Run Painless

Thank you for being here and for listening. In this episode I talk about the new book I just released which is part of what will be the Run Painless Book Series. The first in the series is “Fix My Knee Pain: So I Don’t Have To Stop Running” and this book is designed to have actionable items right at your fingertips to be able to work on right away and if nothing else give you reassurance that your knee pain is not going to kill you. You can find the book at Amazon.com or go to the newly updated and redesigned runpainless.com website and find a link to the book there. When you do buy the book, please leave a review on Amazon. It not only helps me, but allows other readers to know if the information I provide was helpful or not and helps to get the word out. Thank you in advance. On this episode, I also discuss the new members area on the Run Painless website which has a complimentary 30 day trial which allows you access to a ton of great resource information available to members only. This is updated regularly and will be the information you are looking for to keep you running at your best without having to spend a fortune to get it. You can cancel the membership at anytime but why would you? Other individuals have spent hundreds and even thousands of dollars to get the info I share with you on the site at a fraction of the cost each month. It’s like having your own Doctor of Physical Therapy on call and I’m available to connect with you and want to hear what you have to say. So join me inside the Run Painless members area today. And as always, thanks for listening and please don’t go hurting yourself just to come back. Until next time.

Thank you to my loyal listeners. We reached the 3000 listen milestone. We will celebrate the accomplishment and here is to the next 3000. I try to add value, have no sponsors and don’t advertise so to get to that many listens organically, is special. So again thank you. As for your posture and why you should care, if you have poor posture it will effect your running, your breathing and more than likely cause you pain if it isn’t already. And you thought your Mom was joking about sitting up straight? But really it just isn’t helpful if you want to continue running the rest of your life if you develop a forward head, rounded shoulders and curved spine. So because of that and my work with thousands of people just like you, I wrote a new book called “ Tech Pain” and it is available for presale now. If you go to www.publishizer.com/tech-pain you will are all the details. If you purchase the book and support the project at any level between now and June 12, 2020 and then send me a copy of your receipt to the email brian@manmadenew.com I will include all of the bonuses (the additional books, webinar, and the two courses a $1500 value) at no additional cost. This offer is only for my listeners here on the podcast and you have to buy between now and June 12th. The book will be available later this summer and we know you will get a ton of value from it. As always thanks for your loyal support. I appreciate and until next time...

In this episode, I talk about COVID-19, I misquote Franklin Roosevelt (I attribute it to Theodore Roosevelt) about Fear, I talk about viruses in general and why if it isn’t COVID-19, we are all going to die of something and why we all may actually like running Boston and London in the fall (who likes training in the winter anyway??). Lots of change, learn to be flexible and if you are sick check your symptoms and if you may be contagious don’t run. If not, get out and enjoy the fresh air or if you like, run on your treadmill. Hope you get some value from this and thanks for listening. If you have any questions send them to me at Brian@company5k.com and I will be sure to get back to you.

I did it! I hit the Apple Watch fitness tracker 35,000 calories burned challenge in the Month of January. But what does it mean? Well nothing really because I didn’t set the goal and I wasn’t really trying to achieve it either. I just did it. Even though that’s a lot of calories in a month and it means consistent training, if it doesn’t fit in to your overall plan, it really may be setting you up for disaster and disappointment down the line. Let’s say you jumped on the “I want to run 2020 miles in the year 2020” bandwagon. If running 39 miles a week, every week for 52 weeks doesn’t fit into your overall plan, then why try to accomplish it. Sometimes we get enticed by what others are doing and we think we either need to do the same or worse, need to do more without taking into consideration what effect it will have on our long term training. I encourage you to have a plan, stay consistent and only change the plan if you are not currently seeing desired results. As always I appreciate you listening and if you need me, please few free to reach out by email brian@company5k.com. Until next time...

