Stretching - Warm Up, Cool Down
Sweat First!
Ideally you should stretch after you break a sweat. There is risk of injury when stretching cold muscles. Running about a half mile very slowly then stopping to stretch is ideal. During winter this is not practical so if you stretch before you run, be gentle. After the run, schedule 2 to 5 minutes to stretch.
Dont run to the Doctor
As a coach, this is a classic question and my response. We will all have some aches and pains along the way, the question of going to a doctor or just how to deal with the set back will be a common occurrence.
"Have a question for you. The past few days I've noticed clicking in my knee - mostly when I'm going up stairs. It's not really painful, other than the aches I have all over just from this sudden running that my body isn't used to - that's to be expected. Yesterday there seemed to be some swelling behind my knee area (the point on the back of the leg where it bends) so I put ice on it for a while. Today, it doesn't hurt but its still clicking as I walk up stairs. I realize you are not a doctor, but do you think I should not run again unless I see a doctor first? I hate to miss my miles already. "
My response:
No need to run to a doctor, I'll save you a trip!