Plantar Fasciitis, a Reason to Worry?

Posted on May 30, 2012 by admin

This weekend I read an article about Seattle Mariner player Franklin Gutierrez suffering from Plantar fasciitis.  Last year it was Tampa Devil Rays’ Carlos Pena.  Next month it will probably be another player.

The article states this about Plantar fasciitis, “File this one away under ‘reason to worry’. That’s because this is one of those lingering problems you don’t want cropping up in an athlete whose biggest assets happen to involve the legs.”

If you’ve been keeping up with the Medi-Dyne Blog, you know that Plantar fasciitis doesn’t have to be crippling. The problem is that it doesn’t start off feeling like much of an injury at all.  For many, it can just be a dull—nagging pain, but the longer you leave it untreated the longer it takes to cure.  Even worse, untreated, it can put you in a cast, night splint, or even cause surgical intervention.

Prevention is always the “best medicine”!  If you’re on your feet all day (think retail, security, police, sanitation) or running for fitness (including soccer, basketball, lacrosse or triathlon) you should be doing two things to prevent Plantar fasciitis:

  1. Stretch!
    It’s been proven to work.  Stretching your calf, Achilles tendon, plantar fascia and toes 1 – 2 times a day works!  And it doesn’t take long!  5 – 10 minutes and that’s it.  The curb or stairs can work but the ProStretch Plus works even better and can be taken anywhere.Leave it in your path so you can stretch before work or school. Put it by your bed so you stretch first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed.  Take it with you – you can really use it anywhere. Stretching will quickly become habit and will keep you on your feet!
  2. Support!
    Heel cups or arch supports (otherwise known as orthotics) are important. There are some fantastic, podiatrist recommended products available at a significantly lower cost than custom orthotics that often work as well as the custom ones available through a doctor.  Youth in cleats or others who “live” in work boots should be investing in these for their shoes before they begin suffering.If you’re already suffering, stay away from the flip flops or sandals!  At least until you’ve felt better for a few weeks.  This will speed your recovery.

If you’re in significant pain, or have been suffering for a while see a Doctor.  This is especially important for youth who could develop Sever’s Disease.

Posted in Athletic Training, Heel Pain, Physical Therapy, Plantar Fasciitis, Podiatry | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Comfort or Style This Summer?

Posted on May 24, 2012 by admin

No Need to Choose Comfort Over Style This Summer

Summer has always presented a time to liberate your feet with open-toe shoes, sandals or even going barefoot. But for many, the resulting blisters can be a high price to pay for that freedom. According to the Foot Health Foundation, almost 20 percent of the U.S. population has more than one foot problem each year. Summer should be carefree, relaxing and fun— the last thing you want to think about is heel pain and blisters.

SoftMovesTM Adhesive Gel Pads put the ease back into summer.  SoftMoves, use fixi-gelTM  self-adhering shock-absorbing gel pads so they can be worn with or without shoes.

The SoftMoves Adhesive Gel Pad actually sticks directly to your foot or shoe without messy, one-use adhesives— providing a soft, pliable cushion for blisters or a shock-absorbing pillow for hard-working feet. SoftMoves are transparent so they can be worn undetectably with any style of shoe; sandals, flip-flops, backless heels, open-toe pumps or even no shoes at all. And because the fixi-gel itself is adhesive in nature, it can be moved from foot to shoe and still remain in place without falling, sliding or moving.

SoftMoves are a natural for summer, but sandals are increasingly popular as year-round shoes as well.  The superior cushioning and self-adhesive nature of the transparent, soothing fixi-gel makes SoftMoves the perfect year-round shoe accessory.

At Medi-Dyne our focus is on innovations in pain prevention. We understand that comfort never goes out of style,” state Craig DiGiovanni, Vice President, Medi-Dyne Healthcare Products.  Sandals, flip-flops, sport shoes, heels, open-toe shoes and COMFORT!

Freedom never felt so soft.

Posted in Podiatry | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Once Bitten, Twice Shy.

Posted on May 22, 2012 by Craig

Craig’s Corner: “Wild” encounters on the running trails.

Craig DiGiovanni. VP of Sales & Marketing, Medi-Dyne Healthcare Products. Avid Runner. Wannabe Marathoner.

The sad story here is that I think I jinxed myself into getting bit.   Just yesterday, I was thinking about all my “wildlife” run-ins during my running and training this year for the OKC Memorial Marathon. I thought to myself, “I haven’t had an encounter with a coyote in a while.”  Well little did I know I would have more than one wildlife encounter in one morning.

