If you’re training for a half marathon or marathon, you’re spending weeks building mileage, stacking workouts, practicing fueling, and dialing in on race pace. But there’s one tool that can seriously elevate your training — and many runners overlook it: the tune-up race. A tune-up race is often a shorter race (like a 5K, 10K, or 10mi) scheduled during your training. In college, we often called our first race back for the season a “rust bust” since it had been months from our

Have you ever used Rest-Ice-Compression-Elevation ( R.I.C.E. ) to treat an injury before? If you answered yes, you’re not alone. R.I.C.E. was coined by Dr. Gabe Mirkin in 1978 as a treatment for athletic injuries, as ice provides great pain relief; it has been a standard treatment for athletic injuries and sore muscles ever since. But it turns out this may not have been the best advice after all, as both ice and complete rest have been proven to delay healing, instead of help

Any runner knows what it’s like to want to push yourself, whether going for a PR, longest run, multiple races in a season or any other big goal. The more you push, however, the higher the risk of injury. Injuries happen to any of us, even the ones that know how to treat them. This past August, I was in the middle of a speed workout around a loop near my house I have done a million times. On the final rep, with a minute left in the workout, my knee suddenly became really sharp

When we talk about pronation, we get a lot of concerned looks from our patients. 20 years ago, we thought this was the worst word in the world and that it only caused pain while running. But it’s actually very important for running; it’s just a matter of how much your foot pronates. By definition, ankle pronation is the combined motions of ankle eversion, dorsiflexion, and abduction when your foot hits the ground. When pronation occurs when walking and running, your foot is

The big day is here. The first Sunday in November. The New York City Marathon race day. You’ve been dealing with the taper tantrums for the past two weeks and now you’re going to see why that was so important. This race is challenging but if you put in the work, you’re about to be rewarded. My personal opinion is that NYC is difficult to negative split due to the course, so the following is based on attempting to run an even or slightly positive split. How to approach a mara

If there is one thing that we, the NYC Running Community can all agree on, it is that Marathon Sunday is without a doubt the best day of the year. It’s certainly our favorite holiday. The energy in the city is palpable. Let me tell you, marathon spectators know how to throw down (see: Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene, AKA Mile 8.5 AKA the best block party I’ve ever been to). I’ve logged many miles on the course during that first Sunday in November – dancing in the streets coun

This year’s Chicago Marathon started off as a beautiful, cloudless morning. The logistics of the starting area for Chicago are vastly different from New York, as I was able to walk out from my hotel on Michigan Ave and cross over to Grant Park in less than 5 minutes. I enjoyed a warm-up stroll and my fellow runners and I were treated to a nice sunrise over Lake Michigan. Lucky for me, I got a great night’s sleep after an early pasta dinner, so I was feeling ready to take on t

What’s the Difference (and Why You Should Care) If you've ever hobbled into physical therapy with pain and a lot of questions, you’re not alone. One of the first things we help patients figure out is what exactly is injured – and trust us, it’s not always the obvious answer. Three of the most common culprits? Sprains, strains, and tendinopathies. These are different types of injuries, even though they may feel similar. Understanding which one you're dealing with helps us (an

We are a few weeks out from the NYC Marathon and you are probably starting to plan everything for race day (right??) - kit, nutrition, transportation, and of course, your race shoes. Whether or not you choose to run in a super shoe, make sure you do at least a few runs prior to race day in whatever you're planning to wear - remember, nothing new on race day. Super shoes are rapidly becoming the “secret weapon” to faster times on both the road and on the track. We see this at

Frequently, patients visit the office expressing common complaints about tightness in their hips, hamstrings, or calves. However, the typical follow-up in our conversation is, "I've been trying to do more stretching, and it just doesn't seem to be working." This blog aims to guide you to think like a Physical Therapist and decide whether stretching is the solution to your problems. Scientific Background Before delving into the decision to stretch, it's crucial to comprehend

There are so many factors that go into marathon training and preparation. If you are doing a destination race, there are even more things to consider and plan for that we don’t need to consider for local races. Here are some tips that could help ease the stress of traveling for your goal race: Pack your race gear in your carry-on The last thing you need to stress about is lost luggage, let alone when it has all your race essentials. Make sure your carry-on bag has all your ra

Nowadays, runners at least acknowledge the fact that they should be strength training (whether they are or not is an entirely separate conversation). One muscle group that I commonly see avoided is the calf complex. The foot and ankle joint undergo anywhere from 8-12x your body weight every time your foot hits the ground during your stride. Think of that: 10x your body weight x 80 steps per minute = A whole lot of force on the ankle. This is certainly one area we runners nee

With fall marathon season in full swing, I’ve decided to put a list of helpful hints to allow runners to prepare to run a good marathon and have fun. Whether you are experienced or new to the distance, there is always something to learn and improve upon when tackling 26.2. Longest Training Run DO: make sure your longest training run of the marathon cycle is appropriately spaced several weeks before your goal race; I recommend 3-4 weeks. This will ensure that your body has pro

If you are currently training for a fall marathon, you'll soon be hitting the peak of your training cycle, typically 2-3 weeks before your race. Before race day is of course, the TAPER. As you enter the taper phase, the excitement builds—but so do the uncertainties. You might feel like you’re finally allowed to kick back with an ice-cold Pedialyte, yet you may find yourself on a rollercoaster of emotions and physical sensations. From new aches and pains to fatigue and nerves,

Don’t like to train in the winter for a spring marathon, or have too many weddings to attend in the fall (not at all speaking from experience or anything), but want to still get 2 marathons in for the year? Training for a marathon is an impressive feat, but managing two big races within a couple months of each other can be even more daunting. Here are some tips that could help you have a strong double marathon season.

Whether you’re training for a half marathon, marathon, or an ultra, having a solid race fueling plan can make or break your performance. The right nutrition strategy keeps your energy steady, prevents bonking, and helps you finish strong. But just like pacing, fueling needs to be practiced—race day is not the time to wing it or try something new.

If you’re a runner, you’ve probably dealt with some form of nagging pain or injury. Whether it’s plantar fasciitis, Achilles tendinopathy, or shin splints, overuse injuries are common in the running community. While traditional treatments like rest, physical therapy exercises, and manual therapy can be effective, there’s an advanced treatment option that’s gaining popularity—Shockwave Therapy, also known as Extracorporeal Pulse Activation Technology (EPAT). What is Shockwave

You’ve probably seen on your friend's Strava post that they did something called a stride – but what actually is a stride?

If you’ve ever dreamt of stepping into a freezer and stepping out feeling brand new… well, that’s basically the idea behind cryotherapy . Used by pro athletes, weekend warriors, and anyone trying to bounce back from a tough workout, cryotherapy is the practice of exposing your body to very cold temperatures (we’re talking sub-zero degrees ) for a few minutes to help kickstart recovery. Sounds a little wild? Maybe. But it works. what actually happens in a cryo session? You st

As a Physical Therapist, I often hear runners asking, “Are my shoes the cause of my pain?” It’s a valid concern, given how much attention running shoes get in the media and how many different options there are out there. But before blaming your shoes, let’s take a deeper look. The truth is, running shoes alone don’t cause pain or lead to injury. Instead, it’s a combination of how your body moves, your running mechanics, and your individual needs that are the real culprits. Th