Stretching - An Urban Legend?

I can hear the groans now - is this chick REALLY going to talk about stretching AGAIN?  But seriously people, this is one of my constant musings while running, so I feel the urge to share with all of you, only because I love you dearly.

Also, I mean, you're the ones who are silly enough to be reading my blog...

So today I did a very unusual thing - I stretched before running.  Granted, I did not sit down for 20 minutes and hold the stretch for 30 seconds, etc, etc, but I did do the butterfly, which I haven't done in FOREVER and I did touch my toes several times, as well as stretch my hamstrings.  It was a conscious effort to encourage flexibility in my aching, tight muscles.  And you wanna know what happened?  I felt WORSE while I was running.  Yesterday, when I did not stretch, I effortlessly completed 9 miles.  Today, I was way more aware of my body's movements and my body's pains and troubles and five miles wore me out.

(Perhaps that is a good thing actually, this whole paying attention to your body...but let me whine for a few more minutes.)

Therefore, I really do have to question this whole "stretching" phenomenon.  I have to ask, is this just something that flexible people have come up with to make themselves feel better about their Gumbi-like, abnormal bendability?  Is it something created to make people who do things like, oh yoga, feel like they are getting exercise, because they can do that and I, someone who runs more than they can, cannot?  A cruel joke inflicted on the bendably challenged?  But everywhere I turn, I read about the benefits of stretching.  Runner's World assures me that if I take the time to improve my flexibility, I will actually be able to improve my running and decrease my times.  Other articles teach me that if I can train myself to make it through a yoga class, one painful move at a time, then I will be able to endure longer, harder runs.  So here is the great question - do I defer to these little gems of wisdom or do I dismiss them as the mere whimsical musings of doctors, trainers, and experienced athletes?  Well, I'm trying very hard to defer to them but let me tell you...it's going to be a challenge to convince myself that it's a good idea to stretch before running again.