Ready to Run

What we talked about:

3:10- Outlining the episode

3:40- What is iron and why it is importance for endurance athletes

4:35- Different types of iron deficiency

7:50- Diagnosis of iron deficiency

11:05- Altitude training and optimization of iron

11:55- Who is screened for iron deficiency

12:40- Goal ferritin levels for athletes

13:45- Getting more iron in your diet

14:55- When and how to take iron supplementation

17:25- IV supplementation

18:50- Summary of episode

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What we talked about:

4:00- Terminology of groin pain

6:10- How to start treatment with groin pain

9:20- Utilizing ultrasound

15:20- Finding the source of pain to provide an effective treatment strategy

18:00- Running protocol with these injuries

21:55- Rehabilitation exercises

25:45- Return to run expectations

29:00- Sports hernia protocol

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What we talked about:

3:40- Quick introduction to stress injuries

6:05- Bone stress injuries of the femoral neck

7:35- How these injuries present with these injuries

11:00- Recovery and return to run program

18:20- Bone stress injuries of the lesser trochanter

20:40- Injuries of the femoral shaft

23:20- Takeaways from the episode

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What we talked about:

3:00- What is the sacrum

3:45- Characteristics of a bone stress injury

6:20- Defining a sacral stress fracture

6:45- Signs and symptoms

8:25- Imaging

9:35- Treatment

11:55- Different layers of bone

13:30- DEXA scans

15:30- Rehabilitation

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In this episode, we meet with Dan King who is a US masters runner from Boulder, CO. Dan is an accomplished runner and currently holds the world record in the 60-64 age group in the mile with a time of 4:49:08 set in 2020. He discusses how he overcame a years long history of recurring plantar fasciitis and calf strains which led to his unique training regimen focusing on high volume cross training and Easy Interval Method running. His training methods and plant-based lifestyle have led to his success and longevity in running as a world class masters athlete, and he shares some great advice for the person who has the goal of being a lifelong runner. Let’s get ready to run with masters runner and cross training king – Dan King!

What we talked about:

3:25- Setting the world record for the mile for the 60-64 age group

8:15- Managing injuries

12:35- Strength training

16:45- Nutrition as a masters athlete

21:10- His current training methods

26:55- The easy interval method

30:55- The long run

37:10- Racing shorter distances versus the marathon

42:50- Nutrition

56:00- Advice he would give his younger self

Show notes:

While most runners return to sport following an acute ankle sprain without complications, not all ankle sprains are simple. In this episode, we'll discuss an example case to demonstrate several important considerations for someone with chronic ankle instability. This includes a discussion on the most common causes of persistent ankle pain including cartilage injuries, peroneal tendinopathy, posterior tibialis tendinopathy, and recurring sprains. We'll break down some of the alterations in movement patterns seen after ankle sprain, physical exam pearls, and rehabilitation plan. If you've ever had an ankle injury that has taken a long time to heal then you'll want to check out this episode and explore the main reasons why runners can end up with ankle instability and what you can do to break the cycle of injury.Show notes:

• 3:30 - What is chronic ankle instability?
• 4:00- Key findings from 2016 consensus statement on lateral ankle sprains
• 6:40- Common causes of persisting ankle pain
• 11:10- Why is it important to manage ankle sprains early on? 
• 25:50- Pathomechanical impairments following an ankle sprain
• 30:30- Alterations in joint forces and movement patterns 
• 31:50- Effect of loss of range of motion
• 38:00- Too much supination on landing
• 42:00- Assessment and physical exam pearls
• 45:00- Rehab programming 

This week, our guest is Rochelle Basil. Rochelle is a local elite long-distance runner, coach, and dog mom. She is originally from New Zealand but now lives just outside of Boulder, Colorado. Her career highlights include competing in the World Cross Country Championships and running a 2:39 marathon in London.

In this episode, she shares her personal story of the ups and downs of her career following a peroneal tendon injury and multiple bone stress injuries which changed the trajectory of her career for multiple years. Getting back to good health and getting to the starting line of a marathon was a goal that she didn't think was possible for a long time. With patience, consistency, trust in the process, and support from those around her, she was finally able to reach her goal of getting to the start line of a marathon and crossing that finish line. In this episode, you'll hear about how she ran shoeless for the last 6 miles!

