he's probably making as much headway as I'm not.
Dammit, stop running John, give me an excuse to walk!
Nope, he's still going, as are a number of other hardy souls up ahead. Right, nothing for it, but to keep "running". Argh. The hill gets steeper. Concentrate on springing UP the hill, not plodding DOWN into it. Up, up, up. I'm catching Paul and John. Time to walk, as it gets ridiculous, not far to the top.
This is the first race since... oh, Kinder Trog where I've actually resorted to not running up a hill. I MUST be tired. Gritting the teeth I see the guys head over the top, and then I'm there, with Geoff cheerfully at the side going "smile Tim". Click. "thats one for yer blog". Just manage to get a thumb up, but the pace at the beginning of the race has exhausted me, followed by the climb, and now its back down, and back along the way we came.

Off, down the side of the hill, catching up with someone, and John and Paul are further down the hill, duking it out. I can't get past this guy as we hurtle down the hill, as the rest of the pack are making their way up it. I see LuvShack making his way up, and have time to say a jaunty "hi". (I think it was jaunty, but considering how I was feeling at the time, it probably came out as more of a groan) Hit the bottom and I don't think my heart rate has gone down in the slightest from how it felt getting to the top, my legs are fit to blow out, but there is still just under half the distance left to run. I hammer along the undulating section, passing runners going the otherway, squinting into the sun. I hear other Glossopdaleans shouting encouragement, but I couldn't tell you who they were. I was too busy looking at the floor trying not to take myself out on the rocks. I'm gaining on John and Paul, but at great cost. I can feel myself getting weaker, but I have to keep on going.
Bust through a gate, and I take out a runner in front of me by accidentally treading on his shoe and it comes off.... damn, sorry mate- I know that he is up and running really quickly however, and at the next stile, I turn and see him right behind me, as he comes up I gesture to let him go over first, but he says "nah, twas an accident mate", so I leap over, and plunge down the hill... but not fast enough, my legs are faltering, and I can feel the fatigue. He overtakes me. saying "I was talking to the sheep...."

I was overtaken on a descent. This cannot be good. Grit teeth, dig in. I know that John has seen me behind him, and he is beginning to really give it some, legs pumping, and he is gaining distance on me. Through the bog and Paul gets caught up in a bit of fence, but he's ok. Taking a different line, I overtake him and am 1 place behind John, up and over the field, and down the path, hang a sharp right and we're back on the road again.
Almost immediately someone cruises past, hang a left, my legs are shot and I push myself down the side of the football pitch to the bridge, down the bridge and I'm flagging desperately. I know we have 400 metres or so left, but my legs are stopping working, 3 others effortlessly overtake me in the carpark, one of them is Paul.
And another. I have nothing to respond with.
Its not because of lack of fuel, its lack of... anything. My legs just won't go faster. My lungs just won't work harder, its all I can do to carry on going in some kind of semblance of a run. I can see the 5 people who just overtook me disappear up the final incline and I struggle on in their wake. All I can do is hope that there isn't someone else behind me, I'm as helpless as a little fluffy duckling, and struggling to finish.
Up the slope. and up. and up and up. I swear this is harder than the final haul up that hill we did halfway through the race. My legs are like lead and my heart rate must be going through the roof.
Finally the right turn, down the slope and my legs aren't entirely responding like they should. I'm entrusting all decision making to them, not trusting my head to put the feet in the right places.
A hard right and there is the field and the funnel, one person ahead that I might just catch, he is 3/4 of the way across the field. I push off hard, knowing this is the final 40 metres, harder, and harder, I see him closing in on the finish as I close in on him. Visions of sliding through like a suicidal football tackle, all out sprint as a last ditch effort to salvage a place.
But not quite. Nearly slamming into the back of him as we go into the funnel, I'm gasping so hard that I can barely speak. People standing around who have already finished are steaming gently in the evening dew.

last ditch final effort

After about 40 seconds I can see again, and am wandering around in a daze of complete exhaustion. 50 seconds.
And THEN the next runner comes in. (Another Glossopdaler, Chris, who, had he known the trouble I was in, would quite gladly have joined in the overtaking at the end!)
Had I looked back, I would have known that I would have been able to slow down. Had I looked back, I would have known that I could slow down, and not worry too much.
But thats not the point. I didn't look back. I didn't know. I just gritted my teeth and dug in. Thats what racing is to me.

This race hurt. It hurt more than any other race I have done so far. If you look at the stats, my HR was up there, but not from the very beginning. I haven't run a race like that before, generally I have held back for a while, not gone all out, and had a bit left for the end. This time it was an all out effort from the start. I didn't get the position I wanted, and I felt pretty beat up at the end of it as well. Gutted that I was destroyed on the last 400 metres by at least 5 others.
I came 26th out of 120, so actually not a bad result. I just can't help thinking that with a bit more oomph, and a bit more determination, could I have caught John? Could I have got 20th? or even 19th?
Well, maybe.
What to learn from this race? I need to learn to run faster. Especially along the flat. I need to run faster at the end of a race, I need to be able to keep a high tempo right the way through. Although it was an ok result, I'm a bit annoyed not to do better. I was waiting for this feeling to kick in. When I started racing this year, I was happy to be running. Just plain happy. I was ecstatic with any result, anywhere in the field. Now I appear to have become competitive. Where did that come from?! I prefer running for pleasure, but racing appears to make me faster, and makes me look at mistakes and places in which I can become better, so thats a good thing. I just need to stop dwelling on it.
Me? Competitive? No, I think I just over think things. And there is the proof!

Well done to Gwyn for 3rd place, John, Paul and Chris in the top 20, Charlie put in a fine show coming at at 30, beyond that I'm afraid I have no idea as my brain can't hold all the results at once, and again well done to Beryl for winning her catagory as well.

For the record, I don't think Stevie teleported, but I can't be sure... I think he came in 15th anyway.

Stretching Part 4

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Finally - he gets around to the bit actually about stretching instead of all the tedious stuff about muscle, fascia, collagen, emotion and stuff.
Yes, but the back story is important.
Understand before you do, take responsibility for what you do, don't just do it because someone tells you so.

