My Two Cents on Stretching

So I see a lot of debate on whether to stretch before or after a run.

To me it's quite simple. Take a few minutes to get it done. Your body will thank you sooner and later.

Tight muscles are why I spent six months going to the physical therapist to get stretched and dry needled. I thought it was because I had a calf strain, but the real reason was that my muscles were tight.

Tight muscles are not able to absorb shock as well as muscles that are loosened and ready for action. I've taken the extra few minutes to stretch my hamstrings and my calves before and after every run (when muscles are warmed up, especially in the Georgia heat). Between that and adjusting to a midfoot strike, I've been healthy and it's been nearly a year since I had my calf outbreak that sent me to the therapist.

Funny story-- many years ago, I thought that when I lost weight I would be able to touch my fingers to my toes while my legs were straight. So I lost the weight, but I still couldn't get it done without bending my knees.

Turned out that my muscles were tight and that I was very inflexible. A regular stretching program takes care of that and prepares them for action.

Some decent weeks of running around here-- 25-ish miles each of the last three weeks, and we are on pace for a fourth this week. When there was no school there was no structure to my days and I'd run twice a week instead of five as is teh case now.

My monthly goal for each month in 2016 is to run 90 or more miles, and I'll make it this month to make it 50/50 on achieving this goal. On the months I've missed, I've come way short, but the times I've made it, I've only had a few miles to spare. So I was 70 miles short (380 miles at the end of May, behind the goal of 450). I should get a few miles back in June.

90-mile Months

Now that school has been out for several weeks, running has not been the priority I want it to be. It was easier when I had the structure of being on campus and being at a certain place by a certain time. I knew what to do the night before and the next morning.

So I set monthly goals in Garmin Connect of 90 miles for the month. Goals I reached in both March and April, mainly by breaking it down even further, into weekly segments of 20+ miles. Long runs weren't a thing, so I'd run enough four and five-milers to make it happen. It's pretty amazing what you can accomplish when you set your mind to something and commit to it. Georgia heat and humidity are both in full effect so not all of the runs have been good ones, but I'm concentrating on closing the door behind me and taking off.

Through five-plus months of the year, I've run 410 miles, averaging almost 19 per week. I'm off to a good start this month, with a rare Sunday run (an eight-miler, which is also uncommon) leading to me being well ahead of schedule for June. Hopefully I can put a big number up and erase the 70-mile deficit I've made.

My goal by setting the bar at 90 is to make it to 1,080 miles for the year. Still very much within reach. I'm incredulous at one of my running friends who has already made it to 1,000 miles, or about 40 miles weekly. I'm only north of 40 when I'm in marathon mode, and that isn't happening anytime soon.

Another priority I made at the start of the year is to be OK with shorter runs as I finish school. It required a change of mindset, as I used to think I hadn't really 'ran' that day unless I bagged a six or better. Shorter distances are working well for me at this point, and I'll add in some 400 and 800 repeats along the way.