Projo Running Blog

June 16, 2006 Archives

Stretching is an aspect of running that so many of us neglect to do, but Danny Gough strongly urges those runners embarking on his Breakers Marathon ``Get Out There!’’ training program to integrate it into every workout.

Here, he explains why: ``Proper stretching before and after your runs will help prevent injury. Furthermore, the empirical formula of running your fastest is the following: Speed = Stride Length x Stride Frequency. To just run the mileage without stretching before and/or after each workout is to ignore half of the equation. Stride frequency increases as your training progresses and you become stronger, but stride length can only increase by stretching on a regular basis.’’

Gough suggests that runners aim to do a minimum of 10 minutes of stretching before and after each training run. And he says, ``If time is a factor and you can’t afford 10 full minutes of stretching, remember that some stretching is always better than no stretching at all.’’