Rochelle's journey is one that is defined by refinding the fun in running. This is a story that we know many runners go through and we wanted to open this conversation to share the message that getting back to good health is possible! So if you are someone who is looking to break the cycle of injury, we hope that this episode inspires you as much as Rochelle has inspired us!

Let's get ready to run with Rochelle Basil.

What we talked about:

4:05- Introduction to Rochelle

7:15- Rochelle’s running and coaching career

11:45- Her injury history

22:20- Your body’s ability to recover from energy deficiency

29:15- The impact of diet culture

32:00- Peroneal tendon injury

39:45- Finding joy in her comeback

43:50- Racing CIM and how she ended up finishing without shoes on

58:00- Changing the narrative of her career

Show notes:

In today's episode of the Ready to Run podcast we'll meet with professional long distance runner, Bria Wetsch. Bria lives in Colorado and has been passionate about competitive running since she was 11 years old. Following a successful high school career, Bria went on to compete at a collegiate level at the University of Oregon. After college, she began her career as a pro runner in Mammoth Lakes, CA where she met her - now husband and coach - Aaron Lange. We'll discuss her journey from Haglund's surgery in 2017 to Olympic trials qualifying time just 13 months later. Bria ultimately finished 27th at the 2020 Olympic marathon trials in Atlanta. More recently, Bria ran a marathon PR of 2:28:35 to finish in 4th place at the California International Marathon earlier this month. We'll recap her incredible performance as well as some of the mental health challenges she overcame during her build up. For Bria, CIM was about more than a marathon PR. She shares a very open conversation on her struggles with depression, anxiety, and panic attacks at the beginning of her marathon training cycle. She also discusses how the trajectory to finding groundedness was not linear. We hope this episode encourages everyone in the running community to better understand the influence of mental health in sports so that we can support those in need and help others achieve their goals. Let's get ready to run with professional long distance runner Bria Wetsch! 

What we talked about: 

4:15- Introduction to Bria 

5:25- How Bria is feeling coming off of her race at CIM 

9:50- Her racing mentality 

14:15- Her mentality during her race at CIM 

15:10- Her buildup to CIM 

20:25- Her Achilles injury she sustained post-college and her Haglund's surgery 

26:10- Bria's husband and coach, Aaron 

28:55- Return to running post Haglund's surgery 

29:45- Moving to Boulder 

31:05- What has kept her in the sport through all of the injuries 

38:05- What she is looking forward to in the coming years 

41:20- Her battle with her mental health this summer and how she treated that 

Show notes: 

Bria on Instagram 

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In our last episode, Olympic marathoner Jake Riley and registered dietician and professional runner Maddie Alm shared a lens into the personal journey and athlete’s perspective on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S).

Today, we’ll expand on the topic of RED-S with Sports Medicine Physician - Dr. Aubrey Armento and Registered Dietician - Amanda McCarthy of Children’s Hospital Colorado. They will share their expertise and provide insight into screening, diagnosis, treatment, and recovery considerations for return to sport.

Dr. Aubrey Armento is a pediatric sports medicine physician at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Colorado. She is the founder and medical director of The Running Athlete Clinic (TRAC) at Children’s Hospital Colorado and is passionate about caring for runners, in addition to care of the female athlete, the athlete triad, and RED-S.

Amanda McCarthy is the Sports Nutrition Program Coordinator and Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics at Children’s Hospital Colorado Sports Medicine Center. Amanda enjoys working with the young, competitive athlete to help them understand nutrition's role in their wellness and performance.

Let’s get ready to run with sports medicine experts - Aubrey Armento and Amanda McCarthy!

What we talked about:

4:20- Introduction to Dr. Aubrey Armento and Amanda McCarthy

9:55- Defining RED-S

12:50- Health and performance consequences from RED-S

16:40- Micronutrients and macronutrients

20:00- Considerations for lab work while training at altitude

22:50- Assessing an athlete's diet

25:10- Screening for iron deficiencies 

27:40- Considerations for iron supplementation

34:25- Labs and tests for RED-S

37:50- Calculating an athlete’s energy availability

40:15- Treatment plans for athletes with RED-S

45:35- Assessing younger athletes for RED-S

54:10- DEXA scans

1:02:20- Treatments for low bone density

1:11:45- Return to sport considerations

1:17:15- Wrap-up message about RED-S

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In today's episode, we have a discussion on relative energy deficient in sport, otherwise known as RED-S with Jake Riley and Maddie Alm. 

