Precision training

Sarah finished our five-mile loop twenty minutes ago and she’s still stretching. Not casual stretching—methodical, timed stretching with an actual stopwatch app on her phone. Twenty seconds per muscle group, no shortcuts.

Precision training

I’m sprawled on the couch with my water bottle, watching her work through what appears to be a comprehensive flexibility protocol. She’s explaining something about preventing IT band issues while transitioning into a standing quad stretch that looks like it requires actual balance skills.

She actually times her stretches. Twenty seconds each.

Meanwhile I did exactly three toe touches and called it good. But Sarah’s been injury-free for two years of consistent running, and I pulled something weird in my calf last month just getting out of bed. Maybe there’s something to this whole ‘proper recovery’ thing she keeps mentioning.