Is Stretching a Waste?

''There is a school of thought that says you shouldn't stretch at all,'' says Smillie, ''the reasoning being that some doctors have encountered athletes who have been injured while stretching. That's the extreme point of view. But by far the majority of opinion, both practical and theoretical, is that stretching --- improving flexiblity and mobility -- is good for preventing injury, for preventing muscle soreness and for making the body more efficient.''

The basic pre-activity routine is to do five to 10 minutes of light activity to get blood flowing and muscles warm -- light aerobics, light cycling, brisk walking all work well -- followed by five minutes or so of light stretching. After your workout session, it's more of the same -- five to 10 minutes of light activity, followed by a longer stretching session.

The only variables within the routine will be the kinds of stretches you do. If you're going to plunge into the pool for a couple of kilometres of breaststroke, you'll want to stretch the muscles of your arms, back and chest. If you're going to head out for an afternoon of mountain biking, you'll want to stretch leg, hip and back muscles.

Drew Mitchell, the intermediate runner who has volunteered to share his training routines with The Vancouver Sun in the weeks leading upto the Sun Run, has worked out his own system of warm-up and cool-down. If he's at the gym, he'll jump on a stationary bike for five to 10 minutes or, on the trail, he'll walk for a good 10 minutes. Then he'll spend another five minutes doing light stretching -- to ensure his muscles and joints are ready for a run.

''I've honed my own routine after years of running,'' says Mitchell. ''But sometimes I'll modify the routine slightly if I've gone out skiing or something that weekend and I'm feeling a little stiff.'' He also pays particular attention to making sure his particular problem areas -- the iliotibial bands and hip flexors -- are limber.

Less-experienced runners, especially those brand-new to the activity, often tend to forego warm-ups and cool-downs. And while the body can take a certain amount of stress -- as can a car -- eventually it tends to break down, most often in an overuse injury.

Our novice runner, Megan Stuart-Stubbs, was doing pretty well for a beginner. She was walking to warm up and to cool down, and doing stretches after her training sessions. What kind of stretches? ''I don't know,'' she says with a bewildered shrug, ''the bending kind.'' Well, it's a start. But for a little workshop on flexibility, we headed out to Peninsula Runners in White Rock, run by husband-wife running marvels Paul and Lynn Williams. Paul, whose running career includes Canadian records in the 3,000-, 5,000- and 10,000-metre events, took Megan through a good basic routine of stretches. ''We'll start with a calf stretch,'' he said, leaning into a wall, one knee bent, the other leg extended. Megan assumed a similar position.

''You don't want to feel burning,'' Paul said. ''Because if you feel burning, it means you're going too far. It's the body's defence mechanism.'' The measure of too far will vary from person to person, because some people are simply more flexible than others. So don't feel you have to match or exceed your stretching partner's range. As Paul said, it's not a contest.

After the calf stretch, Paul showed Megan proper form for stretching the quadricep and hamstring muscles, and for making the muscles of the lower back and groin more flexible. When you're doing your pre-activity routine, stretches should be held for about 15 seconds -- and no bouncing. When you're doing your post-activity routine, which is where you're really working on improving flexibility, stretches should be held for 15 to 30 seconds minimum -- and again, don't bounce in your stretching.

How will you know if your warm-ups and cool-downs sessions are adequate? ''If you've warmed up properly, you should have a slight feeling of being flushed,'' Paul explained. ''If you get out the door and you're cold or you're feeling tight, then you're not sufficiently warmed up. ''After your session, after the cool-down, you should have an almost euphoric feeling.''Megan, I noticed, is looking skeptical. I ask if she's experienced post-session euphoria. ''Euphoria might be pushing it a bit,'' she snorted, ''but I have felt more relaxed after running.''

WARM-UP TIPS

Move arms, legs and trunk continuously to get blood flowing faster by walking, jogging slowly, riding a stationary bicycle or doing light aerobics for five to 10 minutes before a run. After warming up, do slow, easy stretches of legs, hips and lower back. Hold each position for at least 10 seconds. Repeat once or twice.

COOL-DOWN TIPS

Keep muscles active for 10 to 15 minutes after your run by doing a less-intense version of your warm-up, e.g. moderate walking speed instead of brisk. After cooling down, do the same stretches as in your warm-up. Use slow, static stretches and hold for 15 to 20 seconds.