Overstretching

[Liezl]

Hi there,

I have stumbled accross your article this morning on how being too flexible can be bad for a runner. I am definitely one of those unlucky one who can lie down flat on my knees with my nose without feeling even a twinge in my hamstrings. I have started running ''seriously'' in the last 5 months or so - doing 5k's road and then trail runs and then moving onto 10km road and trail run races. The problem is that two days after a race my calves swell up as well as my ankles but badly. Same with my quads and buttocks sometimes. I do stretch properly (but I think that is the problem) after races and I stretch continueously during the day and whenever I get the chance (calves, gluts, quads, hamstrings). It always feels as if the muscle is a bit sore, in other words, feel like I am stretching a muscle but only with my quads, gluts and hip flexors. Calves and hammies rarely feel anything, but gets very swollen so that is the problem. I have done full bloodcounts to check if its something like liver, heart, lungs, kidneys etc etc but I am as healthy as an ox in those departments.

Should I rather not stretch at all? Not even after a race? Also to mention I have very very flat feet!

Any help would be highly appreciated. (I never have any problems with my upper body - but I dont stretch that so excessively.

[The Cougarkid]

u shud do a light dynamic warm up before ure running, ie, lunges/ leg swings. and do ure stretching after the run. by stretching throughout the day, especially if ure stretching hard you are causing tiny micro tears in your muscles before you've even started your 10k run. which is why ure probably experiencing this trouble, your muscles are simply over taxed.

i think that pretty much good advice, if not im sure kurz will give you the low down.

peace

[Broncco]

u shud do a light dynamic warm up before ure running, ie, lunges/ leg swings. and do ure stretching after the run. by stretching throughout the day, especially if ure stretching hard you are causing tiny micro tears in your muscles before you've even started your 10k run. which is why ure probably experiencing this trouble, your muscles are simply over taxed.

i think that pretty much good advice, if not im sure kurz will give you the low down.

peace

Lunges are dynamic stretches only for very tight people or for everyone?

[The Cougarkid]

I would say it wouldn't matter. it's pretty much considered in the kurz book/dvd that the leg swing's/dynamic movements shud be done as a warm up and all heavy stretching done at the end.

I spose the only difference being that someone whos tight or loose although doin the same excercises would look different doin them. ie, one would be kicking or lunging in a greater range as a warm up than the other.