

The Runners Zone
Nathan Carlson
Welcome to the Runners Zone Podcast hosted by Nathan Carlson and Chris Johnson. Lend us your ear as we We interview world leaders in endurance sports, discuss optimizing performance for runnings and help provide practical solutions to common running problems. We also discuss life as niche-practice business owners treating and training runners.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 21, 2025 • 38min
Episode 68: How much running will get you hurt?
Thanks for tuning into The Runners Zone Podcast. Want to work with runners and build a thriving business around it? The Runner’s Zone is an upbeat, global online community of clinicians, coaches, and trainers who love working with endurance athletes. For over 10 years, we’ve helped passionate professionals fast-track their skills, grow their confidence, and build beautiful, word-of-mouth businesses that runners rave about. Join us if you’re ready to level up—and have fun doing it. Use code “rzpod” for 10% off the annual membership. To learn more click HERE. Episode Timestamps 1:00 PTs should have a nationwide license 6:20 How much running is too much article 10:40 Principles for progressing a runner's training load 19:00 Life loads versus training loads 23:45 Tissue specific training considerations31:00 When training isn't working anymore Studies from this episode - How much running is too much? Bone stress injuries

Jul 4, 2025 • 49min
Episode 67: Pillars of professional success
Thanks for tuning into The Runners Zone Podcast. Chris and I would love it if you gave us a review as those really help us continue to produce episodes. The Runners Zone Want to work with runners and build a thriving business around it? The Runner’s Zone is an upbeat, global community of clinicians, coaches, and trainers who love working with endurance athletes. For over 10 years, we’ve helped passionate professionals fast-track their skills, grow their confidence, and build beautiful, word-of-mouth businesses that runners rave about. Join us if you’re ready to level up—and have fun doing it.Use code “rzpod” for 10% off the annual membership. To learn more click HERE. Episode Timestamps 1:00 An update on the podcast 9:15 Current reading recommendations 11:30 Empathy without accountability is a slippery slope 16:45 The importance of communication in business 17:45 The need for delayed gratification 22:30 The need to share your ideas (not other people’s) 29:00 Why you need to write a newsletter 35:00 The need to edit roles out of your life 40:00 Think more about your follow up emails

Jun 16, 2025 • 45min
Episode 66: Does zero pain mean you can run?
Chris and Nathan both have new online courses for you to check out. Nathan's course Rebuild: BSI Management https://runningmatekc.com/rebuild-bone-stress-injury-online-course/ Chris's Course: Clinical Running Essentials https://chrisjohnsonpt.com/clinical-running-essentials/ In this episode, Chris and Nathan dive into 2:00 Does an absensce of pain mean you can start running?7:00 What if a physician gives the runners a green light?11:50 The research on asymptomatic BSIs12:45 Nathan’s phases of BSI rehab17:15 What if running is too important to the patient?21:00 Avoiding distractions in recovery23:00 The George article32:00 Navigating symptoms during BSI rehab39:00 Should patients avoid social media? Warden article https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33962529/ George article https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39141251/ Asymptomatic tibial BSIs https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15333349/

Feb 3, 2025 • 31min
Episode 65: What do you struggle with in the clinic?
Boston Bones, Tendons, Weights, & Whistles https://chrisjohnsonpt.com/product/bones-tendons-weights-whistles-boston-march-2025/ Timestamps: 2:20 What’s new with Chris4:30 What’s new with Nathan5:30 Case study one - vague hip pain14:10 Case study two - glute med tendinopathy?16:30 Chris and Nathan come to Boston18:20 Solopreneuer corner: One tip for if and when you go out on your own25:00 What do we struggle with in the clinic?

Jan 14, 2025 • 40min
Episode 64: The Skills You Don't Learn in School
To learn more about Chris and Nathan's new business offer click below. https://skilled-teacher-862.kit.com/7fca4b4f3b Episode Timestamps 3:00 Taking time off around the holidays 6:30 Downtime in training and in business 9:00 The space between the stimulus and response 12:42 A new offering from Chris & Nathan 15:20 The non-clinical skills you need 20:00 The top 3 skills that will help your career 25:43 Figuring out YOUR approach to social media 28:00 What we’ve learned from clinics across the country If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love it if you gave us a review and shared with a friend.

Jan 12, 2024 • 1h 10min
Episode 63: Should You Run Through Pain?
Hey and welcome back to the RZ Podcast On episode 63 Nathan and Chris dive into navigating running related pain. They cover how we manage pain in our patients, when it’s necessary to push through pain or completely stop training, and how we help healthy runners navigate the inevitable discomfort of running. Bones, Tendons, Weights, and Whistles @ Gig Harbor, Washington If you are ready to step up your game at managing RRIs, come join Chris and myself in Gig Harbor, Washington on 2/24-2/25. Learn more by clicking HERE. Yamato Study Bruce Wilk Book The Running Injury Continuum Bone Stress Injury Book

21 snips
Nov 14, 2023 • 1h 15min
Episode 62: Starting a Running Business
Topics covered in this podcast include starting a running business, mistakes and failures in starting out, navigating social media, growing local relationships, developing a unique voice, celebrating Halloween, establishing a running-focused business, focusing on oneself and the immediate community, consultation on foot pain, operating by core values, balancing life and business, and a discussion on books, diagnostic labels, and the mind-body connection.

39 snips
Oct 27, 2023 • 1h 28min
Episode 61: A Practical Guide to Bone Stress Injuries
The podcast covers how the hosts got into teaching continuing education and the need for seasonality in training. They also discuss common questions about bone stress injuries, differentiating between fatigue and insufficiency fractures, and managing bone stress injuries. The importance of avoiding judgment as a healthcare provider and understanding the volatility of the rehab process for runners with bone stress injuries are also emphasized. Additionally, optimizing bone health through exercise prescription and the approach to rehab for bone stress injuries are discussed.

34 snips
Aug 18, 2023 • 57min
Episode 60: The Flavors of Patella Tendinopathy
In this podcast, the hosts discuss the management of patella tendinopathy, including subjective testing, exercise prescription, and return to run progressions. They explore different cases of tendinopathy in runners and the importance of a deliberate approach to rehabilitation. They also discuss the concept of tendon apathy tissue and provide practical advice for managing patella tendinopathy in runners. Additionally, they touch on the topic of fifth metatarsal pain and fractures among runners.

4 snips
Aug 1, 2023 • 60min
Episode 59: How Do You Measure Professional Progress?
Hey and welcome back to The Runners Zone Podcast. I’m Nathan Carlson. Today, Chris and I discussed how we measure professional progress. We discuss how this has evolved from new grads to business owners. Chris and I will be bringing BTWW to Nashville, Tennessess at Wolfe Pt this Septemeber 30th-October 1st. We are pumped to share how we approach managing running related injuries from tendon related disorders to BSIs. Over the weekend, we cover running an effective subjective exam, performing a thorough orthopedic assessment, conducting functional testing and gait analysis and developing specific exercise and training plans for individual patients. We cover a lot of science, but at the end of the day this course is all about practical application to real life runners. To learn more and sign up check out the link below. BTWW Nashville - https://zerenpt.samcart.com/products/btww/