last night TNT had an injury prevention clinic at the hospital for special surgery on the upper east side. i honestly only absorbed about half the information from the presentations because i was too busy staring at the handsomeness that is dr. metzl. im contemplating faking injury just to go to his office!

when i was fully paying attention i learned a lot about rookie mistakes, common running injuries and how to treat them. coach ramon, as always, was highly entertaining. i comprehend only about 2/3 of what he's saying because his ricky ricardo accent is so thick. thankfully his over-animated personality aides in translation!

the debate of stretching vs. not stretching came up, an issue that has lately become more controversial among runners. when you break it down, its really all about preference and what works the best in each individuals routine. personally, i like to do a little stretching post run to relieve muscle tension and work on my flexibility. one of my new years resolution is still to be able to touch my toes and i intend on keeping it! stretching is also good when it comes to preventing and treating injury, think, physical therapy.

some stretching do's and don'ts from running.about.com

Do...

• warm up thoroughly first
• ease into a stretching routine
• only static stretches (slow, rhythmic movement)
• pay attention to your breathing (take deep belly breaths)
• make stretching a habit
• relax
• listen to your body

Don't...

• hold your breath
• bounce
• force a stretch
• hold painful stretches
• hurry through your routine
• compete