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Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Functional Training // Injury Rehabilitation // Running Analysis

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    • ‘In the Spotlight’ with Jennifer Blindert
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‘In the Spotlight’ with Jennifer Blindert

January 10, 2021 · by Garrett McLaughlin

In this edition of ‘In the Spotlight’ let’s talk with Jennifer Blindert. Jennifer is a recent participant and co-winner of the RunStrong Challenge. This is no easy feat as she completed each and every task asked of her over the 6-week time period. When it comes to creating reliable results that impact your running, consistency is at the top of the list.

Jennifer and I first started working together to troubleshoot and alleviate persistent hip flexor fatigue/tightness. Hip flexors and hamstrings can commonly feel tight and fatigued for a myriad of reasons. So it’s important look more closely at running form, flexibility, strength, and a handful of other areas.

Over 2-3 months, we were able to make strong improvements to resolve this “tightness” by following a consistent and focused strength training and corrective program. Luckily, Jennifer is hardworking, consistent, and a very good communicator which creates a great situation when it comes to working with clients virtually during the craziness of COVID.

Without further ado, let’s shine the spotlight on…

Jennifer Blindert

Q: Where are you from?

A: “I grew up in Michigan and that is where I currently reside but I lived in Colorado for 7 years.”

Q: What are some of your favorite hobbies?

A: “Running, skiing, swimming, SUPing, gardening, and spending time with my animals (dogs, chickens, and budgies (parakeets)).”

Q: If you could live anywhere in the world where would that be? Why?

A: “Somewhere without ticks! I like Michigan and the seasons but I do not like ticks!”

Q: Is there something unique about you that most people don’t know?

A: “I really like hanging out with my chickens (but most people know that). I also played the trumpet for 12 years but have since focused on my other hobbies.”

Q: Tell us a little about your running background and what is your favorite moment to date?

A: “I started running in middle school when I didn’t make the softball team. I did have some previous experience running from playing soccer. My mom is also a runner, so I grew up in the running community. I ran cross country, indoor track and outdoor track in high school and college. My primary event was the mile (or 1500m) in track but I would occasionally drop down to the 800m and 400m in 4×4 relay. After college, I continued to run road races and have done countless 5k’s, some competitive miles, a couple of 10k’s, and a few half marathons.

One of my most memorable races (and probably my favorite race) was the Bolder Boulder 10k in Colorado. I  trained specifically for the race and my goal was to break 40 minutes because you got a special shirt that said ‘sub 40 club.’ During the race I went through the 5k at 19:58 and thought to myself, “I can’t slow down AT ALL!” Miles 3-4 are always the hardest for me and this race was no exception. I felt awful. Then somewhere in mile 5, I starting feeling better and said to myself “I trained to hard all year for this race to not break 40.” I pushed harder that last two miles than I ever have. It was probably the best mental race I’ve had. I went across the finish line and looked at my watch and saw the :16 and I was disappointed that I came so close and then I realized there was 39 in front of it…39:16! I was so shocked that I broke 40 minutes by over 40 seconds!”

Q: When you first started working with Garrett, what were the goals you wanted to achieve?

A: “I wanted to strengthen my hip flexor muscles because I had been having problems for a while with fatigue and pain in the hip and upper quad area. I wanted to become a stronger runner overall as well. I also wanted some more variety in my workouts to break up the repetitive exercises I had been doing.”

Q: At this point are you still feeling the same hip flexor pain/tightness and how has that changed after modifying your strength training program and adding the RAILs component?

A: “I have not had the hip flexor pain/tightness since the challenge. I have continued the strength training and RAILs which have made a big difference with my balance and mobility and helped train me to engage my core. All of these improvements have taken the stress off hip flexor muscles, so I haven’t had any of those old issues. Yay!”

Q: Oftentimes, the process of progressing a strength training program isn’t always smooth and linear, were there any setbacks along the way? And if so, how did you deal with them?

A: “Yes, my hips were very weak and I tweaked my posterior hip muscle (while washing the dogs). It took a long time for the pain to subside. I wasn’t able to do some of the exercises in my program for a few weeks because of the pain, but Garrett was able to modify my workouts so my muscles could heal and then I able to progress the difficulty of my exercises once again.”

Q: How did your strength training program change after working with Garrett?

A: “I’m not just lifting to ‘check the box’ anymore.  Lifting more weight isn’t necessarily my goal, but being focused on proper form. I do a lot more balancing exercises now, single leg/arm. I also engage my core with every exercise not just the abdominal exercises.”