Sure enough Sunnie, my running buddy and dog, and I started our run one morning and we weren’t 200 yards in when I hear this yipping and barking. We were close to where we head down to the trails we run on, and it sounded kind of like a dog but a little different.   Then…..the howling starts.  There must have been a pack of them and they were LOUD, PROUD and CLOSE.   Needless to say, our running route quickly changed.  (I was thankful at this point to have my Garmin GPS watch so it didn’t matter – we just forged a new path).

So change we did, and had a great run, although ultimately more than I bargained for.   The temperature was in the mid 50’s, no wind, the change in scenery was nice and ultimately my times were good. Of course, Sunnie managed to find more mud puddles to run in (she really is like a kid in that respect…almost magnetized to them) and post run she grudgingly readied for her bath.  You should see how pathetic she drops her head and tail and slowly walks over to her spot.   You would think she is on the way to her execution or something.  Now you are probably thinking this is where the “bite” comes in.    No, not yet. Sunnie only bites me when we wrestle and play.

After I had Sunnie cleaned up, I did my post run stretching and went inside.  I wasn’t inside but a minute when out of nowhere, Dracula (at least that’s what I named it) bites me on the back of the neck.   I quickly swatted Dracula, and then pulled what appeared to be a little spider (or something).   It fell off my hand onto the floor, keep in mind it is still early AM…and dark everywhere. Thankfully I have my head lamp on to hunt it down. Upon further inspection I realized that it was a tick!  Well that gave me the creeps, especially since it was still alive after being swatted to oblivion.   That didn’t last much longer though because I squashed it to beyond oblivion.

Anyway, I can only assume that my “alternate route” lead me to pick up a passenger—either running under a tree or from puddle-magnet Sunnie.    All day every little itch or prick I felt seemed to catch my attention. That particular spot where I was bit, well, I keep thinking about it and can almost feel it.  In the end, I think I can truly say that I better understand the saying “once bitten, twice shy”.   And shy I will be for some time wondering if I will jinx myself again, if I will soon be the victim of another “Dracula” after a morning training session.

Posted in Running | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Spring Sports Injury Report

Posted on May 17, 2012 by admin

We asked Athletic Trainer’s from across the nation questions about “spring injuries.” Here’s what Kristen Smith, head ATC and head of Sports Medicine at Canton South High School  in Canton, Ohio had to say;

  1. What are “spring sports” and how do they add to the onset of “spring injuries”
    Our spring sports include baseball, softball, boys and girls track and boys tennis.  It is a shorter season but it is jam packed with games six days a week.  Many rotator cuff strains are seen with the throwing sports.  The training room is a very busy place with track athletes from shin splints to quad and hamstring strains.  Our cold whirlpool runs daily to ensure our athletes are back on the track the next day.  The ProStretch Plus has been wonderful for our athletes to use, especially for lower leg stretching.  This year is the first to have fewer cases of shin splints.
  2. What injuries do you see in the spring? Any injury more typical in the spring than in the fall or winter? Why? 
    Rotator cuff and bicep injuries are more prevalent with our racket and throwing sports.  More athletes come out for track than for cross country and I think many of them come out for the social aspect, so their training levels are not optimal when the season starts.  Many one-sport athletes seem to be getting sore and injured more often due to this factor.  Lower back strains are another common one with throwers that I feel is due to their lack of training in the preseason.  Definitely see more rotator cuff and bicep injuries with males than females due to pitching.
  3. What are your prevention programs for these “spring injuries”?
    During the preseason I try to make it into the weight room daily to see what types of programs our coaches have put together for our athletes and what our athletes are doing to make themselves better.  With social media playing a large part with athletes, they often come with questions as to why a specific professional athlete is training a certain way.  It is great to see them looking into what other athletes in their sport are doing to become better.
  4. What are your injury rehab programs for “spring injuries”?
    Lots of theraband exercises for our throwing sports.  A combination of moist heat, massage, stretching and cryotherapy are used for all lower leg injuries.  The RangeRoller has been great for quad and hamstring strains, and the ProStretch Plus has been used a lot for plantar fasciitis, calf strains and shin splints.
For more information on how to prevent spring injuries visit
www.medi-dyne.com.