Types of stretching for types of movement.
Stretching is not just about gaining flexibility, it is about warming up, it is about learning where your body is in space. Not all types of stretching will do all of that.
Developmental stretching will affect the PLASTICITY of muscles. You are looking for a plastic change in the tissue. Think about bending the lid of an ice cream box. Bend it for a short time, and it will go back to the original shape. The plastic "remembers" its original shape. Bend it for a long time and it plastically deforms into a new shape. This is the idea of a developmental stretch. It should not be done before exercise, and is training in and of itself. The muscles will need rest afterward.

Warming up before an event will incorporate getting blood into the muscles, increasing circulation and increasing the ELASTICITY of the muscles and fascia. Increasing rebound, becoming soft and flexible. You aren't looking for deformation of the muscle, you need may need speed, agility or to know exactly where your body is in space and time. This will need a different type of stretching, something that raises the sympathetic nervous system and gets you ready for whatever you are about to do.

Cooling down after an event will need another type of stretching as well. Bringing the parasympathetic nervous system into dominance, relaxing the body, elongating the tissues, enabling blood to bring nutrients to the muscles, and carry away metabolic waste. One stretch, or at least, one type of stretch does not do for all occasions.

Static Stretching
This is the old school way of stretching that we were always taught. Go into a stretch, Hold it. Hold it. Keep holding it. And release.
The problem with this, that I and most other inflexible people found with this, is that when you try to go into such a position, you tense muscles in order to attain the stretch. While trying to relax you find your entire body tensed up like a coiled spring, bringing more tension into it than releasing. The stretch starts to hurt, you can't breathe because you are tensing your abdominals, and it really is an unpleasant experience. Do this for a couple of days, the muscles feel like they hurt more and more, you become less flexible and eventually pack it in because the stretching that is meant to be making you light, limber and agile is making you feel old, achy and immobile. Sound familiar?

"Static" stretching is meant to be done as a developmental stretch. This is what you do in order to gain plastic length in your muscles, fascia and tendons. Obviously you don't want pain, because that indicates that soreness will occur in the future. When that happens, your muscles will feel tight, tired, achy and you won't want to stretch anymore.
So, go into a position where you know you will feel a stretch - like bending over to touch your toes. Don't force it, just hang where you naturally fall.
Then breathe.
Don't count, don't try to stretch any further, relax your muscles, and breathe. As you breathe in and out you may notice that the body rises and falls, you may also notice the body going deeper toward the ground. Then again you may not. Stay in the position as long as you feel it necessary. But whatever you do, DON'T force the stretch.

This is basically the idea for all developmental stretches. Get into a comfortable position where your muscles are not tensed, lean into where the stretch will be, don't force it, and breathe.
These stretches can go on for a while, don't rush it, just relax into it. If you aren't relaxing, you aren't doing it right.

Active stretching
This is where you purposefully contract the muscle which does the opposite action to the muscle you want to stretch. (for example, to stretch the Hamstrings, you engage the quads)- this has the effect of Reciprocal inhibition. In neuromuscular terms as you engage muscles that do one movement, the electrical signals stop the antagonist from contracting, and thus, they are "switched off" and able to stretch. This kind of stretch is not done with any support or prop and is a good tool for rehabilitation, but not so good for developmental stretching as there is always tension in one part of the body or other. The stretches are not held for a long time as the excessive muscular tension can become difficult to hold - about 10-15 seconds is the norm.

Passive stretching
Basically the same as Static stretching, but you have a partner, or a piece of apparatus which helps bring you into the stretch. This can obviously be hazardous and it is very important that there is no jerking or bouncing force applied to the stretched muscle. It is useful in gaining flexibility, but like static stretching, can be "overcooked" quite easily. You are not looking for pain, you are looking for a comfortable stretch.

PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation)
Fancy name, fancy stretch. You will need a partner, (if you don't have a partner, then isometric stretching is what you are doing, they are pretty much the same thing)
PNF stretching has evolved from a form of rehabilitation, it improves muscle strength, flexibility and can also help restore muscular firing patterns.
The muscle group to be stretched is placed so that it is under tension with the partner holding the limb so that it cannot move. The muscles to be stretched are contracted (isometrically - the partner prevents the limb from moving anywhere). This contraction is held for about 10 seconds, a deep breath is taken and on exhalation, the limb is relaxed and brought into stretch by the partner - this is held for about 20-30 seconds. Rest, and repeat.
There are a number of different thoughts and theories as to the amount of time for the stretch to be held, rest, etc. These timings are for guidance only.
Do Not use this technique on damaged muscles, don't use it to a pain threshold, don't over stretch.

Isometric stretching
For those who don't know, Isometric contraction of a muscle is where you contract it, and there is no movement of the limb. (as an example, try lifting a house, or pushing over a very large boulder. You will notice that even though you engage your muscles, the limbs don't move anywhere... THAT'S an isometric contraction).
To do an isometric stretch you need something to stretch against- to restrict the movement of the limb. Assume the position of stretch, and then contract the muscles that you are about to stretch, for about 10 seconds. Then take a deep breath and relax into the stretch for a generous amount of time.
This is quite a developmental stretch, and its probably not a good idea to be doing it day in day out. Some texts recommend waiting at least 48 hours between isometric stretching sessions, and it is not recommended for children or growing adolescents. 

Dynamic stretching
A swinging or bouncing motion is used in a movement - ostensibly to create greater range. This kind of stretching can be used to increase elasticity in the muscle in a pre-event session, but the gains are only ever elastic. They can also help with making fascia more elastic in the same kind of time. In easy terms, it makes the fascia more bouncy.
However, the motion should always be under control. The swing should never be uncontrolled and is in NO WAY ballistic. Dynamic stretching is controlled, gentle and purposeful. It is within range of motion and joints are NOT forced beyond their normal range.

As a note on ballistic stretching - once a popular form of stretching, using momentum from rapid swings and bounces, forcing joints and muscles beyond normal range - the risks of this kind of thing are way above and beyond any kind of gains. The short time that the muscle is beyond normal range gives no benefit to the athlete at all, and a muscle protecting mechanism is also set off, making the muscles shorter than when you started stretching - and so making them more liable to damage as you exercise. Ballistic stretching is probably not a good thing to be doing.

