Did I ever tell you about the time I couldn’t nail a PR to save my life? I was giving my ALL. The entire season. To the point where dry heaving at the end of a race was my new “normal”. And yet….nothing. I wasn’t slacking off on workouts. I wasn’t sandbagging in the races. I had the right shoes, socks, ate breakfast, all the things. I just couldn’t wrap my head around why in the previous season, the PRs just kept rolling in, even on the toughest courses. And now, I might as well have been...
11 days ago • 2 min read
If your shins are talking back right now.... getting a little sassy every time your mileage climbs or speedwork kicks in... You’re not alone. It's that time of year. One of my Running Rescue Runners, Karen, was 8 weeks out from the Marine Corps Marathon when her shins started screaming. What started as mild, annoying soreness turned into sharp pain by the end of her long runs. Even basic plyos like pogo jumps? Absolutely NOT happening. But instead of backing off completely, she learned...
14 days ago • 2 min read
The little eye ball emoji just kills me lol. Just me...creeping on your strava. Making sure you're not cheating yourself out of your taper. Because for all my marathoners out there getting ready for race day, I need you to listen up. Tapering feels weird. Your legs feel weird. Your brain is going into overdrive. You're inhaling every carb in sight. And it makes NO sense why you're running less and still feel like you got hit by freight train. Obviously, I'm deep diving into ALL of this in...
21 days ago • 4 min read
If you get a fierce case of the taper tantrums, you're not the only one. Because I know a lot of you are either tapering or getting ready to, I wanted to make you a one-stop guide to (nearly) all things tapering. Yes, this week's exercises are *still* knee-based, because phantom knee niggles are probably one of the most common taper ouchies. But really...the concepts in these exercises apply to any body part that's giving you trouble. Because here's my two cents: massage guns and foam rolling...
28 days ago • 3 min read
Welcome to runner's knee prime time. We're in that awkward in-between stage of 4-6 weeks out from various fall marathons and other races... where body parts start...talking. And sometimes it feels like they're having a competition of who can talk the loudest. And it's really no wonder when you step back and REALLY LOOK. Because you're probably dealing with.... Increased mileage. Speed workouts. Tempos. Hills. Maybe you're even needing new shoes so you throw that into the mix and...it's a lot....
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Anyone else need to hear something a few times before it really sinks in? Or are you like me where you learn best by going through it? (spoiler: don't pick that option frequently lol.) I've actually been fighting with a cranky Achilles and peroneals on my left foot for about a month now. But I haven't had to stop running. And I've been pushing myself in the gym, getting stronger and bouncier. But I haven't had to stop my plyometrics. And here's why: Because I knew better than to fall for the...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
Man, I even remember the first time I heard a sports doc tell me this. Compared to what we know now: W O W. Let me back up: race days are coming up. Training is intense. And if you're not training right now, your runs are still ramping because F A L L. (yup, I'm sneaking out for extra miles too.) So either way: cooler temps = extra miles + a dash of unintended speed. And plantar fasciitis loves that dangerous little combo. So if you're feeling a little stab in your heel first thing in the...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
This is basically the equivalent of running-research-gossip Read: NERD ALERT. (I'm just gonna own it at this point because you are my people.) I've waited a hot minute to deep-dive into this particular research article. And the whole time I've been reading and re-reading it, the IG algorithm has still not put it into my feed. So if you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's the title: "How much running is too much? Identifying high-risk running sessions in a 5200-person cohort study."...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
If you've ever struggled with incessant soreness and deep dull ache in the front of your hip that won't go away, you've probably scrolled to the end of the internet trying to find some kind of relief. *cue the evil hip hook* If you don't know what that is, you literally lie down on your belly and impale yourself and your hip flexor over a metal hook. I wish I was kidding. If you're needing THAT kind of "release", it's REALLY time to take a deeper look into WHY your hip flexor is clamping down...
2 months ago • 3 min read