Maddie is a Registered Dietitian and the founder of Fueling Forward Sports Nutrition. Maddie has Masters in Nutritional Science from San Diego State. She completed her training and a registered dietitian at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. She also competed at the University of Colorado in Boulder and currently runs professionally for Team Boss. 

Jake is an American professional long distance runner and 2020 Olympic marathoner. He currently lives and trains in Boulder, Colorado and is coached by 3-time Olympic marathoner, Lee Troop. Jake grew up in Washington and was an 8-time All-American at Stanford. He previously ran with the Hanson's Distance Project. Jake had one of the most memorable performances and comeback stories at the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials in Atlanta where he grabbed an American flag with about 400m to go and ran to a sprint finish where he finished 2nd. In June 2022, Jake shared his story about being diagnosed with RED-S in Runner's World. His story helped to open the door to discussing RED-S in the context of male athletes.

The term RED-S evolved from what was previously described as the female athlete triad. In 2014, the IOC published a description of RED-S to include a broader definition of the health and performance consequences as well as both inclusion of both male and female athletes. 

Identifying an athlete with RED-S is not always straight forward. By sharing an athlete and expert perspective, we hope that this episode can provide a unique lens into the challenges, both physical and mental, that go into diagnosing and managing RED-S.

We also get an update on where Jake is at several months after sharing his diagnosis as well as Maddie's advice on how athletes can make positive changes that can be long lasting. 

What we talked about:

3:55- Introduction to Maddie

4:25- Introduction to Jake

7:25- RED-S and low energy availability

9:55- Early signs and symptoms of RED-S

12:35- Jake’s diagnosis with RED-S and working with Maddie

20:50- What prompted him to seek help

26:30- Warning signs and symptoms to pay attention to as an athlete

32:35- Questions to ask male athletes to diagnose RED-S

34:10- Treatment approach

41:50- Timeline of recovery

45:20- Differentiating between being tired in training and symptoms of RED-S

51:30- Jake’s recovery from achilles surgery and where he is at in training

1:01:15- Fueling during the marathon

1:05:35- Take home messages about RED-S for athletes and clinicians

Show notes:

Nathan Carlson is a physical therapist, coach, and business owner based out of Kansas City. He specializes in the management of bone stress injuries, managing the high school and collegiate runner, and implementing resistance training with endurance athletes. Nathan teaches nationally and internationally on these topics. Nathan has two digital resources - A Guidebook to Running After a Stress Fracture and A Guidebook to Navigating High School Running.

In this episode, we focus on how to approach bone stress injuries once we have established our diagnosis. We open our discussion with the physiology of bone healing and what the current research says about how long it actually takes for a bone to heal and how that may differ based on the location of the injury. We also discuss the factors that influence treatment, how to test when an athlete is ready to return to running, and how to progress training load for a successful recovery. 

Bone stress injuries are one of the most complex and frustrating injuries for runners. After our discussion with Nathan, we hope that you will have a better understanding of the training, nutrition, and metabolic factors that need to be considered with diagnosing and treating these injuries.

What we talked about:

3:05- The physiology of bone healing and the expectations to set for patients

17:40- Modalities for recovery

22:20- Focus for the return to run program

31:00- Being flexible with the protocol

Show notes:

Nathan Carlson is a physical therapist, coach, and business owner based out of Kansas City. He specializes in the management of bone stress injuries, managing the high school and collegiate runner, and implementing resistance training with endurance athletes. Nathan teaches nationally and internationally on these topics. Nathan has two digital resources - A Guidebook to Running After a Stress Fracture and A Guidebook to Navigating High School Running.

In this episode, we have an in-depth conversation on bone stress injuries. Our conversation was packed with so much valuable information that we broke it down into two episodes. In part one, we discuss bone physiology, factors that contribute to bone stress injuries, clinical perils, and radiographic tools for diagnosis. 

Bone stress injuries are one of the most complex and frustrating injuries for runners. After our discussion with Nathan, we hope that you will have a better understanding of the training, nutrition, and metabolic factors that need to be considered with diagnosing and treating these injuries. 

What we talked about:

3:10- Introduction to Nathan

6:40- Weight lifting for high school athletes

8:25- Defining a bone stress injury

11:00- Differences between a stress reaction and stress fracture and what causes them

22:05- Obtaining a more in-depth background of an athlete to learn more about the injury

25:45- Diagnosis and prognosis of bone stress injuries

38:05- Testing and imaging for bone stress injuries

Show notes:

Meteor Nutrition arose after lifelong athlete, Kelsey Pontius RD, LDN wished to pursue her passion for the impact of nutrition on the human body in motion.