Pre-race/event stretching
Obviously you don't want to plastically affect the muscles in a long term way if you are just about to start doing exercise, or competing, you just want to get blood to them, warm them up, and get some elastic rebound going. There are two ways of doing this, one that affects the muscles more, and one that appears to affect the fascia more.
The principle is the same as static stretching, but with less time spent on each movement, and to a less deep level than you perhaps might if you were stretching "statically". This will create space in the tissues in order to help infuse areas with blood.
I know that "ballistic" stretching, has received a bad press - and rightly so in terms of flexibility gain. If you bounce into a stretch, the stretch reflex will kick in and the muscles will contract, doing the polar opposite of what you want them to do.
However, if you introduce a slight "mid-range" bounce-like movement (NOT end range - bad idea), this will help increase elastic recoil in fascia (source - some of the more recent findings by Schleip et al.). In personal terms - this means that my Achilles tendon is warmed up and has maximum elastic recoil when going into a race, instead of just feeling nice and warm.

Post event stretching
The idea of stretching at this time is to stop blood pooling in the muscles, get nutrients to the tissues that have been damaged, and get metabolic waste products out of the muscles and into the lymph system so that the body can deal with them. Post even stretching should be a mix of very light exercise and stretching. Generally 5 mins of exercise and 10 mins of stretching - or thereabouts. Go with what feels right. This is not a time for developmental stretching, that needs to be done at a time when you are not training. This is a time to help recover, relax, lengthen shortened tissues and ensure that everything works and moves as freely as it did before the training session.

Developmental stretching
To gain length and flexibility in tissue, this needs to be done relatively regularly. I don't even know if you should classify it as "stretching" as such, but just have it as part of your routine, an extra to be doing as you watch tv, just something that is done. That way, it feels less like a chore and less like something that you lie in bed at the end of the day and think "damn... I forgot to stretch today". Sit on the floor, work out what is tight, and slowly stretch the tissues. Breathe into it, like the static stretch explained above. Don't count, just feel, breathe, take it to a point of tension and no further. Do it gently and slowly, and come out of it slowly as well.
Make sure there is no excessive body tension, and work at the tissues all around the area.
Go slow. I know I keep saying it, but remember to breath.

Stretching part 3

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Ok, this is starting to become a bit of an epic in terms of parts. I apologise for that, but hopefully you're beginning to see why I can't really answer "why should I stretch" in an easy and simplistic way, there is quite a bit to talk about.

One of my favourite quotes is this, it is a conversation between a previously injured runner and his therapist
"when can I start running again?"
"when you can walk efficiently and effortlessly"

Yes, you can go off and run before you are back to walking well, but your days as a good athlete, or at least, your days at your current level will be numbered.
Cumulative stress and strain can and will take you down.

The question to ask before you ask "why should I stretch" is "where do I feel tight"? Don't just think about you sitting there at your desk/ on you sofa/ on the train, think about your daily movements, what you can do, and what you have to modify in order to do it. When you put on your t-shirt, or shirt, does one arm go in easier than the other? Could that be a shoulder capsule that needs stretching? When you put on your socks, can you stand up and put them on, is one easier than the other? Do you have to lie down because you aren't flexible enough? Think about how that might affect your sport, or your life in other areas... that's the hip joint that isn't flexible enough. I've just read a study that shows pro golfers have approximately 10% or more flexibility in hip rotation than amateurs, and are thus able to get greater club speed. That's through flexibility.

I hate to hammer it home, but one final point for all you power lifters.
Poor hip mobility and then squatting, or lifting heavy will do one thing. It will compound the hip joint tightness because you are adding intensity, frequency and duration. This will lead to greater compensation in other areas, and good form will become difficult to maintain.
Bad form uses more calories yes, but the accumulative training effects are a bad thing.

Braces for knees, hips, arms, shoulders and medications in the form of pain relief are good when used appropriately.
However, they are most often used inappropriately as a crutch for people who have not addressed underlying movement patterns, imbalances and compensations.
Find imbalances, find imperfections, work them out. Strengthen that which needs to be strengthened so that the whole organism works together as one. Not just the big muscles, but also the small stabilising ones. Keep the flexibility because once you lose that, the body becomes less able to work in harmony with itself.

So,
work out what lacks flexibility in day to day movements.
work out what lacks flexibility in your sport, what lets you down, what could make you faster, more powerful, more agile.
work out what you have injured in the past, no matter how trivial, see if it has affected the way you move, the way you think and the way you do things. Do you unconsciously protect one side of you, or have a foot that turns in or out because of a previously (forgotten) twisted ankle?
Roll out on a foam roller and see what hurts - that is often a really good indication of where trigger points and scar tissue have accumulated and places that would benefit from being stretched.
What feels tight? What doesn't? (beware if you are hyper-flexible, as sometimes the muscles "feel" tight, like you need to stretch, but the joint capsule will be compromised if you actually try to go all the way to the end of the stretch).

Yes, all this takes time, and it takes patience. But so does training. This is as important as that final hill climb of the day, as important as a PR, as important as a new set of wheels (and less expensive), and as important as the 3rd session down the wall this week. In fact its more than that.
If you lack flexibility, it may well be the thing that gets you through the plateau you have been training at.
Equally, it might well be the thing that enables you to have a pain free life, ending compensation patterns, muscular stiffness and annoyance at not being able to do things because of your body.

I'm starting to sound like a broken record of a rabid missionary now.
Again, you don't have to do this, I'm not advocating it as the be all and end all, but it might be something that you want to consider. Next blog I'll write some stuff about the different ways of stretching, why some people start and feel like they are losing their flexibility- and thus stop, why it sometimes hurts (it shouldn't), and other bits and bobs like that.
Again, if you have any comments or issues with any of this, please post, discussion is the way forward.

Stretching Part 2

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One of the key things to know when stretching is WHAT you are stretching. Not necessarily specifically which muscles (though that can be helpful), but more to do with the structures.
So, what exactly is causing the body to be "tight" and what exactly are you stretching when you stretch?

Muscle Tissue
When muscle is broken down by exercise, it is built back up again during rest. The "stuff" that actually does this is Collagen. Collagen is laid down in muscle tissues in a fairly haphazard pattern, its sticky, and it causes adhesions. However, it does align to lines of stress, and when you stretch the tissues, the collagen aligns to the stretch, causing the muscles to be healed in a more efficient pattern. If the tissues are not stretched, the collagen can cause cross fibres not only across fibres within the muscle making it less efficient as a unit, but across different muscles, making them both less efficient and more easily tired. Yes, Your muscles can stick together if you don't stretch.