We don’t give topical pain relievers enough credit. They are readily available over the counter but are they all created equal? And if not, what makes them different. In this episode I talk about two common topical pain relievers and why you should and should not use them. Sporta Extreme by Fresh Farms CBD https://glnk.io/8lo0/the-brian-boyle (use code CHAMPION20 for 20% off) and Biofreeze. I like both and believe they all have a place. Some people prefer certain smells and others like the effects. Do you have a preference? If you have any questions feel free to reach out at brian@company5k.com and I’ll be sure to get back to you.

In this episode, I talk about the recovery plan a lot of runners have after the month between Thanksgiving and New Years. A lot of us put on a few extra pounds as we slow down our training and then at the New Year, have a new zest for life and training and go after the Year on Day 1. Hitting the first couple of weeks as hard and heavy as they can only to find themselves injured by February/March of the year. Let’s let 2020 be a New Year where that no longer happens to you. Where you stay consistent with your running, stay pain free and reach your goals without blowing up. As always, I appreciate you being here and thanks for listening. If you need anything I can be reached by email at brian@company5k.com. Until next time...

In this episode I use an exercise from Michael Hyatt’s Best Year Ever Course from 2016 to help you plan for upcoming training success. By looking back at the last year, looking at success and failure and then looking for themes you can really accomplish a lot more in the next 12 months than you ever thought possible. I have used this exercise myself and use it with all of my clients and everyone who works through this has come out on the other side that much better. If you have any questions feel free to email me brian@company5k.com and as always thanks for listening and hope to have you back here real soon.

It’s super easy for health care providers to tell you to stop running when injured. Thanks to new research by folks like Dr. Rich Willy out of the University of Montana, there is good reason not to stop all together and that is so you do not lose load capacity to tolerate exercise and the strain of running. If you have ever stopped running only to try to start up again and then got hurt again you know exactly what I am talking about. This only becomes more important the older we get. If you need to get in touch with me or have questions feel free to email me brian@company5k.com and as always look forward to having you back here soon.

Today is Global Running Day! I think every day is running day but I understand they want to draw awareness. I’m happy to help. In this episode I discuss a recent article that was published in Runner’s World Magazine in which they suggest you may need more low intensity workouts. I believe it is a “must” and not a “may” in this case. In this episode I explain why. As always, if you need me feel free to reach out via email brian@company5k.com and I’ll be happy to get back to you. Also thanks for being here and hope to have you back real soon.

Running should be healthy for you and is considered one of the lowest barrier to entry (besides walking) activities in order to get healthy. But why do so many people become unhealthy because of running? Whether it is irregular heartbeat, abnormal enlargement of the heart, immunosupressed, mental health, loss of period for women and the list goes on. In this episode I discuss these topics and what happens when running becomes unhealthy. If you have questions, feel free to reach out at brian@company5k.com. As always, thanks for listening and hope to have you back real soon. Also check out www.tpinmuscletherapy.com and use code “BrianB” at checkout for 10% off. This is the last roller you will ever need and worth every cent.

This is a different segment in that it doesn’t talk about running related injuries as much as how to make it home to your family and friends alive. I can’t tell you how many runners I see who don’t follow safe practices when out running on a daily basis. It only takes one time to get hit by a car or assaulted because of not being aware of your surroundings. My hope is by following some basic advice about running safety that you will never be put in a situation you will regret later. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out brian@company5k.com. Also thanks for being here and hope to have you back again soon.

In this episode I talk about running surfaces and what is the best surface to run on. Spoiler alert: it isn’t the surface that matters, it what it causes your body to do that makes the bigger difference. There is plenty of debate about this and everyone has their opinion and that is great. I’m just here to give you facts and let you know it depends on your body and any conditions/muscle imbalances you may have. If you have any questions, feel free to email me brian@company5k.com and I’ll get back to you soon. As always thanks for listening and hope to have you back soon.

In this episode I cover a topic which you don’t hear about much. That is making sure if you are traveling for a running event that you have a plan for eating meals (the two days prior to the event) which you know will not adversely effect your race day. This is something I know many people leave to chance or just assume it will take care of itself. I would encourage you to plan this as meticulously as you plan your training and the gear you are going to wear. If you have any specific questions for me, please let me know at brian@company5k.com. And as always thanks for being here and look forward to having you back soon.

