The new year often brings beginning runners out of the woodwork and onto the roads (and treadmills). Welcome to the party, new runners! I'm so glad you're here. A new hobby goes hand-in-hand with setting new goals. I was recently asked for "tips" for beginning runners. Why yes, thank you for asking and where doContinue reading "New year, new runners"

Recently I was stationed for 9 hours on a golf cart at the corner of Larned and Rivard in downtown Detroit at mile 25 as 10,000 runners filtered past me during the Detroit Marathon. As a member of the Detroit Marathon medical team, I provided medical care for runners, if they should need it. AtContinue reading "Why run a marathon?"

Another year, another Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.  Another female athlete sexualized. This year, Naomi Osaka is featured as the cover model. Osaka is a 4-time world majors tennis champion and a recent advocate for athletic mental health, as she dealt with the stress of high-level athletics and fame publically.  I’m just going to raise myContinue reading "It continues: Sexualization of Women in Sport"

Hamstring injuries can be a big problem for runners. The hamstring plays a pivotal role in the running gait cycle and injury and re-injury rates are high.  Hamstring injury severity, age, training history, and overall injury history all factor into getting back to sport and competition. Previous hamstring strain, previous calf strain, and exposure toContinue reading "Hamstring strain"

Here is a message all runners need: you cannot iron supplement your way out of an energy deficit.  A recent study1 that aimed to assess risk for the Female Athlete Triad in high school distance runners found that while 42% of the study participants were supplementing with iron, it made no difference in who developedContinue reading "Runners and iron: Let’s stop supplementing and start screening"

I am a physical therapist who specializes in treating 1) runners and 2) people with chronic pain. I used to think of these as two very separate categories. But with time and clinical practice I’ve realized the continual overlap and similarities between these groups. Time and again, I continue to apply pain science education -Continue reading "Understanding pain"

As a physical therapist, I usually get two questions from runners experiencing pain: 1) am I hurting myself? and 2) Do I have to stop running? These are important questions to ask and the honest answer is that it depends.  To get answers, a good place to start is to have a simple framework toContinue reading "Pain, pain … go away?"

Nearly every female who has ever posed for an athletic photo has experienced it, usually without knowing.  The female apologetic is when girls and women tend to act and dress in stereotypically feminine ways while posing for athletic photos in order to compensate for the masculinity of sport. This is in response to gender rolesContinue reading "The Female Apologetic"

“She does/doesn’t look like a runner.”“I can tell she’s been training because she looks like a runner now.” “I wouldn’t guess you’re a runner. You look like a soccer player.”Comments about runners' appearances make me cringe. I’ve heard the first phrase said about more female runners than I can count. The idea that there is an ideal running body is one ofContinue reading "Dual expectations: pretty or strong"

Most runners know what it’s like to get really into running. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement. It’s also easy to get obsessive, especially in a competitive team environment. But when does one-track mindedness impede a multi-dimensional life? Well, here are 7 statements to ponder:  I consider myself an athlete.I have manyContinue reading "Athletic identity"