 

Posted in Athletic Training, Calf Pain, Heel Pain, IT Band, Physical Therapy, Running, Shin Splints | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Transitioning to Minimalist Running

Posted on May 16, 2012 by admin 
This is the story of how Kabri became a runner, and the tricks and
tools she used along the way. Read more about her running story
in Part 1 and Part 2.

Part 3: Transitioning to Minimalist Running

Using Medi-Dyne during the transition to minimalist running.

Three years ago, I began training for my very first half marathon. Little did I know that my journey of becoming a “runner” was just beginning.

If you’re just tuning in, I am an advocate of stretching and massage for runners. How do I know all of the benefits of stretching and massage now? And why didn’t I incorporate these great Medi-Dyne products into my recovery and maintenance three years ago?

Well besides the fact that hindsight is always 20-20, I was recently able to put my newly-acquired ProStretch Plus and RangeRoller tools to the test while I was transitioning back to minimalist running. You see, the popular “barefoot” trend requires a runner to build up their foot, ankle and knee muscles. You must build up your muscles and expose them to the shock and stresses that a cushioned sneaker may have absorbed in the past. This transition takes time and patience to avoid injury, and is similar in many ways to the muscle development that takes place while trail running.

After moving to San Francisco over a year ago, I transitioned from running on mostly trails to road running. The city’s hills kept my leg muscles strengthened, but I was quickly losing the strong muscular protection I had built up around my knee and ankle joints.  In order to maintain the muscular support my joints had worked so hard to establish, I decided that I would slowly transition into a pair of popular “barefoot” style shoes. On my first runs I found that first, I absolutely loved being able to feel the road under the soles of my feet—my toes having to grab for the road. Secondly, by landing on the forefront of my feet, my calves were tightening up as quickly and as painfully as when I initially started trail running.

To promote healthy muscle growth and alleviate the soreness, I would do a concentrated stretching routine with my ProStretch Plus after each run, focusing on not only my calves, but also my Achilles tendons. I found that this newly experienced “tightness” would travel down my Achilles and into the bottom of my feet. By simply adjusting the angle and wedge on my ProStretch Plus, I was able to increase the flexibility of not only my calves and hamstrings, but also my arches and toes.

In short, I believe that injury prevention and muscle growth can be facilitated by the proper stretching of overly-tight muscles and by “combing” out the knots that develop in damaged muscle fibers, promoting renewed blood flow and muscle repair. I have found the ProStretch Plus and RangeRoller to be my two key tools for ongoing maintenance in my trail and minimalist road running interests. This year I look forward to setting a new road marathon PR at the Oakland and San Francisco Marathons! Finish strong!

For more information on the ProStretch Plus or RangeRoller visit
www.medi-dyne.com. To read more about Kabri's running experience;
how she started running and how she transitioned to minimalist
running with the help of Medi-Dyne  products, read Part 1 or Part 2.

 

Posted in Calf Pain, Heel Pain, IT Band, Physical Therapy, Running, Shin Splints | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Race Day Reflections

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Craig

Craig’s Corner: Reflections from my first marathon.

Craig DiGiovanni. VP of Sales & Marketing, Medi-Dyne Healthcare Products. Avid Runner. Wannabe Marathoner.

Well, we did it. My wife, Courtney, and I successfully completed the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon this past April. We finished our first marathon.

First, I want to congratulate Oklahoma City on a wonderful marathon.   The race had excellent organization and communication, and the overall city-wide support was inspiring.   Not only was this our family’s first Marathon, but I also think it was so special because we were running to honor those 168 people who lost their lives in the OKC bombing. I’d like to give a special “Thank You” to all of those people who have selflessly rallied to help victims and their families.   The people of OKC have turned tragic hatred into a positive celebration of good and community.  They should be proud of that.

The 26.2 miles course was a nice course.   There was plenty of diversity and support along the way.  (Although, I do wish there were a few less hills…I thought OKC was flat!)   As I reflect on the marathon, I realize there are great parallels between life and running a marathon.

