Marathon, To Stretch or Not To Stretch

Aimman

I’m sure we all adhere to the age old proven technique of a good warm up and warm down including stretches before and after training and races etc. But what about after a marathon?

For the first few marathons I did, I had the ritual of walking around for a while and then going through the usual stretches etc.

After a while I read in a marathon training book that the author didn’t advise stretching after a marathon because ‘After hours of pounding down the road, your leg muscles are injured and possibly have a small about of tearing and bleeding in them, and the last thing you should subject them to, is a series of stretches to irritate them further.’ (charming) :eek:

Since then, I haven’t stretched after running training runs and races more than 18M distance (probably because I keep visualising my muscles ripping and tearing at each stretch), I just walk about for a little while to cool down. I never noticed any difference after the races, and usually had the same rate of recovery etc, whether I stretched or not after very long runs.

I was just wondering what other people do after marathons, or does anybody else subscribe to the ‘not stretching’ technique?

Aimman

lol, 107 views, and I must be the only one who doesnt to stretches after a marathon.

I better check that book again,

RJC

I always stretch before and never after running - irrespective of distance.

RoyMcC

There are just too many schools of thought out there to be definitive about stretching. However I think the majority of athletes/runners would now advocate a dynamic warm-up and only light stretching, if at all. The various quad, hammy & calf stretches that runners tend to do before races are (I think) more to pass the time than to produce any benefits.

I don't know enough of the science to comment on the business of damaging the legs further by stretching after a marathon. Personally I like to do a dynamic warm-down - i.e. once the heart rate has settled, bring it up again with some strides and drills. In this I seem to be pretty much alone but it works for me.

However, in practice I'm more likely to sit in a dark corner afterwards until my body returns to something like normality

What do the top guys/gals do - just a jog warm-down?

TFBubendorfer

Aimman wrote: »

I’m sure we all adhere to the age old proven technique of a good warm up and warm down including stretches before and after training and races etc.

And I'm sure we don't. I never do static stretching, neither before nor after a training run or a race. I'm convinced that stretching, at least the kind I see almost everyone who's stretching is doing, is more likely to get you injured.

I do some dynamic stretching before races and interval workouts, nothing afterwards, and certainly nothing after a marathon.

Condo131

Light jog on way to start with some easy stretches.

I learnt a valuable lesson some years ago. Seamus O'Donnell won the marathon (Dublin 1992) and he came against me as he was running back to his hotel, when I was around the 25 mile mark.

Later on, as I was sitting (and sore) in Heuston Station, waiting for the train home, I spotted him walking around the station. If you didn't know he'd just done 2:17, you would not have thought he'd run at all.

After that I took to jogging for about 15 min, after every marathon (at about 20 min miling - or so it always seems :rolleyes:) I reckon it's well worth doing - I feel much freeer in the following days, however I do very little stretching afterwards, figuring that I'll only do more damage to the body - there's time enough in the days afterwards to do plenty of gentle stretches.

Aimman

TFBubendorfer wrote: »

And I'm sure we don't. I never do static stretching,

I always took it for granted, that people did static stretches before runs, based on looking around near the start line and seeing so many people in the usual stretch positions.

Likewise, at the end of a marathon, lots of people go through the motions again and stretch.

What I'm probably not seeing, is the elites and fast runners cooling down afterwards with their techniques, because they are all showered and in the pub by the time I get to the finish line

How Strange

We went to the physio tent last year and the physios were doing some gentle stretching exercises so we did that for about 5 mins. But it was SORE It definitely feel like something my legs wanted to do. I can't say if it did any good as I was still in a jock for a few days after.

If you can't or don't want to stretch then have a lukewarm bath of epsom salts when you get home. That will help ease out the leg muscles.

TFBubendorfer

Actually an ice batch is supposed to be a lot more effective.

Not that I have ever done that myself, and no plans of doing so, ever. It's just theoretical knowledge in this case.

Aimman

Oh yes, the only thing that keeps me going fot the 26M is getting home, putting on some soft music, grabbing my favourite book and sliiping into a lovely ice bath. :eek:

I've heard very good things about it, but I reckon I'll leave that technique for someone else. I dont mind the plunge pool after a sauna, but even if I plucked up the courage to sit in a bath of ice, I reckon the legs will give up altogether and I wouldnt be able to get back out. Imagine the embarrasment of having to get help out of an ice bath, after the crown jewels go into hiding in search of warmer climates.