Not only is stretching overrated according to some, but it actually has a negative effect on running economy! Over time, if you keep doing a given activity, your body will adapt to make it easier. You build up critical muscle mass, learn to use oxygen and glycogen stores more efficiently... so why then would flexibility be reduced if it too wasn't beneficial? Ok, so this argument kind of makes sense to me, good thing I only stretch on the weekends. Plus (skip the rest of this paragraph if you don't want to get too technical), people who suffer from mild forms of clubfoot are naturally better sprinters/jumpers because their tendons are pre-loaded (contrary to popular belief, clubfoot is not a bone deformity, but results from tendons being too short and yanking the bones out of alignment). For example, Kristi Yamaguchi and Mia Hamm both have clubfoot.
But wait. The last time I forgot to stretch on Sunday, I paid for it Monday. By mid-week, I couldn't even swing my leg enough to get a normal stride in, never mind touch my toes. I started running funny, so then my foot hurt, then my back, then my knee, and on and on... I was a mess by the weekend. And, well, the "less stretch" a muscle/tendon/ligament has, the more likely it is to tear/rupture. And, the article goes on to say that runners with greater hip flexibility are faster. Additionally, the author points out that people suffering from shortened Achilles tendons / calf muscles are more prone to injury.
Bottom line -- while you may be more efficient for a day or so if you don't stretch... you'll be way less efficient when you wind up rupturing/tearing something! On that note, I think I'll stick with stretching on Sundays... and maybe I'll add in a few more days just for kicks.
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