“Running is a process of personal transformation.”
These past few weeks have been good to me. I’ve put in some long, hard aerobic efforts on the road, trails, treadmill, bike, and Stairmaster. This past week especially, it feels like I’ve got a little extra pop in each step on my runs. I think this is thanks to the uphill treadmill sessions and strides. I’m also starting to see some aerobic fitness gains. I’m running a bit faster these days and the effort doesn’t feel quite as hard.
Around six months ago, I started a morning routine that consisted of a short flow yoga session combined with some mobility and core work. I recently added seven movements (listed below) to my routine that have worked wonders on my body over the last few weeks.
- Hopping/Shaking – 1:00 minute
- Jumping Twists – 1:00 minute
- Pump Stretch (Down Dog <-> Up Dog) – 1:00 minute
- Straddle – 1:00 minute
- 90/90 – 1:00 minute (30 seconds each side)
- Cossack Squat – 1:00 minute
- Windshield Wipers – 1:00 minute
I learned about these movements from this YouTube video. I highly recommend checking it out! Doing these seven exercises consistently for a handful of weeks has released some of the tension in my hips and inner thighs, which seems to have helped get rid of the pain in my knees and feet. I also feel a lot stronger in my glutes, a muscle group I’ve struggled to activate for years, thanks to the Cossack squat. I could hardly do this exercise on day one and now, only a few weeks later, I can comfortably flow through a series of squats over the course of one minute.
About six weeks ago, I made an appointment with a physical therapist (PT) for a running evaluation. Thankfully, there are no glaring issues with my running form, just a few minor imbalances. The PT recommended a handful of exercises to strengthen my hips, knees, and feet, which will help improve the imbalances in my running gait. Though the exercises are tedious and often don’t feel like they’re doing much, I’ve seen big improvements in my foot and knee pain over the last month, so I’m inclined to believe they’re doing something.
At my last appointment with the PT, I did an isometric calf raise (left and right foot) on a force plate. This exercise brought to light that my right leg (the one with Achilles pain) can produce more force than my left leg, but it takes longer to reach maximum force. This likely translates to more time spent on that foot during running, which would mean it absorbs higher loads over the course of my runs (not great for my Achilles tendon).
To work on force production, I’ve incorporated tempoed heel raises, moving down slowly and up quickly. I have another appointment with the PT in a few weeks, so we’ll see if this leads to any improvements. The plan is to start incorporating more plyometric exercises soon, which will help with both tendon strength and force production.
Biking is feeling good again. No pain in my left knee anymore. I made a few adjustments to my bike and I think that really helped. My plan is to incorporate at least one longer cycling session each week as it’s a great way to offload the legs while still getting a really good aerobic stimulus. The uphill treadmill and Stairmaster will be my other forms of cross training.
The Stairmaster has been good for glute activation and the uphill treadmill sessions are making me feel really strong on hilly terrain. The uphill treadmill has also helped improve my running form. The incline forces me to take quick, short steps which has helped increase my running cadence on flat terrain.
All in all, I’m feeling good. This is probably the best my body has felt in years. It’s honestly hard to believe I am where I am today. It’s only been about three months since I wrote the two posts, My 2026 Moonshot Goal & The Gift of Movement, that prompted this journey of self improvement.
“Running is a process of personal transformation.”
This quote comes from Molly Seidel, a marathoner and Olympic bronze medalist. In her conversation with Finn Melanson on the SingleTrack podcast, she goes on to say,
“When you see [running] in this way, it becomes less about the wins and more about ‘What can I learn through doing this?’ That’s where the sport is most fulfilling. You can use running as a way to expose the parts of you that you don’t want to look at and then decide, ‘What do I want to keep and what do I want to change?’”
For me, running exposed my physical weaknesses, which ultimately uncovered unhealthy thought-patterns and behaviors. For whatever reason, this past injury forced me to look at parts of myself that I had been ignoring for years and ask the question, “How are you going to make change happen?”
I’ve known for years that I’ve needed to change my ways of thinking and doing, I’ve just been unable to commit to doing the work necessary to make change happen. This time around, I wasn’t going to let that get in my way, so I set a gigantic goal for myself — run a 100-mile race; a goal that would be impossible to achieve if I wasn’t willing to address my unhealthy habits.
In my post, My 2026 Moonshot Goal, I wrote:
It’s not the outcome of 100 miles I’m after. I’m in it for the transformation of self that’s inevitable as I strive towards this goal.
Looking back, it’s amazing to see how much progress I’ve made in only a few short months. This whole process has reminded me that change is possible, you just have to find something that motivates you to put in the work. For me, this is running. Though I’ve always loved running, it’s become so much more fulfilling since I’ve come to view it as a process of personal transformation.
In another post titled, Just Keep Moving, I wrote:
Movement is transformation; it’s change in action. When we’re willing to put one foot in front of the other, we progress. Willingness is the way forward. If change and transformation are what we seek,
“We must develop the compulsion to act despite the resistance and uncertainty. We must do the thing we are willing to do, even if it’s not the grand thing, and repeat those actions and create momentum around that without knowing where it’s going to lead us.” – Rich Roll, The Freetrail Podcast
The reward is not found in the questioning, it’s found in the doing. One foot in front of the other, we make our way forward.
Nothing brings the rewards of moving. Just keep moving.
Despite my recent progress, I still have good and bad training days. On the days when things are hard, I think back to these words and repeat to myself, “One foot in front of the other, we make our way forward. Nothing brings the rewards of moving. Just keep moving.”
This mantra has become my guiding light. It’s helped get me through some really hard times and continues to inspire me to keep pushing forward.
Onward and upward with strength and determination.
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