Skip to main content

Why Running is SO Important to Me

 



WHY I 💗 RUNNING


There really is nothing quite like it. The feeling of the ground under my feet, that effortless gliding through the air.  The FREEDOM. 


I never appreciated the sense of freedom running gives me as much as I did during the pandemic.  My husband was deployed to help with the overwhelmed hospitals. So, here I was, alone with my very energetic (and loud) boys. Nowhere to go. No one to spread the craziness with.  


I felt trapped.  I have always needed space - physical, mental, emotional space to function at my best.  My freedom to think and be myself was non-existent.  Anxiety was climbing - not so much fear of what was happening, but from that lack of space. 


Leading up to the pandemic, I had started to lose my motivation to run. I had fallen off the routine & it was taking some work to get me back into it.  It was during this time, I craved running more than ever. 

 

Running has always been a way for me to get that space.  There is a physical sense of leaving my troubles behind. I am finally alone with my thoughts. Just me and my body, powerful and free. 


I want to maintain that ability to create space & freedom through all stages of life - even until my last days.  How about YOU? Why do you love running?  Do you hope to keep up your ability to run FOREVER? 

My purpose as a PT is to help others continue to do what they love through all stages of life.  One way I choose to do this is through virtual learning courses... so that I can reach MORE of you.  

My first course offering is focused on Runners... but stay tuned for others! You can access my Course offerings here: PROSPER Courses Page

If you're a Runner and want to learn the actions to take NOW to set you up for a LIFETIME of running, join my Running Longevity Course to learn the latest tips, habits & exercises that I teach my athletes.  


"Take Your Musculoskeletal Health into Your Own Hands"


💗, Kristen

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Those "Tricky" Hamstrings - Part 2

THE ROLE OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM This "epidemic" of recurring hamstring injuries is, in part, due to the under-valued role of the nervous system.  There is often too much focus on the structural "damage" and isolated limitations vs the overall dysfunction. I'm not saying that treating the damaged tissue is not important. But, in order to minimize recurrence, we must look beyond the isolated injury and seek to understand the integrated, "big picture" of the problem. IS IT ACTUAL DAMAGE OR SOMETHING ELSE? One interesting concept to understand is that the tension of our muscles are completely under the control of our nervous system.  Your brain is in constant awareness of the tension of all your muscles.  Unless you change your nervous system, you will continue to sense tightness.  As mentioned in Part 1, stretching isn't necessarily the answer to resolving tension. The relief felt by isolated muscle stretching only lasts for about 20 minutes.   ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Those "Tricky" Hamstrings (Part 3)

So far, we have discussed the consequences of OVER STRETCHING and the role of the NERVOUS SYSTEM in treating and preventing hamstring injuries.  Now it's time to dive in to the ROTATIONAL component of our hamstrings.   We cannot treat the hamstring group in just one plane of motion.  Look at the diagram and notice that there are some hamstring muscles that attach to the inside (medial) side of the knee, and others that attach to the outside (lateral) side of the knee. When working together, the medial and lateral hamstrings will act in a coordinated manner to bend the knee and extend the hip.   Individually, the medial hamstrings turn the thigh inward (Internal Rotation or IR) and the lateral hamstrings turn the thigh outward (External Rotation or ER).  This means that the hamstrings are also a crucial player in side-to-side and rotational movements.  On the same lines, the hamstrings will act at the upper attachment at the pelvis.  The med...
Post a Comment
Read more

DON'T WASTE TIME SEEING THE WRONG SPECIALIST!

⠀ I was at mile 11 of a Half Marathon when it happened. Searing pain in the bottom of my foot. It was like nothing like I had felt before - shoot, I was feeling do good!! ⠀ ⠀ I limped to the finish line, but it left me unable to walk. I knew this was more than normal aches & pains of distance running. I humbled my 40-yr-old self & went to my Dr. She prescribed meds & referred to a specialist. After weeks of waiting & crawling through my house, the response from the "specialist" was, “Well, you DID run a half-marathon...” WHAT?!? I couldn’t walk 2 weeks later - this is NOT normal! Though aware of my knowledge of injuries, she disregarded my questions & concerns. It was clear she was not truly LISTENING to me.⠀ ⠀ If I couldn’t get her to listen & take me seriously with MY background, how would YOU?? You don’t stand a chance. ⠀ ⠀ I took matters into my own hands & found a second opinion. This time, I was treated with respect & was listened...
Post a Comment
Read more