Q: What is that one thing you dislike the most but continue to work on because you know it will help?

A: “Ugh, planks. I still do them multiple days a week because they really target my weaknesses but they are hard, especially the side variants.”

Q: What are the most noticeable improvements you’ve seen so far with your running?

A: “I have a stronger core (canister-like) and feel more stable and strong during my runs. It’s not noticeable in my running necessarily, but I couldn’t do one push-up before the challenge and now I can do a couple sets of ten!!!”

Q: You were a co-winner of the Fall 2020 RunStrong Challenge and achieved a perfect score… How did you enjoy that program and what contributed to your success in being so consistent over the 6-week time period?

A: “I really enjoyed the challenge. It was great to get a running analysis and a personalized workout plan all from the comfort of my home.  It was also fun to ‘meet’ some new people during such an isolated time and to be able to interact through the Facebook group.

I was determined to not miss any points especially for things that were in my control such as water intake, posting challenge videos, and completing my workouts. Even if I didn’t feel like doing something, I did it anyway because I didn’t want to be out of the running for grand prize, especially for something I could have done. It was the competition that kept me on my toes. I knew the other competitors were not going to miss any points so I couldn’t either! My advice is to not fall behind on anything especially with water intake. I pulled a couple ‘chug at 10 pm’s’ and that’s not fun at midnight…2am…4am….”

Q: Looking ahead, do you have any new goals/races you are working towards?

A: “I would like to run more road mile races again and I plan on doing the Detroit Free Press International Half.”

Q: If you could give advice to the 18 year old you who is getting ready to run in college, what would you tell her?

A: “Work with Garrett first (haha). Or find a college program that has a good strength training coach. It’s so important to get a good base with core strength and overall stability and strength before moving on to more miles or faster miles.”


Thank you for reading this ‘In the Spotlight’ segment. And, a big shout out to Jennifer Blindert. To learn more about the Healthy Running Program, please click here!

Diversify Your Calf Strengthening: Gastrocnemius vs. Soleus

December 7, 2020 · by Garrett McLaughlin
| Article written on December 7th, 2020 at 11:58am | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

Are you properly targeting the calf muscle complex to have the strength, power, and resilience necessary to meet the demands of running? Properly is the key word in that sentence. Let’s talk about that…

If we think about running for a second, you are literally bounding from one leg to the other while withstanding forces around 2-4x your bodyweight. This is important to conceptualize because I see a lot of runners only performing two-legged calf raises. Although there are no “bad exercises,” it’s hard to see how these carryover to running unless it’s a recovery day or you are rehabilitating from a plantar fascia and/or achilles injury and it’s a stepping stone in your progression.

With that being said, it’s important for your program to be as specific as possible. Not only do you want to progress basic two-legged calf raises to perform the more challenging and applicable single leg variations, but we must also respect the biomechanics of running.

In the stance phase of running, the knee is always in a slightly flexed position that later extends in the propulsion phase. What we learn when looking more closely at anatomy and the research, is that this slight knee bend biases the deeper Soleus muscle more heavily then the outermost Gastrocnemius.

What does this mean?

In addition to single leg exercises, we must also target the deeper Soleus muscle to incorporate a more diverse calf strengthening routine. This approach respects the anatomy and biomechanics of running so you can see the best results possible.

In this video, I talk about…

  • Calf anatomy
  • The biomechanics of running
  • How to properly progress your calf raises
  • Diversifying your routine while biasing the Soleus muscle

Click below to watch the entire demonstration!

I hope this video blog helps you understand the importance of a more specific but diverse calf strengthening program. If you have questions about calf strengthening, are suffering from a lower leg overuse injury, or are interested in learning more about the Healthy Running Program, click here and let’s talk more.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Fireside Chat with Dr. Jesse Riley, DC – “Finding the Right Shoe for the Job”

September 28, 2020 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Welcome to the Fireside Chat! This series was designed to provides runners and the general population easy to absorb information regarding running mechanics, nutrition, strength training, and injury prevention. As the series progresses, we will cover a myriad of topics and speak with different professionals in the health & running community.

In this 3rd edition, we had a great conversation with guest, Dr. Jesse Riley. Dr. Riley is a sports chiropractor and running specialist in Golden, Colorado. He shared some fantastic tips and background information on all things running footwear so you can make the best selection when it comes to what shoes are best for you.

Not sure if you are wearing the right shoes? Or, maybe suffering from a running-related injury that you suspect is shoe related? Dr. Riley has you covered in this chat!

