For Joggers and Runners

[Thinker]

Originally Posted by Sparkle

This is a shaping up to be a great thread!

I'm going to take the advice and try to consciously slow down and not worry about my pace.

Thoughts on warming up and stretching, anyone?

There seem to be conflicting beliefs on the effectiveness of stretching before a run. I often have a lot of tightness in my calves and it can make my run painful.

I'm a big, big fan of stretching. I tore my right hamstring when I was in high school, and it bothers me even on long distance *drives*. Seriously. So I don't do anything active without a good 10-15 minute stretching session; I stretch everything with extra attention on my hamstrings and groin.

I've heard/read the recommendation that a light 5-minute jog is all you need.......or is recommended *before* stretching......but I just can't. I do the stretching before anything else and then again after I'm done and after my heart rate gets back to normal.

Interested to hear what others have to say about it.