Hello, this is Coach Claire Bartholik and you are listening to our weekly audio blog on the Run to the Top Podcast. Today's episode is an

article called, is Stretching Before Running Bad.

Expand your concept of flexibility to improve as a runner and it's a guest post

written by Greg Stroseker. One of the more controversial topics in running, other than the debate over footwear choices, is the importance of flexibility.

Coaches, experts, and runners disagree over the role flexibility plays in preventing injury or boosting performance,

how to improve it, and even its very definition.

This post reviews some of the debate over stretching and attempts to provide some definition

and then finishes with an introduction to a wide spectrum of approaches to building flexibility in a manner that is as specific as possible to running.

Defining the concept of flexibility

is not a straightforward concept.

There are at least three definitions of flexibility

that may matter for runners. One, the first concept of

flexibility that may matter for runners. One, the first concept is of passive flexibility,

which describes the ability of a muscle,

ligament or tendon ability to assume and hold an extended position while

under an external force such as your body weight.

Such flexibility is often thought of and assessed as a reach and hold motion,

such as bending at the waist to touch your toes while keeping your knees straight.

Two, a second concept is your active flexibility.

This is the range of motion you can achieve using your own strength with no external forces.

An example would be lying on your back and extending your leg into the

air to stretch your hamstring without using your hands or a stretching strap to aid the

...