In our first blog post ‘Marathon training for busy people’ we briefly touched upon 5 tips that could help you optimize your training when you have a busy schedule and help you train for your first marathon. Some of the tips we covered were: getting your week runs in by running in the early morning, sticking to a training plan, and training alone. We also spoke about the importance of stretching in your marathon training. In my role as a coach I'm often asked 'should I really pay attention to stretching if I'm a runner'. This question becomes even more important for busy marathon runners who might jeopardize this key element in their training plan due to a lack of time or because they don't understand the importance of stretching.
Stretching for the busy marathon runner should be a key element in his or her training plan. In this blog post we will discuss reasons why stretching is important for a runner and why you should include it in your training plan.
To stretch or not to stretch
There’s been wide debate as to the role of stretching in injury prevention. Recent studies have found that stretching is not significantly associated with injury prevention (you can find such a study here: A Large, Randomized, Prospective Study of the Impact of a Pre-Run Stretch on the Risk of Injury in Teenage and Older Runners). Stretching might not play a role in injury prevention, but it still should be part of your marathon training because of the benefits it has for a runner. Before we get into the benefits let's delve into the types of stretching and the place they should have in your marathon training.
Static and dynamic stretching
When we talk about stretching we can make a distinction between static and dynamic stretching. Static stretching is any stretch which is held in a comfortable position for a short period. Static stretching is a good way to improve overal flexibility and is a great alternative for rest days. Another great option for rest days or even low impact days is to implement yoga routines in your training.
The benefits of static stretching include:
- Increased flexibility which will in turn help you move more efficiently and therefor be more efficient during your runs
- Balance your body; muscle tightness, which might be the result of drastic mileage increase or running intensity (especially for rookie runners), can cause imbalances in your body's alignment. Body imbalances increase a runner's chances of injuries which a static stretching routine can tackle during rest days or low impact days by releasing tension in those tight muscles.
Dynamic stretching is a great addition to your running regime and is a great way to warm up prior to your run. Depending on the type of dynamic stretch you do, you can help warm up the muscles used during your run by mimicking running motions which in turn help these muscles be more efficient during your actual run. The bottomline is that dynamic stretching builds intensity and prepares the body for peak performance.
By now I hope you see the importance of making space for stretching routines in your training program. Eventhough you are pressed on time, a 5 minute dynamic stretch routine during a pre-run warm-up can help your run and increase your performance. For rest days or low impact days, you can do yoga stretches or static stretches to further work on getting rid of those tight muscles and increase flexibility and body balance.
Not having enough time is not a valid excuse because sooner or later, any beginner runner, who is only running and not respecting a balanced training plan, will find themselves struggling with tight muscles and injuries that could have been prevented by the simple act of stretching. Word of caution: prior to any stretching routine, make sure you warmed up briefly by doing a quick walk or walking in place to warm up your muscles and prevent injuries.
Don't hesitate to reach out to our team who can assess your needs and help you with a personalized training and nutrition plan. For now, do let us know in the comment section how you've implemented stretching into your routine or the role it has in your marathon training!
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