Here are my top 10 reflections;

  • Enjoy the journey. The journey of preparing for the race was just as rewarding, if not more, than the race itself.   Of course that is the story of life too isn’t it?   Don’t make the mistake of not enjoying and appreciating the journey.   It is the journey that prepares you and helps you to appreciate the ultimate destination, whether in life or in marathons.
  • Set goals, and see them through. To get the most out of life, it is best to have a goal and a plan to achieve it.  The same goes with running a marathon: have a plan, stick to it both in training and during the race.
  • The more the merrier! The more people you train and do the event with the more enjoyable the experience. Life is meant to be shared, that includes running marathons!  I am so grateful to my wife for training with me and running each step of the marathon with me.  The benefits of that are for another blog.
  • Be flexible, yet determined. You never know what life might throw at you, just like you never know what the marathon day might be like. Be prepared to run in any weather, and know ahead of time that you are running no matter what!
  • Stay hydrated. Water is a key element to our bodies.   During long runs and the race itself it is important to drink fluids…but as in life, be careful not to drink too much!
  • Early bird gets the worm. I think I said this one before but I will say it again, get to the race early.  Get warmed up and prepared, into the right “corral” and give yourself the time to enjoy the atmosphere!
  • Pace yourself. Life is not a sprint and neither is a marathon…at least not for common folk like me.  26.2 miles is truly a long distance to run.   Rely on your training and pace yourself!
  • Just do it, participate. There is so much to life and so many ways to enjoy it.  There are also many ways to enjoy running events besides running the whole 26.2.  There is the half marathon, the marathon relay, the 5K fun run and walk, and also volunteering to help support, cheer, or organize the race.  There is something for everyone at every level.
  • Stay Positive. Positive encouragement cannot be valued enough in life and in running. I really enjoyed reading the fun and encouraging signs of supporters along the race. One read, “Run total stranger, run!” Positivity is contagious. Don’t feel too shy to high five the cheering child, or wave at the supporting spectator along the way. Positivity can go both ways.
  • Overcome to succeed.  Running, like life, has its set-backs.  But just like life, there is always a new day just around the corner. Focusing on many of the following reflections (positivity, goals, flexibility, partners, the journey, etc.) are simple ways to overcome training or race-day set-backs.

There are certainly many more memories and reflections but those are my top 10.   There were some really funny and inspiring moments that I might have to write about later, but for now I hope you can use some of my reflections to get the most out of your next race.

Posted in Running | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Pains of Trail Running

Posted on May 10, 2012 by admin 
This is the story of how Kabri became a runner, and the tricks and
tools she used along the way. Read more about her running story
in Part 1.

Part 2: The Pains of Trail Running

Kabri uses ProStretch Plus and RangeRoller for trail running pain prevention.

Three years ago I began training for my very first half marathon. Little did I know, my journey of becoming a “runner” was just beginning.

If you’re just tuning in I’m Kabri, newly self-professed trail runner! For the next year I challenged myself, running and hiking distances from 10k to 50k on the trails in the Bay Area. It took quite a while for my body to adapt to the trails and I believe that many of my challenges would have been resolved or largely alleviated if I had had a ProStretch Plus back then. My lower calves would become so tight during and after my runs that they would cramp. My feet would feel “asleep” with the loss of blood flow through my calves. It was very painful. The ProStretchPlus is ideal for maintaining and restoring flexibility to these tight muscles, and is especially good at focusing the stretch along your inner or outer calf muscles, as needed.

Whether you are a strong road runner, or are completely new to running, running on trails places stresses on the ankle, leg and knee muscles that are not often used. These stabilizer muscles allow your feet to spring over rocks and avoid unearthed roots while streaming down a single-track trail system under your favorite tree canopy. After your first trail run you’re likely to be very tight in your calf muscles and hamstrings as these muscles will have been highly engaged as you picked the most stable path along river beds and steep inclines.

Along with the increased flexibility that I would have achieved by properly stretching my calves and hamstrings, I realize how helpful the RangeRoller would have been to post-run recovery. The RangeRoller provides a deep tissue massage that allows my muscles to repair themselves by breaking up the knotted muscle fibers and allowing fresh blood back into the damaged space.

Climbing and descending hills and mountains goes hand-in-hand with trail running; both the uphill and downhill portions of a run, especially, take a toll on your quads. After my long training runs, I would make an appointment with a masseuse, knowing that large knots would form in my quad muscles that could not be released with stretching alone.  The RangeRoller essentially provides the same service, but is much more convenient. I’ll warn you now – whether by masseuse or RangeRoller – tackling knotted muscles by compressing and stretching the damaged fibers is a painful but rewarding process!