Collagen is laid down in muscle tissue wherever there has been stress - it is there to support the muscle - however, as more collagen is laid down, it upsets the balance of water and elastin in the muscle making it more rigid than flexible. Exercise is the most obvious one, but also sitting around doing nothing causes stiffness as well. As you sit looking at this computer, your muscles are being used, and stressed, when they stop working (when you sleep, or whenever), collagen will be laid down in the muscles around your neck, upper trapezius, SCM and scalenes. This is helping the muscles distribute the strain of what you do on a day to day basis. This collagen is basically scar tissue in your muscles.
The extra tissue slows you down, and collagen will quickly lose its elasticity. Stretching will help maintain the elasticity and flexibility which you would otherwise lose through either over or under training.

Trigger points
The exact nature of a trigger point is an area of exquisite tenderness in a muscle. The pain will often radiate or refer to another part of the body. Trigger points are areas of ischaemic tissue, and are a major cause of myofascial pain and/or dysfunction.
They develop through muscle fatigue (again, this can be from exercise, or, from sitting in front of a computer for 12 hours a day). As the muscle is contracted, individual muscle fibres begin to fatigue to beyond the limit they can function. When they shut down, they contract to the minimum length they can. At this point, the fibre is "splinted" by fibres around it which take up the strain of the fatigued fibre. Over time, these become overly fatigued, and shutdown, causing more fibres to splint them, and so on and so forth.
When you have an area of chronically contracted muscle fibre, nutrients cannot get in, and waste products cannot get out. The muscle (or specific spot in the muscle tissue) is in a state of fatigue and will cause painful restrictions in movement, and will also shut down athletic strength and ability.

Joint Capsule
The joint capsule often shares nerves with the muscles around it, and can affect the range of movement by being too tight. The muscles may become hypertonic (too tight). Sometimes if a muscle becomes injured, the ligaments and tendons around the joint may tighten up to protect the structure, as the muscle heals, collagen (scar tissue) builds up, and then the joint is restricted by more than one thing.
Joint "blocks" feel abrupt. Like a tightening of the joint. It stops you from moving into a correct range of movement. A tight joint capsule will rob you of speed and power.

So why am I so inflexible?!
Well, any number of reasons really.
Overtraining or undertraining
As mentioned above, if you train too much, or not enough, there are excessive forces placed upon the muscles. If you then don't take the opportunity to stretch and make good the new collagen laid down in your tissues, that collagen loses its flexibility and thus, you lose flexibility.
Muscles and fascia can shorten to accommodate accumulated stress in everyday life. Look around you at people staring at computer screens, their shoulders around their ears. This is a sign of excessively short levator scapula, SCM and scalenes. Its not a short term thing, the muscles and fascia have adapted to their work posture to be as efficient as possible, ie. use as little energy as possible. That means laying down more collagen to hold muscles in a shortened position. It might be efficient for the muscles, but it isn't pain free.

Trigger points manifest themselves in muscle and fascia. This is a sign that the web of fascia is becoming unbalanced. The accumulation of stresses and forces can be seen across the body as it changes posture according to what you do with it, and what is done to it by the outside world.
For example, when an injury occurs, the body automatically tries to protect the area from injury. It will do this by creating a compensation pattern. Maybe you hurt the right knee. The body will start limping, placing more emphasis on the left leg in order to spare the musculature on the right in order for it to heal. As time passes, the injury heals, but the body continues to work in the compensation pattern. You continue to limp despite the fact the pain has gone away. Even years after, a discernible movement pattern can be seen despite the fact you have forgotten that you ever hurt the knee.
These altered patterns are often a response in which the path of least resistance is taken instead of the path of greatest efficiency. This will cause the body to do more work, increasing stress and strain.

Myofascia and this causes daily aches and pains. Compensations are made and sacrifices are made in terms of speed and power, medication is sometimes relied upon to get you through training, you become slower and you are never as good as you once were. Its all blamed on getting old. But what is getting old if not the accumulation of scar tissue in places where you didn't have it when you were young? What if that tissue was flexible and pliable again?

The final point is about stress - mental, and emotional. Physical stress affects fascia and muscle. This stress and strain can feedback to the emotional side, and when you are in pain, this can be increased in a very negative way. Pain increases bad moods, depression and feelings of hopelessness. In some cases, it may be that medication is taken to make these things go away.
However, medication masks the symptoms, it does not heal them. In many cases, the liver actually has to work harder as it tries to de-toxify the blood from the medications that are being thrown into the body.
I'd just like to clarify that I'm not saying all medication is bad, but just make sure that it's healing rather than masking. If it is masking symptoms, maybe the issue is deeper and, in some cases, may well be caused by pain in myofascia.

So its not just muscle.
Now, if you think about muscle, and about fascia, and the joint capsule, if you stretch in only one direction, you are introducing stretch along one area of the tissue, and pretty much in one plane of movement. Just as a thought, might it be a good idea to introduce that stretch to more than one area of the tissues that you are trying to stretch? Might those muscles be used for more than one plane of movement? As you stretch, it is a good idea to move the body around to get the stretch into different parts of each muscle. You may find that some areas are tighter and less flexible than others. These are probably going to be places that you need to work on, areas with less mobility, range and more tissue congestion.

Its probably a good point here to note when NOT to stretch.

• If you have joint instability, stretching is not a good thing to be doing. Personally I'd look at doing some kind of rehab work with weights to gain muscle and re-introduce stability into the joint, but that's just me. 

• Infection or inflammation around the structures you are going to stretch

• Acute injury. If you have been injured in the past 48hours, please don't stretch. You are likely to make it worse. 

• Excessive pain or other negative reaction to stretching. We aren't looking for pain. Mild discomfort is the worst that you should be feeling. 

• Not wanting to stretch. If you don't want to, you don't have to. Its your body. Decide what you want to do with it.  

So when IS a good time to stretch?
Forgive me for being a little facetious when I say "anytime".
It's true to a point, but not the most useful of answers.
Stretching before exercise is fine - but only in terms of warming up - helping blood to circulate, enabling nutrients to get to the right places etc. Generally a bit of arm waving/slight cardio before a stretch is a good idea - to get blood pumping around the system, and then light stretches - nothing deep or "developmental". You are about to exercise, you want muscles, tendons and fascia to be ready to work optimally, not trying to work out why they are longer than they have been in weeks...