In this Fireside Chat, we covered a variety of topics, including…

  1. Background & philosophy (2:15)
  2. Improving your knowledge base around shoes (6:28)
  3. Fundamentals on how to purchase the right pair of running shoes (21:23)
  4. Shoe assessments to check for function & factory defects (28:33)
  5. Connect with Dr. Riley (45:07)
  6. Q&A (46:05)

Click the video below to instantly watch the replay of this chat!

Did you enjoy this Fireside Chat and are interested in learning more about upcoming segments as well as high quality educational content for runners? If so, click here to join the Ignite Your Run private Facebook group. The Ignite Your Run group is a FREE community for runners to learn and interact in the journey to become the best version of yourself possible.

Here are additional resources regarding today’s chat and how to learn more about Dr. Riley…

  • FREE Download: Running Shoe Education Handout
  • Website: www.moderndaychiro.com
  • Email: Jesse@moderndaychiro.com
  • Social Media: @docjesseriley

Thanks for watching!

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Variability: Reducing Your Risk of Running-Related Injuries

September 16, 2020 · by Garrett McLaughlin
| Article written on September 16th, 2020 at 12:29pm | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

If you’re like most runners, one of your primary goals is to reduce the incidence of injury so you can continue to run pain-free while trying to improve performance and longevity within the sport. Although this is a great goal to have for any runner, we must first understand that running is a painful sport and preventing injuries from occurring altogether is unlikely.

With up to 70% of runners getting injured each and every year, it’s unrealistic to think that we can prevent injuries completely. Instead, I recommend shifting your focus to mitigating the risk of injury and reducing the severity by emphasizing many of the injury reduction strategies covered in this article.

We are fortunate that running is a very specific and predictable movement pattern that has been thoroughly examined over the years. With the growing research in this area, it’s clear which biomechanical characteristics need to be addressed to see an improvement in performance. This often puts runners on a path for running longer distances and faster paces.

However, it’s also this same predictable and repetitive movement pattern which can increase our risk of injury. Too much of the same thing is not always better for the human body. This can lead to a loss in overall joint mobility, a reduction in bone mineral density & maximal muscle strength, and other declines which make us more susceptible to running-related injuries.

In 2013, Malisoux et al published an article called, “Can Parallel Use of Different Running Shoes Decrease Running-Related Injury Risk?” This was a fantastic research study which found the following results…

  • The parallel use of more than one pair of running shoes was a protective factor against injury
  • Previous injury was a risk factor for future injury
  • Increased average running session distance and increased weekly volume in other sports were associated with lower running-related injury risk

To summarize their conclusion, “Multiple shoe use and participation in other sports are strategies potentially leading to a variation of the load applied to the musculoskeletal system. They could be advised to recreational runners to prevent running-related injury.” Therefore, as much as running is a specific and predictable movement pattern, incorporating some degree of variability within your routine is recommended and needed to reduce the overall injury risk.

Variability is defined in the dictionary as…

“Lack of consistency or fixed pattern; liability to vary or change.”

As we reflect on the research article, we know that one of the key factors which leads to this reduced injury risk is variability to the magnitude, direction, and type of load applied on the system. Therefore, by wearing different running shoes, moving in other planes of motion, applying different forces, and having a degree of variety within your running plain, you can offset your injury risk.

Former olympic runner and running coach, Nicole Sifuentes, talks about ways to include variety within your running plan in her article called, “3 Rules for Running Success.” This can be accomplished by manipulating the effort, pace, terrain, and type of training.

From a movement standpoint, variability can be emphasized within your pre-run routine, strength training program, and by partaking in a different sport or activity on alternate days throughout the week. Truthfully, I think all of these have merit to promote longevity and a reduced injury risk while being individualized to the needs of each runner.

Interested in being the best runner you can be while following this variability principle to offset your injury risk? Click here to learn more about the Healthy Running Program.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Build Your Run Series: Injury Prevention (FREE Webinar Replay)

June 25, 2020 · by Garrett McLaughlin

Injury prevention is a hot topic in the running world, and for good reason. Runners are searching for the best strategies to stay injury-free and thriving within the sport. But, is preventing injury actually attainable?

In this webinar, I presented on the topic of injury prevention by thoroughly reviewing the research. What I found was a lot of conflicting information compared to what is commonly seen around the running community. It’s my hope that you will use this to be more objective and fine tune your program to create the best results possible.

What you’ll learn is…

  • The most common running-related injuries
  • Which risk factors are associated with injury
  • Important injury prevention tactics and their effectiveness
    • Foam rolling
    • Static stretching
    • Strength training
  • The role of footwear in reducing your injury risk
  • Q&A

–> Click here to receive instant access to the webinar.

