Discussion: Illogical

36hrs post-exertion is when you'll be at your worst in terms of stiffness and soreness - it takes that long for all the body's inflammatory processes to peak.

sorry my post was a bit vague - generally I don't stretch at all - only time I start doing stretching is when I am trying to address a flexibility issue or know I am ramping up training. ( I know my practice here is very sloppy)

Last night comment was aimed at - even though I stretched straight after my running the night before I was significantly tighter, than I would be normally a day after running when I haven't stretched.

My comment about using the prior nights stretching as a bench of comparison is incorrect though - you are right there.

I didn't read any of that analysis into it - I just took it at face value i.e. it makes sense you felt tighter a day later. Simple. Stretching is over-rated anyway, unless, as you say, there is a pre-existing issue. Less muscle stiffness is far more important than range of motion, in my opinion, but generally muscle stiffness can't be altered all that much, whereas RoM can.

I agree its over rated - in fact the last time I was properly flexible was when I snapped my ACL - the DR and physios comments aligned at the point that my flexibility was probably a contributing factor as I was able to get my leg to an angle it shouldn't have been on.

That said I do find some level of flexibility important especially in ROM and I am well behind that point - I do find that it does slightly (ever so much) ease the tightness/stiffness to which is a benefit when I go from doing practically nothing to a lot quickly.