After exercise is also good. The tissues you have been using are "injured" - they have been used, lots of metabolic waste product is lying around, blood is potentially pooling in muscles, so a little warm down, followed by stretching to get things in line, and repairing well is a good thing.
Also - at this stage, and in the proceeding hours, collagen is being laid down in the muscles. Collagen lies along lines of stress, so in the hours after exercise, even the day after, when you are relaxing, stretching and foam rollering will help the collagen form correctly, not haphazardly, and fewer adhesions and trigger points will form.

The best time for stretching is when you aren't exercising. Not as a warm up or a warm down - just generally when you are relaxed. It should also be noted that you shouldn't necessarily rely on stretching to work knots out of your muscles, its more of a prevention rather than a cure - for that you will probably want to use a foam roller or a massage therapist. Once the knots are gone, stretching can be used to maintain the quality of the tissue.

Cracken Edge Fellrace

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Doing two races in two days was always going to be a bit of an ask. The Bradwell one was a no-brainer as it was a Glossopdale midweek counter. Cracken Edge is close to home, so it would be rude not to do it really. Also, I was told it was a pretty classic route, and also there is an internal competition for Mountain Rescue teams, so I was running it on behalf of Glossop MRT.

As it wasn't a counter for the mid-week championship it was very tempting to sit back and chillout, not worrying about it too much. I don't know why I try to kid myself like this. I don't consider myself a very competitive soul normally, but put me on a hill with more than 3 more people, and I'm game for a race, even more so if they are in different club colours to me...

We got there nice and early, registered at Kinder Mountain Rescue HQ, (the proceeds of the race were being donated to KMRT), and wandered around for a bit before heading over to the start. I had heard that it was a bit of an uphill to begin with, but when I saw it, it was a different proposition from how I had imagined. It was one of the final down hills from Kinder Trog, a narrow, steep slightly dodgy underfoot track that went on for a good few hundred yards. Apparently there was a bottleneck- a stile at some point further on as well... so I thought I'd jog up the trail to check it out. There were a good number of people doing the same, and I came across a wall with a stile in it and figured I had found the pinch point. Excellent. A jog down the hill, a look at the final descent- down a grassy hill, and to stretching.
Psoas and Iliacus were the targets today. This was a longer race than Shining Moss in which I had the psoas and diaphragm problems, and I really didn't want that happening today. A decent stretch later and I went to the start area. Crowded, chock-a-block, and with more people than looked like could fit up the path, a good start was going to be essential. I went over to the wall, and saw Darran (who I know from Mountain Leader shadowing) and Simon- the Notts AC guy whom I beat (just) in Wormstones last week. We exchanged pleasantries, and got ready for the start. A short speech thanking KMRT for the organisation and marshalling, and the hooter hooted and we were off.

I was very glad for checking out the hill beforehand, I didn't really need to look where I was going, and knew what was going on under my feet, so I was free to concentrate on not getting kicked to death by the horde around me. As expected, a number of people went off far too fast and within 100 metres, were falling back as the hill progressed at the same gradient as before. I could see John and Jules ahead of me, Gwyn was miles ahead already, and Simon snuck in front of me as well.
Top of the hill, and where I thought the pinch point was, the gate was open. So much for that then. There must be another one along the way. I could see the front runners (just) and there weren't enough people in front of me to form a significant time wasting queue should we hit a stile. I just needed to keep going.
Up, onto a track that went around and past the TV mast, and onto a moor. It undulated along and Simon and I traded places as the going got worse and better underfoot.
Aha, a stile. I accelerated and got over it before Simon, remembering his form over gates last week(!), and forged on. Through a field, over another stile (I'm quite inordinately proud of my stile jumping skills, if you hadn't gathered), but stubbed a finger on this one, and carried on left along a dirt track road, shaking my hand. Ouch.

The dirt road was not the greatest, but I only lost a place or so, but Julien was beginning to pull away from me. Left up a track, and I saw John in the distance, going up the hill. It was the last I saw of him until the finish. Up the hill we went, and predictably Simon passed me, along with a Dark Peaker and a Pennine guy. Up and up to someone taking pictures, a right and them bombing down the track again. After about 300 metres I catch back up to Simon, and eventually manage to overtake. Julien is far away in front and barely to be seen on this descent, so I carry on down to the Dark Peaker and Pennine (who was sneezing all the way down- I said bless you a few times, but never got a single "Thankyou"- mind you, he may have had other things on his mind), caught them on the final part, overtake the DPer, but left Pennine in front to open the gate.
Passed him on the final part to the metalled road, and carried on down, exchanging pleasantries with the marshals as I went.
The road started flat and we ran neck and neck, then it started plummeting down and I gained on him somewhat. We clomped down the tarmac in a small group (I think, I wasn't looking behind, but could hear a load of footsteps behind me), and all of a sudden a guy in a red vest hurtles down inbetween us at a pace that I'd generally reserve for the final descent. As he passed out of earshot, the DPer said, "don't worry lads, he'll be back with us on the climb... problem is, he can do that on the final run down as well...".

As we got to the bottom of the road he and the Pennine chap came in front of me and were able to get onto the climb before me, not too much of an issue, but the DPer just motored up the hill. It was an odd one, an easy gradient for about 20 metres followed by a sharp kick for 5, then 20 of easy gradient (but not flat), so it was all eminently runnable. At least, it was runnable had you not been going for 4 miles already. I dropped into a lower gear and started at a pace which I could keep up to the top, and began reeling in the guy in the red top that overtook us on the descent, yep, got him, and the Pennine (sneezing) guy (who I also noticed had gaffa tape around his ankle. I was (seriously) just about to engage him in conversation about how Zinc Oxide tape would be more supportive and less sweaty for a race like this, but thought better of it.  I can think of stuff like this while running. I can't be trying hard enough.

