To get a good start in your next race, you should warm-up and stretch your muscles. Improperly stretching a cold muscle before running can cause injury. It's like waking up on a cold December morning and not warming up your car. You wouldn't jump in and go 100 miles per hour, especially if you're an older model. Unless you are a 2005 Porsche Boxter you need a warm-up before leaving pit row. A thorough warm-up before stretching heats up your muscles and prepares them for a thorough stretching routine.

Your warm-up should be gradual and last for 10 to 15 minutes. Begin with a slow-intensity jog or a brisk walk to rev-up your engine. Once you feel warm and your heart rate has increased, begin your stretch program. Remember, stretching should not be painful. Focus on the major muscle groups in the legs, back, and arms. You should hold the stretch for 15 to 30 seconds for 3 to 5 repetitions. Your total pre-run stretch time should last approximately 10 minutes.

A good stretching program should include stretches for your buttocks, hips, thighs, and calves, such as the quadriceps, calf, hamstring, and iliotibial band stretches that follow this article. (Click here for a PDF file of the stretching program illustrated to the right) Stretching these main regions can help to reduce muscle soreness after a run. You must also be careful of how you stretch. Technique is very important in injury prevention. Runners should avoid stretching too quickly, because it can cause the muscle to respond with a strong contraction and increase tension. Prolonged stretching is better. Do not stretch past the point at which you begin to feel tightness in the muscle. You should let pain be your guide. If your vehicle starts rattling and making noise, you stop and listen. You should listen to your body, as well. If the stretch begins to cause pain, decrease the amount of stretch. No pain, no gain is an overplayed philosophy that can cause injury and put you out of the race.

Just as you warm-up, you should also cool down with stretching. Use the same stretches that you used to warm-up with to cool down. Cool down stretching increases your flexibility and improves your performance on the next run.

Lisel Wally, PTA and J. Benjamin Belle, PT
Columbus, Georgia