In this episode I cover how to determine if you are hydrated vs. dehydrated (hint: it involves using a scale) and ways to rehydrate if you do lose 2 or more lbs of body weight after a run. I also compare a few different brands of sports hydration drinks and discuss how many ounces of fluids you need to consume to actually recover. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me via email brian@company5k.com or call me 704-241-0889. As always thanks for listening and hope to have you back again real soon.

In this episode I discuss active rest versus rest and explain the differences. In rest, I cover items like hyperbaric oxygen chambers, STEM cell therapy, cryotherapy, Saunas, Compression therapy and tools like the Vector T-Pin (use promo code “BrianB” at checkout www.tpinmuscletherapy.com for 10% off for being a listener). Covered lots of info today so If you do have a question feel free to connect via email brian@company5k.com and I’ll get back to you soon. Thanks for listening and as always hope to have you back real soon.

In this episode I discuss overtraining and Running. Overtraining can take many different forms but is usually brought on by too much intensity, too much mileage, not enough rest and poor nutrition. By making adjustments with proper planning you can avoid overtraining and not everyone gets into overtraining but it is important to recognize the signs and symptoms so something can be done about it sooner rather than later. If you have any questions, please email me at brian@company5k.com and I’ll be happy to get back to you. As always, thanks for listening and hope to have you back real soon.

In this episode I cover Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome, What it is and how you treat it. Typically caused by tightness on the outside of the leg, a high sitting knee cap or weakness In the quadriceps or glutes, it does respond well to conservative treatment and generally only takes 1-3 sessions of PT if unable to manage in the first 7-10 days on your own. You can check out episodes 82 and 83 of the Mesh Tongue on YouTube for more info and some self help strengthening and taping. Also if you have specific questions, feel free to reach out by email brian@company5k.com. As always thanks for listening and hope to have you back again soon.

The Iliotibial band (ITB) is a broad band of connective tissue on the outside of the leg. If you have ever had IT Band Syndrome you know it is a bugger and hurts. In this episode I discuss what it is, how long recovery can be if left untreated, what you can do at home and what other conditions can mimic the pain (Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome especially). If you have specific questions, please send them my way brian@company5k.com. And as always, thanks for listening and hope to have you back real soon.

In this episode I discuss the smaller muscle in the calf, the soleus muscle. This muscle works when the knee is bent and can get injured quite often in runners but typically does not tear. This is good because Soleus issues usually respond well to treatment without need for an MRI or meds. Also check out Episode 120 @MeshTongue on YouTube for more information about these Soleus injuries. Feel free to contact me at brian@company5k.com with questions. And as always thanks for listening and hope to have you back real soon.

In this episode, I discuss returning to running after an injury or illness and what you need to consider. If you gained weight while injured that will have it’s own impact vs losing weight/muscle mass with an illness and the effect that will have. I discuss the run/walk program and how to ramp back up gradually to avoid post-illness/Injury re-injury and setback. As always if you have any questions feel free to reach out brian@company5k.com. Thanks for listening and hope to have you back soon.

In this episode, I cover non-episodic low back pain. I discuss the differences between episodic and non-episodic pain, what are differential diagnoses which require immediate medical attention, how many visits and what they should cost and if imaging is appropriate (almost never is for acute pain). If you have ever suffered from low back pain as a runner you know how frustrating it can be. If you have never had pain and all of a sudden do experience back pain, this is a must listen to episode. As always if you have questions, send them my way, brian@company5k.com. Thanks for listening and hope to have you back again soon.

In this episode, I discuss running shoes. I will apologize and say the last 15 seconds are cut off. I didn’t want to re-record the whole thing so suffice it to say it kind of ends abruptly. With that being said I go into what to look for in shoes, why you shouldn’t listen to the shoe companies and or go off looks along for what will work for you and some common things to look out for when considering a running shoe. If you have any questions, feel free to send them my way brian@company5k.com. As always thanks for being here and hope to have you back soon.