I carried on, up and up, I could see Julien in front, but didn't think I had the legs to catch him. We went passed family with 2 small kids who were clapping us, so I took the time to say thankyou to them, and smile at the photographer (I swear I don't run hard enough sometimes, talking to spectators and smiling tends to mean you aren't trying... hmmmm) and up.
I could hear someone coming up behind me, ragged of breath, but steady, as I came up on another person (on an uphill- check me out!) we went up, and along a steep cambered track which was impossible to overtake on, and then, regular as clockwork, Simon came past. Dammit. And past the guy in front.

Instant decision was made, try and keep up with him to the top. If he is going this fast, he's going to catch Julien, if I can hold on for as long as possible, maybe I can too... first things first, overtake this one. I dart around him as soon as I can, and clamber onto Simons heels. Up, and over a stile, round a corner, and you can see the top of the climb- still quite a way away, keep it going, dragging on.
The heat was oppressive, but you have to do what you have to do. Catching up with Julien, we come to the final steeper part of the climb to the top, 7 people at the top looking down on us, taking photos. I've run up to the Big Stone before, and it was horrible, I ended up walking. Today, I can see Julien walking up it too. Hmmm, would walking be more efficient? Simon doesn't think so and launches himself at the hill. Nothing for it then, lets do it. Halfway up Charlie's voice rings out- "Well done Tim! Keep it going!", I see Jules look around and he sees me for the first time in the race, not 30 yards behind. Damn. I was being SO stealthy there! Nevermind. GeoffB is up there as well with a camera- arms out wide and a big thumbs up to him... (shouldn't I be trying harder?!... but I wonder if that photo came out...)

It did. And here it is.

 "Gwyn is 2nd!" shouts Charlie- I remember shouting something back, and grinning at his camera as well, before heading over the brow of the hill and trying to catch Simon, who had leapt ahead on the final part of the climb.
A short descent to a stile, and I swear I'm beginning to lose pace. Thankfully, the stretching seems to have done the trick and there is no pain from the hip flexors or the diaphragm. I caught Simon after the stile, and overtook, and he said "theres an up hill again in a minute"- "I know, not looking forward to it!" I think I gasped back.
Now I could see Julien and his closest competitor in front of me. Buxton. Flipping heck- thats Darran. Down the grass, past another photographer (thumbs up and a smile this time), right and along a track (that in the Kinder trog had me faceplant into a verge), this time, choosing my feet a little more carefully. I strode out, trying to keep space between me and Simon, and was slowly catching Jules and Darran. Along, over a stream, undulating and round a corner, I can hear breathing behind me, but not too close. Never look around. Listen. Its the slamming gates that let you know how far people really are behind you- and look at that- a gate coming up.
Julien opens the gate, I'm gaining, Darran pushes it open as he goes through- a burst of speed and I just make it through before it crashes shut. Bonus. I don't have to spend time opening the gate, AND they think they have got through way before me..... clink, crash, the gate opens and closes about 7 seconds behind me... they think I'm there, not directly behind. Nice. Just keep up now.
Down the grassy track- I've biked down here, I know what to expect. We stretch out and speed down the hill, 3 runners in close proximity. Down and past a little knoll on the left where Alison and Andrea are standing. I'm pretty sure Jules doesn't know quite how close I am, so I make exaggerated "hush" gestures to them... but Andrea *is* his wife, and said ..."you do know who's behind you don't you"... ah well, only to be expected really.
The descent got technical, the pace slowed (ever so slightly), so I figured I'd take Darran on the outside camber, 5 steps into the manoeuvre and it goes wrong and I tumble, hill below and to the right, I roll, and am back on my feet barely having lost time, but with Darran asking if I was alright- "yeah yeah, I'm fine, not a problem" I reply and immediately try exactly the same thing on the left, I think he was a little scared I might do something really silly and slowed down a little as I tore down after Julien.
The path heads off to the right, into a gully, still "interesting" underfoot, Julien passes the Dark Peaker that I last saw at the start of the last ascent. He says something about trouble getting the gate open, and I bomb past him as well in hot pursuit. Down into the woods.

I know that the finish is around here somewhere, but I can't remember how this part relates to where it ends. Is it in 200 metres? Is it in 500? 1000? I have no idea, but I know there is a right trending slope, and we have to go down this gully first.
We plunge down, (I hope) leaving everyone far behind in our wake, through the ruts made by mountainbikers and out past a building.
Does it turn right here? Is this the end? No. A slight incline, continuing through the wood. Ah... at the end of the wood, that's the right turn, I hope it is, I don't think I can hold onto this pace much longer.
No. We jump over a stile and into a sloping field- but we have to run across it. Damn. I can see the end, its in the next 2 fields over. Its a steep camber, and I remember this from the Kinder Trog, I think I got overtake by 2 people here... Digging deep, I hang onto Juliens coattails, hoping that we aren't slowing down enough for people behind to catch up.
The field goes on forever. The camber is tiring on the legs. The heat is suffocating. Julien is running pretty damn fast.
I. Have. To. Keep. Up. You know those nagging thoughts of "I'll just take it easy for this race", "I'll see how I do", "I'm not really going to try for this one". etc. Get to 300yrds from the finish, it all goes out the window. Its the finishline or bust.
Through a gate, and the field slopes to the right, 8 posts mark the curve down the hill to the final headlong dash straight down the hill, I follow Jules down the curve, wait, wait, wait, wait. 2 posts go past. not yet. Julien is an excellent descender, and I don't want to give him the chance to re-overtake. The third, wait. not yet.
The fourth post marks just past the mid point of the curve, and I kick, going on the outside.
Ground underfoot isn't great, but I stride out, the theory being if my legs hit the right bits of ground, I'll run to the end, if they hit the wrong bits, I might just have enough momentum to roll and bounce my way to the end before Julien.
I fly. Descend like a stone, lungs bursting, legs screaming straight down the fall line into the funnel.
50:14 by my watch.
Well. That's pretty good. I don't actually care about the placing, I beat Julien. (Sorry Jules).

Darran, Pennine, DPer and Simon come in a couple of places behind and we congratulate each other on a well run race, delight in the excellent route that it took, and generally try and swat away the large number of flies and insects gathering around us. At this point I noticed that my left arm was hurting, and put it down to being bitten by a horsefly or something... ow, it really did hurt. It wasn't until about 10 mins later that I remembered that I fell over on that descent and must have rolled on that arm to get up... aaah. That explains a lot.