 

For more information on the ProStretch Plus or RangeRoller visit
www.medi-dyne.com. To read more about Kabri's running experience;
how she started running or how she transitioned to minimalist
running with the help of Medi-Dyne  products, read Part 1 or Part 3.
Posted in Athletic Training, Calf Pain, Heel Pain, Physical Therapy, Plantar Fasciitis, Running | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Running4theMasses Uses Runner’s Relief

Posted on May 9, 2012 by admin 
Runner and running blogger, Chad, reached out to Medi-Dyne looking
for some tools to help him and fellow runners. Here is what he
had to say about the ProStretch Plus, RangeRoller, and StretchRite.

Running4theMasses Product Review

By running4themasses on

About a month or so ago, I was reading a running publication, and I stumbled upon a company specializing in a vast spectrum of solutions for pain and injuries, not only for running but also for all aspects of life.  The company was Medi-Dyne Healthcare Products.

After looking at their website and the vast array of products they offered, I wanted to get some more information from them as to the benefits of their products for runners, and how their products might improve my performance and daily quality of life.

I was so happy I contacted Medi-Dyne.

For more information on these products, I highly recommend you check out the Medi-Dyne website for incredible information on all of the products they provide, as well as a Pain Solution Center where you can select the body part/injury that gives you trouble, and Medi-Dyne will give a breakdown of that selection as to causes of the injury, ways to alleviate the injury, and their product solutions to help with recovering from these injuries. It is very insightful and well worth looking at.

After some correspondence back and forth,talking about products and discussing what I thought might be helpful to runners, it was determined that I should look into the Runner’s Relief package and the StretchRite.  That is exactly what I did.

The Runner’s Relief Package:

The Runner’s Relief package is heaven-sent, and comes complete with the ProStretch Plus and RangeRoller.

What an immediate impression it made on me, and most importantly, on my body.  The ProStretch Plus has multiple exercises you can do to help with shin splints, tight calves and hamstrings, Achilles tendonitis, and Plantar Fasciitis.  In the package for the ProStetch Plus, it comes with a nice color pamphlet with complete instructions for the various exercises you can do for the various ailments you might have.

Personally, since I had started a new exercise program, I had started to feel pain shooting through the soles of my feet, and at times, it made it impossible for me to continue working out.  After a few minutes of doing specific exercises on the ProStretch Plus, the pain would subside, and I could continue my workouts.  Without the ProStretch Plus, my workout would be over.  The ProStretch Plus also has worked incredible for me to stretch my calves, hamstrings, and even hip flexors prior to any activities I have done recently, and also stretching after those activities.  The back and forth, or “Teeter-Totter” movement of the ProStretch Plus, make it so easy to use and extremely effective on my muscles, and in the short amount of time you need to use it, it does exactly what it is designed to do.

As for the RangeRoller, I’ve used other self-rolling products before, but I have to say that none have been as effective as the Medi-Dyne RangeRoller.  The design of the RangeRoller is great.  As seen above, you’ll notice the multi-layers of the RangeRoller.  It is so effective with its trigger point threads to get very deep into the muscle and relieve any tightness or soreness you may feel.  I know it has done that for me.  The great thing about the RangeRoller is that you use it on your muscles prior to a workout, and you will feel great throughout your workout.  Medi-Dyne recommends about 20+ rolls of the RangeRoller over the muscles to help warm and stretch them, and it really does that.

Here are 2 great endorsement for the RangeRoller:

First, my wife just finished her 2nd half-marathon, and when she got home, the 1st thing she grabbed was the RangeRoller and she went to work on her legs (calves, quads, hamstrings, shins, even her feet), and she said she felt a great deal of release of tightness she was feeling from running the race.  She did that throughout the remainder of the day, and the next morning, she woke up with very minimal pain/discomfort and almost refreshed.

2nd, my mom has been winning the battle with cancer, but one of the side-affects of her treatments was that she became diabetic, and has been having battles with Neuropathy.  The Neuropathy effects her hands and feet making her loose feeling, etc.  I introduced her to the RangeRoller recently, and she uses it daily on her hands, feet, legs, and she has said that it has helped tremendously with getting blood flowing to her hands/feet, and the Neuropathy has not subsided, but the effects have diminished and she doesn’t get as much of the on-set now having used the RangeRoller.

I highly recommend the  Medi-Dyne products, and know that in the upcoming weeks, I will be purchasing some new shoe inserts to help give me some spring in my step and some new-found energy.  I can’t wait to try either the Gaitors Full Length or the Road Runners.

Thanks for your time!!!

