Rather than doing the old fashion toe touch, where you bounce forward and lean forward from the waist, which can put some extra pressure on your lower back, Al's going to do a safer version by bending his knee, putting both hands on that bent knee, in order to protect the lower back while stretching the extending leg. He's going to hold it there gently for 20 to 30 seconds, never stretching to the point of pain.
The next stretch works on your iliotibial band, or ITB. The ITB runs down the side of your leg, from your hip down to your knee and is common sore spot for runners, especially as they increase their mileage or if they're running on banked surfaces.
The way to stretch the ITB is to put one leg across the other, push your back hip out to the side and then swing your arm over to make yourself into a giant "C." Once again, Al's not stretching to the point of pain, never bouncing the stretches, and holding it there for 20 to 30 seconds.
If you follow these precautions: Don't increase your mileage too fast and use proper footwear and maintain an adequate strength and strength program, you'll be able to have a long healthy running career just as Al has. Enjoy your run.