In the pub later, Gwyn got a prize for coming second overall, John, who I barely saw all race won the V45, in 12th place overall (in a time just outside his PB), Julien won V50 in 17th. As for the MRT prize, I'm happy to say that Glossop retained it with me, Jules and another team member (sorry, I really can't remember you name... Alistair?) being the fastest top 3 of any of the competing teams. Its quite a buzz having your name read out, and collecting a prize. I might have to try a bit harder next time...

Well done to Pennine who, as a whole and as a team had a cracking good evening, with a decent haul of alcoholic prizes. Please drink it all, it might slow you down!
Thanks to Kinder Mountain Rescue Team for putting it on, organising it an marshalling it, and to the many photographers around the course (If you read this and happen to have any of me, drop me a line, as at the moment, I have no photos to put on the blog- Lynne was at the GMRT meeting, so I'm sadly lacking in vanity photos.... and it makes this a very black and white blog)
Great to see such a good turn out as well. An excellent evening.
Here's a track of the course with all the normal stats, feel free to have a look
Tell a lie, I do have one photo which was taken on my phone for posterity.
Here it is. 

Bradwell Fell race

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the route (yes, the map is South at the top)

Fun short one today. 3.7miles with 750ft of ascent. (thats 6km and 229m for the modernists amongst us). The fastest time for last year (and current record) was 24:40, so I figured finishing about 30 mins or so. Any better than that, happy days. Slower than that and it would definitely be an off day.
Spent the day over in Hope with family, on a lovely little walk around the valley, chilling out and enjoying the mugginess. Then a nice largish meal at about 5:30pm.
Not what some people may call ideal preparation for a pretty fast run, but I figured having 2 hours or so to digest before we set off, so that gave me enough time. (Eating while running in adventure races is good practice for digesting on the go!).

Jules and his Tanlines....

Lynne and I wandered over to Bradwell at about 6:45, experience telling us we certainly wouldn't be the first people there. No, not by a long shot. There were already a swarm of Blue and Orange vests around the field, it looked like Glossopdale runners were going to form the main part of the running field.
Yes, today was another in the Midweek counters for us lot, and there was a great turn out. There was much milling around at the start. At one point, Jules (who was sporting rather delightful tanlines from a recent trip to Scotland) and I wandered to the actual start 40 yards down the road, and wondered if we were the only people that were actually going to start running on time. I wouldn't have minded... 2nd would be a pretty good result!

Eventually the rest of the runners got the message that the run was about to start and wandered over to the area. A short speech was given and the race organiser got on his bike and rode off down the road to stop the traffic at the lights. Not seen that one before!

The start, right down the road

This week we got a warning of what the call was going to be, and so everyone was ready for the "ready, steady Go" that send us hurtling on our way down the road.

What a mental start! There we were hooning off down the road for a good 6-700 metres or so, the guys on the front of the pack striding out like there was no tomorrow. No way was I going to keep up with that pace, and still be able to run for the rest of the race. I saw Gwyn prancing off at the front as if he wasn't actually trying, Charlie (who has been starting brilliantly lately) and Jules across to my left, and then pulling out in front of me. I pulled off the pace a little, allowing a little gap to open between me and the front runners. Up over some steps, and then the "upness" started.

First of all it was up a metalled road, where I gained some time back, and took back a couple of places from the minor pace slowing of 200 metres earlier. It got steeper, and there was Charlie, working his way up the hill. I passed just as we went around a corner, and up ahead, a gaggle of runners, with Jules in it.

If you look very carefully there are runners there...

Aha, I've been in this situation before - back at Shining Moss where I overtook Julien and subsequently blew up. I carried on running, and luckily, Julien was keeping going at a pace which I probably couldn't catch without blowing a fuse anyway, so I didn't need to worry too much about surprising him with an overtake.
However, as the climb got steeper and rougher underfoot, the gaggle in front of me kept resorting to walking.
Its always the way, when one person starts walking, the guy behind pretty much has to, unless there is a very convenient passing place. This kept happening in front of me, but Julien was managing to keep the running going in places and muscle through.
I kept plodding at the same pace all the way up and managed to pick one, the two of them off in slow succession. It got steeper, and then flattened out at the top, across a long field. There was one guy ahead of me in a Steel City Striders top, and quite a way in front of him, 3 runners, one of which was Jules. Right, let's see what we can do.

Across the field and a leap over the stile, turn right, and onto the bridle path. Just as I start across there I glance to my left and see the front runner belting across the moor, what half a mile ahead of me and on his way back. Wow.
I've got a bit of speed work to catch up on... no time to think about that now, think about speed work right here and now. Concentrate on the Steel city guy.
As we hooned down the bridleway, I could hear footsteps behind me, the guys I caught up and overtook on the ascent perhaps? No idea, follow Steel city.
Julien and his 2 closest competitors were disappearing into the distance, evidently trying to break each other with sudden accelerations and leaving the rest of us behind. No time to worry about that now. Up to the end of the road, around a load of people cheering us on and onto the moor. The Steel city guy had opened up some space on me on the hard pack, and the others were closing on me. But dodgy ankle turning tracks covered over with heather is my territory,
I gained on Mr Steel, and was close enough to see that he was a bit dodgy over stiles. The guy behind me was catching - I could hear him on the stile behind me. Over more fields, and up a nasty kicker of a climb. Striding away from the one behind, and cruised passed the Steel guy, who sounded like he was on his last legs, puffin all over the place. Onto flat land again, and down, then up, and over a stile. Excellent. More stiles means more gap opening up. But I can still hear the huffing puffing behind me.

Run. Run. Run.
I can't seem to get closer to the guys in front, up and over a stile (excellent), and then back onto the bridle way (but going in the opposite direction), damn. I know I'm not too slow on this, but I might not be a match for the guys behind me. I can hear them, I can hear breathing, but I keep concentrating on the massive gap between me and the 3 in front of me, and running. The path twisted and turned, and I kept planting my feet, the breathing getting closer all the time.
Then, a left turn into a field, a steep field. Yes!

I take off down the hill with wild abandon, no idea what happened behind me, if they reacted or not, brain off brakes off, and enjoy the speed, hooning down the hill, just go with it and love it. All I knew was that as I started the hill I was 100 metres behind the next guy, and by the end of it I was about 10. Down and through a field, 3 people in front, we're getting to the end now, I can't see Jules. He has obviously managed to break the guys with his speed and got on a bit ahead. Right.
Can I take these guys? We must have 500 metres to go now, I don't quite recognise the field yet, but I can see the end through a couple of hedges. When do I kick?