What are Metabolic Equivalents (METs) and Why are they so important to running? In this episode I discuss METs why we use them. I also discuss Matt Fitzgerald’s “80/20 Running” book and the article written by Dr. Cameron Gerber, PT, DPT on www.utahrunning.com (February 2019). METs allow us to determine how many calories are roughly burned based on body weight and activity. If you are not burning the right calories, the calories in/calories out method will likely not work to help you reduce weight or maintain optimal levels of nutrition to allow for proper recovery. Other resources can be found at www.whyiexercise.com/metabolic-equivalent. If you have any questions, send them my way brian@company5k.com. Thanks for listening and hope to have you back soon.

If you are out in the cold running, you need to have the right gear and the right combination of gear to keep you warm and safe. We often talk about heat stress and issues if too hot, but we often skip over the cold issues. Layering is effective to keep you warm and at your best. Be aware you also need to protect your skin (think cheeks, ears, hands, feet). If you have any questions send them my way, brian@company5k.com. Thanks for listening and hope to have you back soon.

Do you have pain in the back of your ankle? There are only a few things which can cause pain back there but the most likely is the Achilles’ tendon. Acute pain is likely Tendinitis and the more chronic symptoms will convert to a Tendinopathy. In this episode I explain the difference between the two and how we would treat both (spoiler alert, they are treated differently). If you have any questions, send them my way brian@company5k.com. I appreciate you listening and look forward to having you back again soon.

Ankle sprains can be pretty common with runners. But what do you need to know about them and when would you need to stop running? In this episode I discuss the grades of ankle sprains, when an X-Ray or MRI would be needed and when you need to stop running versus keep up with your training. If you have any questions send them my way brian@company5k.com. I always respond. Thanks for listening!

Not everyone runs for speed or competition. I get it! A lot of what I talk about it how to improve your performance and yet there are lots of you out there that have no desire to compete and just want to stay healthy (ie: lower blood pressure/cholesterol and maintain weight). This episode covers what a training cycle would look like and how to incorporate strength training prior to your running to maximize fat burning. If you have any questions contact me via email at brian@company5k.com.

Have you considered running one of the many multi-stage Relay races out there. Many may be familiar with Ragnar Relays but others out there include Hood to Coast and Top of Zion. In this episode I give helpful hints in how to best prepare for the race. I provide 3 tips for what you should do during the race and 3 things to absolutely avoid during the race. Feel free to reach out to me via email brian@company5k.com for more information.

Blisters are a normal part of running, but do they have to be? In most cases blisters can be prevented by taking proper measures to keep the feet and shoes in good working order. Whether it is using products like powders or lubricants on the toes/feet and or wearing socks like those by Injinji (www.injinji.com) that keep the toes separated and reduce friction from skin on skin contact, anything to reduce friction is a good thing. Now what about the use of two light weight socks? I don’t recommend this anymore as socks have really come a long way from the old cotton socks only available in the 80’s and 90’s. Also using products like KT Blister protection tape can be useful but I don’t recommend using it on or between the toes. Also what may be helpful is tying your shoes with a heel lock method. For this visit the Mesh Tongue my YouTube channel and look for video (Episode 125.) As always, if you have questions please send them my way, Brian@company5k.com.

In order for stretching to be effective it has to be performed consistently. That means daily. There is good evidence that static stretching should be performed only after running (especially on race/interval days) and rolling should be done before you run/race. My favorite roller is the Vector T-pin (www.tpinmuscletherapy.com use code “BRIANB” at checkout for a 10% discount) and once you see its patented design you will understand why it’s the only one I use now. Also you want to hold those static stretches at least 30-60 seconds with longer being better for the muscles overall. If you have any questions or comments send them my way at brian@company5k.com and I’ll be happy to get back to you soon. Thanks for listening.

