
The Runners Zone
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.
Latest episodes

Feb 21, 2023 • 49min
Episode 55: Myths, Meniscus Tears, & Managing Knee Pain
In this episode, Chris and Nathan break down intra-articular pain. They cover runners dealing with Meniscus tears, cartilage damage, and ligament injuries breaking down the essentials to a quality examination. The dissect important misconceptions about what to do and not do with these injuries. Envelope of Function Presence of Abnormal Findings in 230 Asymptomatic Knees Knee Arthroscopy Versus Conservative Management Clinical Exam of the Runner (Video) Episode 35: Kentaro Onishi on Injectables If you enjoyed this episode, we'd love it if you gave us review!

Feb 7, 2023 • 56min
Episode 54: Getting a Grip on Your Hip - Pain, Pathology, & Programming
The hosts cover hip anatomy and injuries, including sacral stress fractures and low back pain. They discuss the importance of rehabilitation and muscle function in ACL reconstruction. Assessing hip conditions and determining medical intervention is highlighted, along with the need for exercise variation and proximal thigh strength.

Jan 12, 2023 • 1h 12min
Episode 53: Maybe Runners Shouldn't Lift?
In this episode, the hosts debate whether runners should lift weights. They discuss the importance of resistance training for runners, the benefits of using Cinder Blocks, and the relationship between running and quad strains. They also share a case study on thigh defect rehabilitation and explore the importance of staying updated with medical advice.

Oct 24, 2022 • 47min
Episode 52: Handling Complex Stress Fractures
In this epsiode, Nathan and Chris break down the current state of injuries and triathlong, expected timelines for racing after a stress fracture, and how "life loads" are often more important than "training loads". RunWell is a website to help runners run with more confidence and less pain by providing actionable guides, timeless training plans, and always-available support from expert coaches and physical therapists through an engaged and supportive online community. Check out https://runwell.com/ and access lifetime membership today. As a token of appreciation for being a listener and supporter of our podcast, plug in "rw10" to save 10% off.

Sep 15, 2022 • 42min
Episode 51: Greg Lehman
In this episode, Chris sat down with Greg Lehman. Greg is a chiropractor and physiotherapist based out of Canada. Greg is extensively published in the literature on manual therapy and exercise biomechanics. In his clinical and teaching roles, he blends the fields of biomechanics, pain science, and psychology to help active individuals with injury management and prevention. They dive into how to manage osteoarthritis, the importance of staying active when dealing with an injury, and the need for variability in movement throughout life. Greg’s Online Course http://www.greglehman.ca/new-page-1 Greg’s Course Live Course Calendar http://www.greglehman.ca/courses-2023 Check out Greg’s Website and free pain guidebook http://www.greglehman.ca/

Aug 25, 2022 • 54min
Episode 50: Coach Chris Gannon
In this episode, Nathan sat down with Creighton Cross Country and Track Coach Chris Gannon. Coach Gannon talks about navigating collegiate running, the recruiting process, how to coach athletes that have to compete for nine months a year, what success looks like, and how we can be better advocates for our athlete's mental health and well-being. If you have enjoyed the Runners Zone Podcast, Chris Johnson and I would love it if you signed up for our monthly newsletters. We cover wide range of topics from running related injuries, performance enhancement, entrepreneurship, and life. That's the easiest way to stay up to date on all our courses, products, podcast episodes, and other content. Chris Johnson’s Newsletter Nathan Carlson’s Newsletter Coach Gannon on Twitter What Made Maddy Run Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Hilinski’s Hope Eyes Up Running Alexi Pappas on Mental Health

Jul 27, 2022 • 57min
Episode 49: Having Difficult Conversations
In this episode, Nathan and Chris discuss the need to have difficult conversations with patients and athletes. They explore the college recruiting process, navigating challenging coaching and life situations, and discuss how to set patients up for long-term success.

Jul 8, 2022 • 39min
Episode 48: Dr. Michelle Barrack
Dr. Michelle Barrack is a registered dietitian and associate professor of Nutrition and Dietetics at California State University at Long Beach. She is the President of the Athlete Triad Coalition and a world-renowned researcher on the topics of the Male and Female Athlete Triad, bone density in endurance athletes, and youth endurance sports. To learn more about Dr. Barrack be sure to follow her on social media and the athlete triad coalition website at the links below. University Bio: https://www.csulb.edu/college-of-health-human-services/family-and-consumer-sciences/page/dr-michelle-barrack Dr. Barrack’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/mbarrack.sportsrd/ The Athlete Triad IG: https://www.instagram.com/theathletetriad/ The Male Athlete Triad Consensus Paper Part I: https://journals.lww.com/cjsportsmed/fulltext/2021/07000/the_male_athlete_triad_a_consensus_statement_from.1.aspx The Male Athlete Triad Consensus Paper Part II: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34091537/

Jun 10, 2022 • 36min
Episode 47: Linda Steinhardt
Linda Steinhardt is a registered dietitian based out of Denver Colorado. In this episode, Linda talks about her research on athletes' perception of body comp testing and the negative experiences that are quite common. Linda also shares her thoughts on what we can do to better utilize testing with athletes without jeopardizing their mental and physical health. To learn more about Linda, be sure to visit her Instagram HERE. I’m excited to announce the release of my new resource, “ A Guidebook to Navigating Running After a Stress Fracture”. This guidebook is a combination of my last decade of clinical practice working with hundreds of runners and the current best literature on these injuries. To learn more, and pick up your copy visit the link HERE.

Apr 27, 2022 • 1h 2min
Episode 46: How We Approach Social Media
In this episode, Chris and Nathan discuss their history and current approach to social media. They cover the challenges young clinicians and entrepreneurs face and some tips for navigating the social media landscape. Thanks for listening!
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