The 3 are closing together and one of them begins to speed up a little, we must have 400 metres now, onto a path, I still don't recognise it, but I speed up, beginning to close, then we come around a corner, and the one who is speeding up tries to overtake another.
Right, I recognise this now, we have 300 to go, just speed up - it's simple. Bang, three guys in one fell swoop. One of them is wearing a triathlon top... oh, I hope he doesn't go in for sprint finishes. Keep it going.
We come into the final part of the track with a load of spectators at the end - thats 150 to go or thereabouts, and there is no-one in front of me to catch- only people behind me. Damn.
Run faster.

Jules coming in, Thats me in the background

Someone shouts "Go on Tim". Who the heck is that?! Its not Lynne and I don't know anyone else around here... right around a sharp corner, and its a straight and then a curve around and then the end. Keep it going, there are 3 right behind me, I really really hope I haven't kicked too early, keep it going. I'm on the bend, going around, and I can see Jules finishing only 30 metres ahead, one person inbetween us, and I'm at the end of any type of anaerobic power I've ever had, face screwed up, I'm burning it all at the end, and come in. No-one overtook me from the beginning of the climb all the way to the end. 28:34. only 9 seconds behind Julien. 13th.
Not a bad run at all, though I may have been a tad fatigued at the end.

Thanks to Karen shouting at me at the end - lovely to see you in the aftermath of the run - I was a little in the knackered zone - good luck at the weekend for your rehab race.

And thats me face screwed up at the end

Gwyn came 3rd, Jules was first V50 (I didn't beat V40 or V50, but I did beat V45 by one place...). I'm slowly getting better, and I just need to convince people that they don't need to train, and I might just make up the difference.

Gwyn recieving his prize

Not feeling too bad at the moment, but the key is going to be tomorrow. I'm running Cracken edge, which is going to be a bit of a different prospect, 7 miles of so and a fair amount of ascent. Not done 2 races 2 days in a row before, that that could be amusing. Have a couple of clients as well, so a bit of work followed by a bit of play should prove to be a delightful day.

oh, and my garmin track is here

Stretching- an introduction

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Stretching, I swear that its one of those things that is the most misunderstood aspect of training. For a long time I didn't really see the point in it, and I know a large number of runners, climbers, cyclists and athletes who also don't see the point in it.
The reason being, "I do really well just as I am at the moment, and I don't stretch now, why would I want to stretch when it might make me perform less optimally?"
or
"the more I stretch the more it hurts, so I figure if I don't stretch, it won't hurt so much, and I'll just keep on going as normal".

In the past few weeks I have been asked a number of times, "Why should I stretch? Go on, convince me".
To be fair, if that is your attitude, I'm probably never going to convince you to stretch as you have your mind pretty made up that it isn't for you. Happy Days. Continue to not stretch, and watch me sail past you in the next couple of years as I continue to practice stretching, gain and retain flexibility and in so doing, continue to be fit and healthy.

Just for the record, I'll write a few bits and pieces below as to why it might be intelligent to consider adding some kind of stretching to your exercise.

The problem with poor flexibility is that it restricts how you move, and how far you can move without injury. If we take running as an example, imagine if your stride length was a little longer- if the tendons attaching muscle to bone enabled you to stretch out that little bit more and cover a slight bit more distance everytime you took a stride, it would make you faster.
If you are a climber, the suppleness would give you more ways in which to move your body to be balanced on top of a dodgy smear.
If you are a cyclist, it means that the muscles are freer to work independently of each other, and that individual muscles are able to fire individually, instead of dragging others with it, causing excessive premature fatigue.
In heavy lifters, it means that muscles are more balanced and that more muscular effort can be used for more of the time, thus making you less prone to fatigue.

Stretching creates space within joint capsules, space between layers of muscles and space in general within your tissues. This is a good thing. The more space there is, the easier it is for blood to flow around your body. More blood means more nutrients get to more places. Nutrients are obviously a good thing as it helps to heal muscles. The more efficient the flow of blood, oxygen and all that good stuff, the faster you will recover from muscular trauma. Also- if blood is getting to the muscles and tissues, as well as bringing nutrients to them, it is also efficiently transporting metabolic waste away from them as well. Lactate, hydrogen ions, the bits that make the muscle contract less well because of their presence, they are transported away from the muscles more efficiently, thus making your recovery faster, and making the muscles better, faster and, well, more efficient.
(its all about efficiency, see.)

Tight muscles, myofascia and joint capsules not only reduce range of movement, they also slow down movement within that reduced range. The feeling of tightness in a muscle will slow any movement, for fear of damaging tissue when moving.
Muscular force- the amount of force and velocity you can bring to bear over a specific range of movement is also impaired.
Speed and agility is also compromised.

SO.
Why should I stretch?
Potential benefits are these:
Better range of movement.
Better Force production over that range of movement (Power)
More efficient blood flow (and nutrient flow) to the muscles-
More efficient removal of metabolic waste- both these mean more efficient muscular recovery from aerobic AND anaerobic activity
Better proprioception- knowing exactly where your body is in space at any one time
Better agility (the ability to stop, change direction and go again)

And of course the ability to do all that without getting injured. 

If it was possible to get all these things, just with a bit of application, would you?
It seems like a no brainer to me, but then, each person makes their own decision as to what they want to do in order to train.
Look at the benefits and decide for yourself. Is it worth it to stretch?
If so, do it. If not, don't bother. I'm not here to convince you, just present you with facts so that you can make your own decisions.
Its your body, do what you want with it.


There are a number of different ways to stretch, a few myths and some untruths. There are also bad times to stretch, good times, good habits and bad habits. Its a bit of a minefield. I can understand that because of all the conflicting advice out there, there are those that don't stretch because inaction is preferable to doing something "wrong". Injuring themselves because of bad advice... that has got to be the worst thing to do.

If you disagree with anything I post, please do comment, I'd prefer it to be a discussion rather than a dissing exercise. I'd also like to point out that this is not a be all and end all, just accumulation of knowledge I have gained thus far. If there are other sources of information on stretching, please do point me in their direction.