Of all the minerals your body needs iron may not be the most important, but it is certainly in the top 5 for long distance runners. Unfortunately, iron can be lost through sweat when working out and through hemolysis or breakdown of the red blood cells in heavy heel strikers (you know who you are)! Supplementing the diet with 20-25 mg/day is one way to ensure you are proactive in restoring the iron lost to your training. As always if you have questions send them to me brian@company5k.com.

In this episode I discuss Haglund’s Deformity or Pump Bump and running. This pain can be caused by friction when the shoe rubs over the bony prominence in the back of the heel. In episode 125 of the Mesh Tongue on YouTube I show you how to perform a heel lock lace method. If you have questions feel free to reach out at brian@company5k.com.

Have you been considering a new watch for running? Do you know you don’t need a fancy watch to be able to compete? In fact I am a minimalist when it comes to running. I believe the less you have to distract you, the faster you will be. But if you must have the best, I decided to compare and contrast the Apple Nike Run + and the Garmin Forerunner 645 based on price point, ease of use, and features. The Garmin is definitely more running specific and if you don’t have an iPhone your best bet. The Apple Nike Run edition is a great watch and gives you plenty of information and likely a better buy for anyone either just getting started or if you already have an iPhone. If you have questions email at brian@company5k.com.

In this episode I discuss the essentials for runners in regards to nutrition. We discuss timing of foods, energy cycle and how foods are burned with activity and supplements and whether or not they are worth it. Also discuss hydration and it’s importance. Bottom line if your nutrition sucks so will your running. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Plantar Fasciitis can be bad if left untreated. Typically 4 visits if caught in the first week but as many as 24 visits to your physical therapist if left to fester on it’s own (the wait and see approach) and then gets bad. Check out episode 113 and 114 of the Mesh Tongue on YouTube for more info including how to self tape at home. As always, if you have questions feel free to reach out via email at brian@company5k.com.

Runners over the age of 40 make up approximately 40% of all runners. And yet we don’t always give special consideration to the needs of this group of athletes. From basic changes in physiology to loss or Range of Motion and Strength, I cover the reasons your body feels different as an older runner and the things we need to look out for. As always feel free to check out my YouTube channel “The Mesh Tongue” for all things running as well.

In this episode I cover stress fractures. If you have ever dealt with one, you know the pain and frustration. Unfortunately there are myths surrounding how stress fractures are caused and it is always good to dispel those myths. For one running surface has nothing to do with the likelihood of developing a stress fracture. Also pronation vs. supination of the foot has nothing to with likelihood of developing a stress fracture either. What to expect; 6-8 weeks of recovery (pool, Alter-G treadmill, bike) Cost:$150-$3500 depending on insurance vs no insurance and if you shop around or not if you get an MRI. As always feel free to reach out to me by email brian@company5k.com.

In today’s episode I discuss a client who was seen by me for lower leg pain which came on while training for the Ogden Half Marathon. After being managed ultra-conservatively and ending up in a walking boot for 8 weeks the runner became frustrated and wanted answers. Also the race was now 4 weeks away and desperately wanting to run the race needed to know if all hope was lost. After getting a proper diagnosis and treatment, the runner was successful in running and was happy with their time on day of race. I cover expected number of visits, cost associated with the visit and things to look for when seeking treatment. I also mention where you can find more information on my YouTube channel “The Mesh Tongue” about instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (Episode 77) and lower leg injuries (Episodes 86, 87, 88, 89, 113, 114, 119, 120, 179, and 181). As always feel free to connect with me by email at brian@company5k.com.

In this episode I give a brief intro into my background as a Physical Therapist and Runner. I cover who the ideal listener is: 35-55 year old runner who wants to stay in shape and run at their best. I also address the scope of topics we will cover: time management, running health, diet, stretching/mobility, new gear/tech and what to expect if you are injured and how much you can expect to pay for services. Also check out The Mesh Tongue channel on YouTube for over 180 videos on running related health and wellness that I have created over the past couple of years.