I hope you enjoy this webinar! Comment below or contact me directly if you have any questions or comments regarding injury prevention. And, if you want to get down to business and implement the best strategies to improve your running, click here to learn more about the Healthy Running Program.

By: Garrett McLaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Achilles Tendinopathy: Loading Strategies to Restore Pain-Free Function

April 7, 2020 · by Garrett McLaughlin
| Article written on April 7th, 2020 at 12:37pm | Follow Garrett on Facebook and Instagram |

Achilles tendinopathy is a general term used to signify pain, tenderness, and chronic changes to the tendon. On a regular basis, I see a lot of new running clients who enter the Healthy Running Program that display lingering symptoms which have not been fully addressed to resolve the injury process. Symptoms are most commonly seen at the mid-portion of the tendon, although insertional tendinopathy where the tendon and calcaneus meet is also possible. Pathology is often caused by degeneration as opposed to inflammation, and can be developed even before the onset of symptoms. That’s why a progressive and structured strength training program for runners can be valuable to maintain the integrity of this tissue as an injury prevention strategy.

Click here to connect with Garrett about your achilles pain.

Numerous studies have looked at exercise, therapeutic modalities, soft-tissue therapy, braces and splints, and injections as a way to resolve achilles tendinopathy. Exercise consisting of isometrics, eccentric, eccentric-concentric, and heavy slow resistance loading have been popular and continue to be highly regarded and debated as strategies to address overuse tendon injuries. The debate comes from mixed research showing people who respond favorably while others who may not respond quite as well. However, as a form of conservative management, loading the affected tissue should be a priority early within the rehabilitation process before considering other options.

Let’s define the four types of loading strategies…

  1. Isometric loading is when the calf complex is contracting but the achilles is held in a position where it’s length remains constant. This can vary from shortened, mid-length, or lengthened positions depending on your specific needs and presentation.
  2. Eccentric loading consists of an isolated and slow lengthening of the tissue. Do not confuse this with static stretching, as the calf muscle and achilles tendon are shortened and then actively lengthened through their range of motion. Think of assisting yourself up to the top of a calf raise and then emphasizing a slow and controlled contraction on the way down.
  3. Eccentric-concentric loading consists of actively shortening and lengthening of the tissue. During a calf raise, the achilles and calf are used to actively raise up and lower down. This requires equal parts eccentric and concentric contraction.
  4. Heavy slow resistance (HSR) more replicates a strength training type exercise where a greater degree of load is placed on the tissue. Instead of performing a bodyweight only movement, HSR utilizes external resistance to load the calf raise with a barbell or dumbbells.

With each of these types of loading to directly address the achilles tendon, repetitions, sets, rest periods, duration of movement, duration of time held in the lengthened position, and external load are all factors which need to be considered for the best results. In addition, Alfredson et al recommends stressing the tendon to the point where pain is evoked. Therefore, an aggressive approach that takes into consideration the “24-Hour Rule” might be necessary in resolving overuse tendon injuries.

The “24-Hour Rule” is a general rule of thumb we use to determine the appropriate amount of stress to place on an injured tendon. Basically, you want to stress the achilles tendon in a way that evokes pain but does not exceed a 3/4 out of 10 on the pain scale. If pain continues after you finish the exercise, it should resolve completely within 24-hours. This is an important concept to understand with tendon pain. A certain degree of pain is acceptable and might be needed to elicit the desired response from the tendon. However, if your pain exceeds these parameters then modifying certain variables, such as the exercise, tempo, load, rest period, and position might be warranted.

With all of this talk about pathology of the achilles tendon, it’s important to also understand how running biomechanics can be linked with injury. In research articles by Azevedo et al and McCrory et al, the factors which were shown in runners suffering from achilles tendinopathy compared to a healthy control group were…

  • Decreased range of knee flexion between the foot strike and midstance phases
  • Decrease in pre-foot strike muscle activity of the transverse abdominis
  • Decrease in post-foot strike muscle activity of the rectus femoris and gluteus medius
  • Muscular weakness of the plantar flexors while eccentrically controlling dorsiflexion
  • Larger inversion angle at foot strike and increased rate of pronation
  • High and inflexible arches

Therefore, in addition to incorporating specific exercises to improve the tendon’s ability to tolerate load, modifying running biomechanics is often warranted. If pain is manageable while running and doesn’t last more than 24-hours after, I usually recommend continuing to run or implementing a run/walk interval so running mechanics can be addressed. Despite overloading the tendon being a main reason which contributed to the injury in the first place, resting often leads to less than desirable results unless compensation and disability result from activity.

