Do you ride a bike? Would you like to ride for a  great cause?

I'd like you invite you (yes, you! All of you reading this here in the Pikes Peak region, or anywhere for that matter!!) to join my team (Team 303) for the 2015 edition of the Colorado Bike MS, taking place June 27-28, 2015.

Why? Because in May of 2014, I got diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). And chances are you know someone who has MS, even if they haven’t told you…

While running is very important to me, sometimes I struggle to get out the door.  No doubt there are others who have that same disorder, especially when the house is so comfortable.  Standing by a window, in your initialed robe/slipper combo sipping on coffee, you watch sleet fall out of a foggy sky while hell-wind blows against the house.  On top of that, it's inconsiderately, stupidly cold.  All of these realities make you uneasy, so you huddle back into your den to keep up with other…

This blog is the second part of a two-part blog on herniated discs. In the first post we covered the anatomy of your spinal discs and the common injuries to these discs. You can visit that post by clicking this link. Today we will discuss the symptoms and treatment of a herniated disc and what you should expect when you see a physical therapist.…

Happy 2015 Quinnian's!

Hope you had a great holiday season and your New Year is off and running (yes pun intended). Lots of running events as we closed out 2014 and of course more to come....

 …

Palmer Divide.  Wind blows stiff out of the north.  These speed trainers, the Brooks T5, serve me well.  I think about how long I've had them...nearly a year.  They'll probably do me well 'til Spring.  A few more seconds to tighten the laces, and then I go. 

First lap is aggressive.  It's a method that works well for me...start hard and settle into pace.  The mile will average between 6:00-6:55 if cards are played right.  Something about knowing when to hold and fold.

Second…

Just a few more hours of 2014 and I couldn't be a happier runner. After the femur-calamity, closely followed by the tibia-tragedy I a more than ready to turn the page and start a new year.  I'm starting 2015 with some nicely regrown bones, courtesy of Simon Guiterrez at Select PT, more commonly know as Simon the Great.  I plan on being a good leg owner this year - you know, giving them days off, having nice conversations with them, taking them for a pool run at least once a week, etc. Not…

I had to wait a few days to post this one, I had to pick the brains of a few trustworthy runner friends just to make sure that I’m not making up a problem and getting all in a tizzy and flying off the handle and there isn’t really a problem at all, as I’ve been a bit wont to do on occasion. I’ll own it.

Anyway, a little backgroud: for anyone that doesn’t know, Team USA had like, this totally rad showing at the WMRA Championships (which was mixed in with the Pikes Peak Ascent)…

Hello Jack Quinn Runners

Dec 09: FIELD…

For many people, injury to one of the discs in the lumbar spine (lower back) evokes thoughts of costly MRIs, large needles for injections, and stories of friends who have had bad backs their whole life. An injury to the low back doesn’t have to be a career or recreation ending injury and can be safely treated with conservative measures, so before you start thinking surgery I want to do some educating on discs and disc injuries to ease any fears of the unknown.…

I know that going for a “run” that is legitimately only slightly than longer than your normal warm-up isn’t really anything to get all jazzed over, but I am! I’m jazzed! I’ve been a little blue to have missed cross country season, but right now I’m the Queen of the 30 Minute Jog and I’m pumped! Oh, and sore. Sad. I’ve run up Pikes Peak for a training run and now half an hour at 8:30 pace makes me sore. But my foot’s a far cry from what it was 3 months ago (oh, and the 6 months before that…)…

For all of you who have not been sentenced to endless weeks of pool running, let me tell you a secret: an 83 degree pool is not warm. An 82 degree pool is toe-numbing, And an 81 degree pool pretty much falls into the category of "cruel and unusual."  The moment I finally convinced myself to get into the pool today - after staring at the water for an inordinate amount of time as my cold-induced anxiety continued to build - I was once again reminded of why most mammals without large stores of…

Flashback to 2004. I had met this crazy outdoorsy guy (soon to be my husband of 10 years!) and he thought it would be exciting for us to have a "first…

There are certain moments that you will always remember in your life: your first kiss, your wedding day, the birth of your children. I can add to that otherwise happy list the moment I heard the words "Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma". November 18 is the day I had surgery one year ago for what turned out to be Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma. I went into the surgery thinking that I had a precancerous lesion. I did, but there was also cancer present. This past year has been an amazing journey.

I…

That month of training sure was nice!  But for now it’s back to that place that every runner dreads: Injuryland.  It was a femur over the summer and now it’s a tibia.  While I’m convinced that tibias are tiny and insignificant in comparison to femurs so this should take no time to heal, I’ve been told otherwise. All I can say is: at least winter is on its way and there’s no Ascent to prepare for at the moment.  I should add that you may think a femur would hurt more than a tibia – yeah,…

I am pleased to say that after 10.5 weeks off, I'm finally running!

Ok. I use the term "running" very loosely here. Basically I'm jogging on an Alter-G every other day and I get to increase the distance by about 5 minutes per session and the weight by 5% each time so long as my mangled plantar continues to improve and approve. So far so good, and my feet will be touching real land again soon! I'm all for skipping out on most technology-related things that needlessly complicate…

You are in great shape. You train hard. And you feel invincible! But even the top elite athletes get injured. Why is this? As most people train or workout we do the exercises or activities that we feel will benefit us the most given our sport or goal that we are trying to achieve. If you are a running you are likely working your legs the most, getting those quads strong, hamstrings loose, and glutes powerful. But we often get tunnel vision when it comes to our training regimes and do not…

     The knee joint needs to be trained and strengthened properly to avoid excess wear and tear (arthritis) on the joint that can eventually lead to knee pain. Running, hiking, agility training, yoga, and even strength training improperly can create or increase improper knee mechanics leading to pain or even arthritic conditions. On the flip side, performing proper balanced…

Not that anyone really cares about a totally mediocre runner's Thursday night training run, but I'm going to tell you about it anyway. Last night, my little dog and I ventured to Bear Creek Park - yes, that same Bear Creek Park that I generally despise.  Well, yesterday's run was the fastest I've ever run out at Bear Creek, so I came away with a new found appreciation for the rocky, hilly monster.  My loop was almost a mile longer than the Fall Series II race, but, alas, I still manged to…

This morning the mighty Lady Marmots ran the second race in the infamously soggy and bizarre Fall Series.  This 5-mile race was held at Bear Creek Park and took us over the hills and through the woods (and creek) a few times before finishing with a slippery rope climb and mad dash to the finish line (and dry socks). 

It was a fun race and a beautiful morning.  But, the moment I pulled into the parking lot at Bear Creek Park I began to think back to the last race I ran there - the…

      Whether you run long distance, sit in a chair all day, or find yourself somewhere in between, our challenging modern lifestyles guarantees you may find yourself with tight hip flexors or living your life with an anterior pelvic tilt.

      When your hip flexors become overly tight, everything may seem out of sync.  You may feel like you walk funny, can’t run without knee pain, your lunges and squats are “off”, and your low back may ache or fatigue easily.  Sound familiar? You…