Physical therapy will begin with an initial evaluation that will be utilized to help understanding your situation and next best steps to progress you towards your goals. We will have an in-depth discussion of your injury history, training, and current problem limiting your training. Take you through a series of physical performance tests to understand how you move and where your point of entry may be for rehab and/or training. Perform a gait analysis when appropriate (must have accessible treadmill for virtual). Educate you on what we believe to be going on and advise on the best course of action for you to resume running and/or training. Follow ups and what we anticipate it will take to achieve your goals will also be discussed. A summary email of the session and exercises to work on prior to first follow up will be provided within 1-2days.

In most cases, follow up sessions are every 2-4 weeks. They consist of reviewing what was discussed in previous session, update on how things are progressing, adjustments to training/exercises as indicated, and a summary email with the updated program will be sent out.

Here at RunMental we have worked with many patients and clients; watching, analyzing, and adjusting countless gait patterns as indicated. If you feel something is off with your running or have been told your gait is a contributing reason to your injuries, a formal in depth analysis by a running specialist may be just the thing to get you moving in the right direction.

We utilize some of the latest tech to provide us lab grade 3D-analysis using the Runeasi system. This helps us objectify and track some of your running metrics that aren’t visible to the naked eye in a valid and reliable manner with years of testing and research behind it, which you can see here.

Here is what we'll assess with this 90min analysis:

Movement quality, Strength, and Power through run specific tests

Impact magnitude- How much impact reaches your center of mass after contact with the ground? Higher impact values increases your total running load over the same time or distance.

Impact Duration- How well do you absorb the impact through your legs after you make contact with the ground? A longer impact duration is linked to a softer and better coordinated landing.

Dynamic instability- How much energy is wasted that is not contributing to forward propulsion due to lower pelvic movement, coordination, and control. This is linked to running efficiency and injury risk due to extra strain and compensation of stabilizing muscles.

Contextual factors- Cadence and ground contact time are parameters that can be used to optimize running technique.

With the above insight, which is ultimately a reflection to how well you are managing the forces of running, we can formulate a plan consisting of exercises to not only improve these metrics, but decrease injury risk and increase performance.

Coaching is no longer for the elite only. More and more runners are finding the benefits of having a coach support them in their training.

Getting ready for that first 5k, marathon, or ultra? We would love to help you get there!

Or maybe you're a competitive age grouper ready to take a podium slot or qualify for Boston. We can help you there too!

We have had the pleasure to work with all sorts of individuals with various goals from getting started running to running a PR. With 3 different programs, I am sure we can find something that is a good fit for you.

All coaching clients start with an initial assessment to ensure we identify your lowest hanging fruit for progress and where your starting point is. This helps us develop a bridge between where you’re at and where you’re wanting to take your running.

Interested in being coached by one of our run coaches? Contact us directly at runmental@gmail.com or (719) 270-3155 and we can set up a time to chat.

I often hear from runners how they don't like the gym because it is too busy, there are too many "gym bros", and/or they aren't sure what equipment/exercises to do or how to do them. If these resonate with you keep reading. The Strength 4 Runners class may be just right for you.

Monday and Wednesday at 5:30pm, we host small group classes designed to supplement your running by getting you strong, improving coordination, and adding variability to your training aiding in performance and reduced injury risk. This class is open to runners of all levels. Each class will only be open to 5 people and run 45-60min.

This is for those who have completed an initial assessment to discuss goals and establish sensible starting points. To schedule that please contact us directly.

If you haven't had great experiences with other trainers or group classes due to pain/injury limitations or fear around movement, working with someone who has personal and professional experience in the area may be your next best move. Having a doctorate in physical therapy as well as extensive coaching experience helps us help you to move better, get stronger, and ultimately improve your overall health/well being.