If you’re interested in scheduling a virtual or in-person running analysis click here to contact me directly.

In the following section, let’s cover a progressive loading protocol that I often use when rehabilitating achilles tendinopathy. Of course, there are multiple ways to load the achilles as shown in the research. But, I often find starting with isometrics and progressing to eccentric-concentric and then heavy slow resistance or plyometrics is reliable since it provides multiple options depending on the response from the tendon. Use the “24-Hour Rule” as your guide to determine where to start and progress as tolerated from there.

Isometric Calf Raise

The Isometric Calf Raise is usually a safe starting point if you are suffering from a reactive achilles tendinopathy or hesitant to load the tendon. What this does is place the tendon under load for a given duration to begin stressing the area very conservatively. The variables that can be modified are duration, position of the ankle, and double leg vs. single leg. Complete this exercise for 2-3 sets of 20-60sec.

Calf Raise

The Calf Raise is the entry point into isotonic achilles loading. Isotonics is a term that refers to the muscle/tendon moving from a shortened to lengthened position. When incorporating this exercise, the variables to take into consideration are sets, repetitions, tempo, and range of motion. Complete this exercise for 2-3 sets of 10-20 repetitions.

2-to-1 Calf Raise

The 2-to-1 Calf Raise is used within this progression to segue from bilateral to unilateral loading. Since the achilles needs to withstand a great degree of stress during running and different sporting activities, it’s important to utilize single leg variations to replicate that and introduce a higher degree of load. Simply, raise up on both legs and then isolate the lengthening of the injured achilles tendon with a slow and controlled eccentric contraction. The variables to modify depending on how you respond to this exercise are sets, repetitions, tempo, and range of motion. Complete this exercise for 2-3 sets of 10-20 repetitions.

Single Leg Calf Raise

The Single Leg Calf Raise is essential to help resolve an achilles tendinopathy. One big problem I see is that runners stop with Calf Raises or 2-to-1 Calf Raises since pain begins to stabilize allowing them to return to activity. Unfortunately, the absence of pain does not equate to a fully healed tendon and, therefore, more loading with harder variations is recommended. The variables to modify depending on how you respond to this exercise are sets, repetitions, tempo, and range of motion. Complete this exercise for 2-3 sets of 10-20 repetitions.

Ankle Hops

With any tendon, the end goal needs to improve it’s ability to store and release energy. If you stop short of achieving this, you will have a situation where the capacity to be loaded has been improved but not with rapid and explosive movements. That’s a main reason why most runners suffer from recurrent tendon issues year after year. Ankle Hops is a very simple and important low level plyometric movement. Essentially, it is an explosive Calf Raise that improves the elasticity and shock absorption capability of the tendon and calf complex. Complete 2-3 sets of 5-10 repetitions while increasing intensity.

Now that you have a better understanding about achilles tendinopathy with different exercises to address the injury, it’s important to start simple and determine your starting point. Reflecting back on the “24-Hour Rule,” try to find the most challenging exercise above which creates a mild degree of pain but resolves within 24-hours. Continue to progress in terms of exercise, sets, repetitions, tempo, and range of motion, while being mindful of how you respond.

I hope this article has helped you better understand achilles tendinopathy, as well as recommended strategies to reduce pain and increase function. As always, it’s important to consult with a trained healthcare professional to be properly diagnosed and understand the underlying factors which may be contributing to your injury. Please take a second to click here so we can create a structured plan to resolve your achilles pain once and for all.

By: Garrett Mclaughlin, MS, ATC, CSCS, ART

Sources:

  • Etiologic Factors Associated with Achilles Tendinitis in Runners by McCrory et al
  • A Treatment Algorithm for Managing Achilles Tendinopathy: New Treatment Options by Alfredson et al
  • Achilles and Patellar Tendinopathy Loading Programmes : A Systematic Review Comparing Clinical Outcomes and Identifying Potential Mechanisms for Effectiveness by Malliaris et al
  • Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy Treated with Eccentric Stretching Program by Verrall et al
  • Biomechanical Variables Associated with Achilles Tendinopathy in Runners by Azevedo et al 
  • Achilles Pain, Stiffness, and Muscle Power Deficits: Mid-Portion Achilles Tendinopathy Revision 2018 by Martin et al
  • Achilles Tendinopathy: Current Concepts about the Basic Science and Clinical Treatments by Li et al
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