- Chad

Thanks Chad for sharing this with us!  Read more about Chad's
Medi-Dyne experience on his blog: Running4thMasses.
Posted in Athletic Training, Calf Pain, Heel Pain, IT Band, Physical Therapy, Plantar Fasciitis, Podiatry, Running, Shin Splints | Leave a comment

The Importance of Running Form

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Craig

Craig’s Corner: Form over function or function over form?

Craig DiGiovanni. VP of Sales & Marketing, Medi-Dyne Healthcare Products. Avid Runner. Wannabe Marathoner.

Like any moving object, variables change at different speeds. For example, when trying to turn a car, you can turn in a smaller radius at lower speeds than you can at higher speeds. Or, the faster you are going, the longer and farther it takes to stop.  So it is with running; variables change with the increase and decrease of speed.   I have learned this first hand during my training for the OKC Memorial Marathon.

During the week, I have been running my shorter distances at a much faster tempo than during my long runs on the weekend. What I have noticed is that I am experiencing tightness in different parts of my body, based on the speed at which I run.

At the faster speeds my attention is more on my breathing and overall feeling of being tired, and maybe a little on the tightness in my calves. I deal with each of these issues easily, by first stopping my run temporarily so I can catch my breath….I know rocket science, right?  And second, for my tight calves; I use my Tuli’s heel cups to prevent most of the shock that causes the Achilles and then calf tightness, and also I do some simple ProStretch Plus stretching post run and throughout the day. These latter techniques are such simple measures, but within a day or two the tightness goes away.

Running form and the interconnective chain of the legs.

When I run at slower speeds during the longer mileage in my training, my attention seems to switch to the arches of my feet and to my quadriceps. At first this confused me because I wasn’t feeling excessively tired during my long runs, more “heavy” than tired. The more I thought about it though, the more I realized that at slower speeds I was changing the way that I ran.   My running form at slower speeds was putting more pressure on my arches and was also forcing my quadriceps to engage more.   Essentially, my running form was changing the way the tendons and muscles, that make up the interconnective chain of my legs, were working together.  My form was driving function.

The solution to my dilemma was to use more arch support on my slower runs and also roll out and stretch my quads really well after my run.   Once I supported my arches and also built up my quads my “attention” areas all but went away.

So, the next time you start having to pay some attention to a problem area consider all the variables, not only around that area, but also those that are interconnected.   Like me, you might find the pain in one place is caused by a situation in another place.

For more information on techniques and tools that help with those
problem areas visit www.medi-dyne.com. Read more from Craig's Corner,
and let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.
Posted in Athletic Training, Calf Pain, Heel Pain, Physical Therapy, Plantar Fasciitis, Running, Shin Splints | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Beginning Runner’s Story

Posted on May 3, 2012 by admin 
This is the story of how Kabri became a runner, and the tricks and
tools she used along the way. Read more about her running story
in Part 2 and Part 3.

Part 1: A Beginning Runner’s Story

How Kabri choose running…or how running choose her!

Three years ago, I began training for my very first half marathon. Little did I know that my journey of becoming a “runner” was just beginning.

As an active child and young adult, I participated in many forms of team sports. The love I had for sporting success, namely in competitive soccer, softball and rugby, could not scrub out my disdain for running when not chasing a ball. After college and a couple of years in a very active job, I earned both a promotion and a transfer. I was brought in from the field and placed in front of a desk, as well as moved from the east coast to San Francisco. With the beautiful Bay Area’s outdoor opportunities around me, I was determined to be the exception to my coworkers and I called “the office 35”– the 35 pounds everyone seems to gain after coming in from field positions.

When I started to tally my options, I found that there was only one activity that was realistically within my budget and time constraints. My tally went something like this:

  1. Cycling: need a bike – parts, maintenance and gear are expensive
  2. Swimming: need a pool – work hours limit activity to before-6am or after-6pm
  3. Local team sport: work hours limit availability and prohibit consistent attendance.
  4. Running? Gear—not too expensive, time—flexible, area— boundless

Only problem— I hate running.  I was determined to make running work. I figured that if I could somehow learn to love running now, then I would be in a great position for the rest of my life: able to get up and run wherever I was in the country or world. So, in order to facilitate a semi-enjoyable entry into the world of running, I decided to combine my goal with another love I had found since moving to California – hiking. I was going to be a trail runner, it was settled!

To read more about Kabri’s running experience; how she overcame new running aches and pains,  read Part 2 in the series.

Posted in Athletic Training, Physical Therapy, Running, Shin Splints | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments