RUN.

So much of running and life is about overcoming struggle. Physical challenges are a "classroom" where we learn to persevere. Through persevering, we create "remember when" moments that we recall upon in future difficult situations. In this episode, we discuss our adventure racing experiences and how to use adventure racing to work on strengthening your mindset and overall athleticism. It can also serve as a fun break from the sometimes monotony of running. All of which leads to more enjoyable running. 

Sitting is the new smoking. This statement has made its way into the public conscious and it's not too far from the truth. Becoming "civilized" and sitting every day has led to an epidemic of movement dysfunction in our society which has resulted in declining health. In this episode, we talk about what sitting does to your body and how to combat the perils of sitting.  By combatting what sitting does to you, you will not only improve your running but also improve your quality of life.   

75-90% of runners will get an injury this year which will hold them back from reaching their goals. Our healthcare system is broken as it designed to treat symptoms rather than root causes and get you back to statistical averages, rather than optimization.  In this episode, we talk about the current state of healthcare for runners and what the future holds. In addition, we discuss what the ideal "pit crew" team looks like for a runner to optimize their running experience.

Plantar fasciitis and Achilles pain stop many runners in their tracks. In this episode, we talk about some of the common causes of these injuries and some of the remedies at your disposal. Topics include ankle, big toe, and foot mechanics in addition to the role of running shoes and tendon elasticity. We conclude with a case study, examining a recent real-world example of a client we just helped overcome their two-year chronic Achilles pain in seven weeks. 

Which running shoe is the best one for you? Which one is going to help you stay injury-free and set new PRs? This week we want to help you answer these questions by discussing the history of running shoes. From the original Nike waffle to the introduction of medial posting to control pronation, barefoot running, max cushion, and the current trend of carbon fiber plates. We take a look at the pros/cons of each and the role running shoes actually play in optimizing your running stride.  

Technology is advancing quickly. We are able to capture millions of data points every second about our bodies. Pace, distance, heart rate, power, breathing rate, sweat rate, stress levels, quality of sleep, and foot strike to name just a few.  What data is relevant for making you a better runner? Topics in this weeks episode include the types of wearables available, heart rate training, power monitoring, the pros and cons of wearable technology, and rate of perceived exertion (RPE).

Stress-recover-improve. This is the general training principle to get faster and more fit. In this podcast episode we provide a broad overview on the topic of recovery. Discussion points include what happens to your body when you workout, what you are trying to achieve when you are recovering from workout, the pros and cons of icing, cryotherapy, contrast-therapy, saunas, stretching, mobilizations, massage, dry-needling, acupuncture, different modes of cross-training, and general exercise programming. 

What exactly is a shin splint? What are some of the red flags that I have shin splints and not something more or less serious? What causes shin splints? How do I treat shin splints? How does training status and how do biomechanics play a role in shin splints?  RunLab CEO/Founder, Dr. Davis and Elite UltraRunner/RunLab Gait Specialist, Lorin Wilson, talk about all of this and more in this weeks episode. Lorin also shares his own chronic shin splint experience and what he now does to keep them at bay. 

Most of us spend the majority of our time training in the sagittal plane. Running, biking, even lifting. We often ignore other planes of motion at the expense, develop muscle imbalances, and end up at higher risk for injury. Join us as we discuss how multi-directional training will benefit your running, the difference between isolated strength and functional strength, and how trail running helps puts this multi-directional movement principle into action.

If historical trends continue, 75-90% of runners will suffer some form of injury this year. Knee pain accounts for the vast majority of these injuries. We’ve all heard it: running is bad for your knees! Not so fast. are we mistaking correlation for causation? Tune in to hear our perspective.

What exactly is gait? Will a gait analysis help me understand my body and can my shoe store do it?  In this episode we’ll begin to explore the pros and cons of a shoe store gait analysis and why this process can sometimes do more harm than good. We’ll dive into full-body running mechanics and why studying the entire body in motion is imperative to determining the root cause of injury and performance limitation.

RunLab is a motion analysis company made up of medical professionals and biomechanics experts headquartered in Austin, Texas. In this episode, meet founder and CEO of RunLab Dr. Kim Davis and Elite ultra runner and Clinical Gait Specialist Lorin Wilson as they talk about how and why RunLab was founded, whether there is a "right" way to run, and why your unique structure matters more than you think.