Kelsey grew up playing competitive soccer, and eventually ended her career as a D1 soccer player to transform into a distance runner who has since qualified for the 2020 and 2024 US Marathon Olympic Trials. Through several instances of her athletic background, she felt the ebbs and flows with nutrition on performance.  She knew she was destined to help other athletes benefit from the implementation of optimal nutrition.

Aside from working with ambitious athletes with a specialist in sports dietetics, Kelsey has worked in the clinical arena with a multitude of different medical complexities through her experiences in working in acute care and one the country's largest spinal cord and brain injury rehabilitation centers, Brooks Rehabilitation.

She currently is a consulting dietitian with four division 1 NCAA programs and works 1:1 with athletes in a private practice setting.  Her current interests in the field include preparing for endurance racing, optimizing gut health, nutrition to support injury healing, and accomplishing hormonal balance through proper nutrition.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of diet in injury healing. Whether you're dealing with a bone stress injury or chronic tendon injury, we’ll discuss how to approach your nutrition strategy to help optimize your road back to recovery. We’ll take a look at some commonly asked questions starting with what labs may be important in your initial injury assessment followed by a discussion of what foods promote and reduce inflammation, the role of protein in recovery, and what the evidence shows regarding things like collagen supplementation. We hope you can take away some helpful tips with today’s discussion on Kelsey’s evidence-based approach to nutrition strategies for overcoming injury. You’ll want to fuel up for this one as we get ready to run with registered dietitian and 2x Olympic marathon trials qualifier - Kelsey Pontius!

What we talked about:

3:50- Introduction to Kelsey

5:10- Importance of diet in injury healing

14:45- Role of protein for injury recovery

18:05- Approach to carbs and fats

22:20- The difference between a registered dietitian and a sports nutrition specialist

24:45- What an initial assessment looks like with a dietitian

29:15- Lab work to focus on as a runner and post injury

38:25- Timeline for improvements in biomarkers

41:05- Knowing when someone is ready to train based on biomarkers

44:15- Collagen and its role in tissue repair and tendon loading

51:10- What to look for to know a supplement is certified

53:35- Intra long run fueling

1:04:30- Key takeaways about optimizing nutrition as an athlete recovering from injury

Show notes:

Alicia Monson is an American long distance runner (5,000m and 10,000m) originally from Amery, WI. She attended the University of Wisconsin where she had honors including Big 10 track athlete of the year and 5,000m indoor NCAA title in 2019. After earning her degree in Dietetics, Alicia turned pro and joined the On Athletics Club in Boulder, Colorado. In her first year as a pro runner, she earned a spot in the 10,000m at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games.

2022 has been a breakout year for Alicia. In January, she won the US Cross Country title. She carried that momentum into a phenomenal indoor and outdoor season that culminated in a 2nd place finish at the 2022 US 10,000m championships at the Prefontaine Classic to secure a spot on Team USA for the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon. Alicia has had some amazing performances in the Diamond Leagues, including a 5,000m PB of 14:31 in Oslo, which ranks her 3rd all time for US women. We’ll discuss some of the important aspects of her mental and physical preparation and how she maintains consistency at high levels of training. Let’s get ready to run with Olympic long distance runner - Alicia Monson!

What we talked about:

2:40- Introduction to Alicia Monson

8:45- Alicia’s mentality when racing

11:25- Managing efforts on different days of training

13:30- Signals to look for to determine when you are overtraining

16:40- Her race at the Olympic Trials and preparations for the heat at the Tokyo Olympics

23:00- Recapping her 2022 season

26:30- Training in St. Moritz

29:55- Altitude training

35:05- Priorities for recovery

40:15- Her race at the World Championships in Eugene

Show Notes:

In today’s episode, we’ll meet with Boulder-based strength and conditioning specialist – Chris Lee. Chris is an NSCA-certified strength and conditioning specialist, collegiate swimmer, and former professional triathlete. He is also a former head coach for the University of Colorado- Boulder swim team. Chris has also worked with the likes of Olympic team relay silver medalist Morgan Pearson, Drew Hunter, and Laura Thweatt.

