While I stay in my home and distance myself from others, I have had a lot of time to think. My mind often goes to the sport I love – running. I’ve realized something recently that I already knew but haven’t yet gotten down on paper. Running itself hasn’t kept me connected to the sport for more than two decades, it’s the runners themselves.
I rely on the running community for more than just broken records and thrilling performances. Running gives a platform to change the world, especially when women often have difficulty being heard. I rely on the strong voices and actions of others to bring strength and action to my own practices.
For example, when Shalane Flanagan won the NYC Marathon I was inspired to run a marathon myself. When Mary Cain bravely told her story of abuse, it gave me certainty that educating and advocating for young female runners is, indeed, essential. These women have given me strength in my own platform as a physical therapist who is passionate about helping runners achieve their goals, guiding young female runners with the hopes that they will build a healthy relationship with running. These are a few examples of when runners have inspired me to be a better physical therapist and provided a connection to hope for better times ahead.
Oct 5, 2017: I sat in my basement and watched Shalane Flanagan win the NYC Marathon. It was Shalane’s first major marathon win, the first time an American woman won the race in 40 years, and it just felt so big. With tears streaming down my face, I texted my friend the words, “I need to run a marathon.” Considering the only marathon I had run at that point had ended miserably, Shalane gave me some serious inspo. I proceeded to run 1.5 marathons in a 6 month period. Thanks, Shalane! But Shalane’s reach goes beyond her own running and my marathon attempts. She is well known among her former teammates as someone who has a “reach down, pull up” attitude. “The Shalene Effect” was even coined to describe her unique leadership style. Other runners simply get better from being teammates with Shalane, who helped create a culture of inclusiveness and mentorship on her team. My personal Shalane effect reminded me that there is education in the toil. Taking to the roads and training toward my own running goals helps me understand the experiences of the patients I treat. I already knew why other people would run a marathon, but Shalane reminded me of why I would run a marathon. You may risk injury and time spent with your physical therapist (hi!), but the accomplishment on the other side of the finish line is worth the effort.
April 16, 2018: I watched Des Linden win the Boston Marathon. The night before the race, I listened to a podcast with Des that left an impression on me. Her message of “keep showing up” after both success and failure is astute, although not the sexy, exciting, get-fast-quick bits of advice we often search for. On the Boston Marathon race day, my hopes were high for Des. I stood with my eyes glued to the TV screen, feeling the excitement of watching the first American woman to win in 33 years. Des exemplifies consistency in running. Taking a gradual approach to training, not building mileage too quickly, and thinking about goals over years instead of months are all examples of what I preach to patients. As running goes, consistency is a virtue and Des is the embodiment.
May 12, 2019: Allyson Felix, Kara Goucher, Alysia Montaño, and Lindsay Crouse are all undeniably fast runners. Allyson has won six Olympic gold medals. Kara is twice an Olympian and a national champion. Alysia ran the 2017 US Outdoor Track and Field Championships at 34 weeks pregnant. Lindsay Crouse is a senior editor at the New York Times and qualified for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. While they are individually impressive, together they got Nike to ensure that female athletes won’t lose their pay and health insurance due to pregnancy. No brainer, right? Wrong. Before they teamed up, Nike athletes’ contracts would be “paused” due to pregnancy, which was treated like an injury. There are many problems with treating pregnancy like an injury, including the fact that no other injury concludes with the creation of a human, who then is fully dependent on their creator. Having had a baby myself, all of this hit home. I can appreciate the impossibleness of resuming training and racing after child birth and while caring for a newborn. I cannot comprehend my job depending on my athletic ability. Childbirth changed (i.e. wrecked) me. My child is 10 months old and I will feel recovered … any minute now? Running a race of any length before this point? Good lord. It’s hard to imagine. That’s why I appreciate the shared lived experiences of Alysia, Allyson, Kara, and so many others. I am reminded that each parent I see in the clinic has so much going on under the surface that could affect their ability to heal from a physical injury. All parents need to be met with kindness, fairness, and support. A note about Lindsay Crouse: You may not know this, but I started my professional career as a journalist. I have tremendous respect for the people who bring us news and affect change with their reporting. Lindsey Crouse is an example of how we can change society when we ask questions, cultivate trust from our sources, and synthesize complex issues into words.
Nov. 7, 2019: Mary Cain stepped forward this year (with the help of Lindsay Crouse) with her story of running for Nike and experiencing verbal, mental, and physical abuse from her world-renowned coach, Alberto Salazar. Mary is brave to publicly share her experience and call for change to the sport. Running culture – especially coaches who guide young women – should respect women’s bodies, minds and spirits. No runner is the same and no female runner should be held to the standards of a biologically dissimilar standard (see: men). Winning at all costs is unacceptable, especially when the cost is a person’s physical, mental, and emotional health. This story is an example of what drives me in the clinic to talk to young women about things I never imagined myself discussing: periods, hormones, and how mental health affects our physical selves. There have been times when I’ve doubted myself: do young women really need this information? Or am I projecting my fears onto other people? Mary’s story is an example of how toxic running culture can be for women and just how important it is to provide education and treatment specific to women’s unique needs.
There is the old adage that you can’t know where you’re going until you realize where you’ve been. As a physical therapist, I’ve been on a journey of trying to serve my running community, trying to inspire women to care for their bodies, and to absorb the lessons my successes and failures are meant to teach me along the way. It is the season of silver linings. So as I stay at home, distanced from the work that has driven me for the past 3 years and counting, I’m thankful for the time to reflect on the people who’ve shaped me as an athlete, a clinician, and a woman.
Katie Noble is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, a journalist, and a runner. She enjoys empowering and supporting female runners with evidenced-based education.
Dr. Katie Noble, PT, DPT, SCS 