We will discuss the benefits of strength training and how endurance athletes can incorporate programs into their schedule. We’ll also go into some of the considerations for special populations including youth athletes. Along those lines, we will also dive into current literature regarding injury rates and effects on performance for athletes who specialize in sport at an early age. Lastly, Chris will share his thoughts on the next big thing in strength and conditioning. We have a lot to dissect during this episode so let’s get ready to run with strength and conditioning specialist, Chris Lee.

What we talked about:

3:00- Background from athlete to strength coach

5:55- Principles of strength training for runners

9:15- Benefits of strength training

15:15- Initial assessment - "global -> local -> global" approach

19:00- Fitting strength training into your schedule

24:30- In-season and off-season lifting to maximize adaptations

27:05- Rate of force development

29:25- Return to sport continuum

35:25- Periodization

38:05- Plyometric training

42:50- Approach to strength training for youth athletes

45:15- Early sport specialization

52:00- Future trends in strength training

Show Notes:

Matt Hensley is a former collegiate runner at the University of Florida. He is a marker of consistency with his own running and has a marathon personal best of 2:19:51. He currently lives in Boulder, Colorado where he is the coach of the Boulder Underground team. He also is the Vice President of Business Operations at Roll Recovery.

In this episode, we discuss Matt’s family tradition of running and how that has influenced his approach to coaching his athletes at Boulder Underground. He will describe his approach to injury management, collaboration with his sports medicine team, balancing training load, and how he keeps his athletes healthy and performing at their best. Lastly, we will discuss his role at Roll Recovery and what he values most and prioritizes in terms of recovery.

What we talked about:

4:00- Introduction to Matt

5:45- Starting the Boulder Underground

8:40- Some mistakes that he has made in his own training

14:55- Matt’s coaching philosophy

18:00- The physical and mental aspect of injury

24:55- How to navigate athlete injury as a coach

26:15- Load management / balancing training load

29:30- His go-to exercises for injury prevention

31:05- Most important exercises to stay healthy

46:35- Return to run progression (from rehabilitation to coach)

48:40- Creating a team culture

51:50- Perfectionism in running

57:20- Guinness record attempt

1:04:05- Role at Roll Recovery

Show notes:

Parker Stinson is an American professional long distance runner. Parker is sponsored by Saucony. He attended the University of Oregon where he was a 9 time All- American and member of three NCAA championship teams. He is the 25k US Record Holder. He currently lives and trains in Boulder, Colorado. Parker was previously coached by Dathan Ritzenhein but is now coached by Richey Hansen as a part of the Roots Running Project.

Topics in this episode will range from dealing with knee injury, processing pain, balancing tissue capacity and training load, and what gets him excited for training and racing. He will also discuss a few of his upcoming races. This episode was recorded 2 weeks before the USATF 25k Championships where he placed 8th in a time of 1:19:22. He will also discuss his next big race, Grandma’s Marathon on June 18th where he hopes to bounce back. Kurt and I are really proud of the work he has put into his rehab and are optimistic that he can obtain the result that reflects his progress and dedication to the sport.

What we talked about:

2:30- Introduction to Parker

5:50- Parker’s knee injury and the treatments that they tried

15:40- Making the decision of what treatment to utilize with an injury

18:00- Parker’s surgeries and his process to returning to run

24:25- Tissue capacity for runners

29:45- Parker’s comeback to racing

39:40- Training with Roots Running and the importance of the running community to him

50:50- Upcoming races

57:30- Thoughts on the men’s American distance running scene

Show notes:

Our first guest is Neely Spence Gracey. She is an American professional long distance runner. She attended Shippensburg University and won 8 NCAA Division II Titles. She was the top American female at the 2016 Boston Marathon. She currently lives and trains in Boulder, Colorado where she is a coach for Get Running Coaching, wife and mother of two children, and co-author of the book Breakthrough Women’s Running.

In this episode, we talk about Neely’s personal history as a runner, her experience and thoughts on coaching, and we dive deep into her book Breakthrough Women’s Running where we discuss goal setting, overcoming setbacks, and care of the postpartum athlete.

What we talked about:

2:15- Introduction to Neely

3:30- Some of Neely’s favorite memories in the sport

8:55- Mistakes that young athletes make

15:20- Her main philosophy as a coach

20:20- Process goals versus outcome goals

23:15- How different life changes have impacted her outlook on running

26:35- Naming her book, Breakthrough Women's Running

29:30- Postpartum running

49:35- Upcoming goals and race plans

52:25- Encouraging athletes to feel their feelings

1:01:40- Where to find Neely’s book

Show notes: