Physical therapist shares her love of the sport and some tips

[00:00:00] Host Amber Smith: Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York invites you to be "The Informed Patient," with the podcast that features experts from Central New York's only academic medical center. I'm your host, Amber Smith. Upstate physical therapist, Bethany Hudson was the fastest of the Upstate runners in the Syracuse WorkForce run this year. It's a 5K, which she finished in 19 minutes, five seconds, placing 26th out of a field of more than 2,200 runners. And she was 10 seconds faster than the year before. So today I am talking with her about running, which she does pretty much every day. Welcome to "The Informed Patient," Ms. Hudson.

[00:00:39] Bethany Hudson, DPT: Thank you so much for having me.

[00:00:40] Host Amber Smith: Do you run a lot of competitive races?

[00:00:45] Bethany Hudson, DPT: I wouldn't say competitive. I run several races a year. I'm never in, like, the top leader board normally, or anything like that. I just run mostly for myself and to see if I can be better than the previous year, kind of like this race.

[00:01:01] Host Amber Smith: Do you have a favorite distance that you like to run?

[00:01:04] Bethany Hudson, DPT: Well, I like marathons just because I feel like that takes a lot of my time and energy to train for, and I have a goal, but they're kind of grueling. So I don't know if I could say favorite. But, longer distance is where I thrive, because I don't tend to be fast for short distance often.

[00:01:22] Host Amber Smith: But the WorkForce run, it's a little more than three miles. You finished first among the 45 runners from Upstate. How'd you do it?

[00:01:31] Bethany Hudson, DPT: Well, I train quite a bit. I do run, like I said, I kind of just run for my own health and mental stability. So I don't really ever think about my speed. But I also run with Fleet Feet quite a bit, so I do train with them. And I do speed work, sometimes, with them to help push myself since I don't really like to challenge that side of running. So I'm sure that helps quite a bit.

[00:01:59] Host Amber Smith: Do you have any secret way of preparing for a race? Is there something you do the night before, as a ritual?

[00:02:06] Bethany Hudson, DPT: For a marathon, yes. For any short distance, because you never know what it's going to be like. You can't plan for the weather. It's such a short distance that I don't feel like I have to prepare quite as much because it'll be over, even if it's very painful, it'll be over quickly.

With a marathon, though, I do tend to have more rituals. And I think I tend to be a little bit more superstitious too, because it's so long being out there that if I don't do those things, I feel like the pain's going to start sooner. And I think a lot of it is probably in my head. But I do eat a very specific meal before a marathon. I always eat pasta with pesto, and then I eat a side of bread and cheese and garlic. And then the day of, I always wake up like two hours early and have a cup of coffee and a bagel. That's pretty much my ritual. Try to sleep if I can, but I'm always nervous.

[00:03:01] Host Amber Smith: So let's talk about your training. If you do run every day, what is that like? Do you run before work, after work?

[00:03:11] Bethany Hudson, DPT: I wish I could be someone that gets up early and works out and conquers the day. Unfortunately, I am not. So I normally run after work, depending on when I get out, when I'm done with everything.

Like I said, I do train with Fleet Feet, so I run with them on Wednesdays and Sundays.

I tend to run, like, five to six times a week. I do build in rest times, especially as I've been getting older. I'm trying not to wear down my body, and being a physical therapist, seeing injuries, I try to practice what I preach. And so I do a lot of cross training, and you know, some days are super easy. I just go for a nice short jog. Some days I set aside a lot more time and if I know I'm going to get out on time from work, I maybe, the weather's depending, those things all play a role in how long I'll be outside.

[00:04:04] Host Amber Smith: So you've mentioned Fleet Feet. That's a local athletic shoe store. They have training programs that you're a part of?

[00:04:11] Bethany Hudson, DPT: Yeah. They have distance programs, so anything from a half marathon up. Then they also have a No Boundaries program, which is for a walk to 5K. And then they have an in-between. So if people are kind of, maybe you don't wanna train for a marathon, but they do want to get something a little bit more, they can help guide that. But they do distance. So some days that'll be long workouts where they have a program built into it, so maybe you run two of the miles a little faster. And then on Wednesdays, we do speed workouts, which is short bursts of fast running, which is what I would never do on my own without them because I do not like to do that.

[00:04:56] Host Amber Smith: Now when you're training on your own, do you ever use a treadmill?

[00:05:00] Bethany Hudson, DPT: Yes, I do. I don't despise treadmills like a lot of people. I don't prefer it, but I have one in my basement, and if the weather's not perfect, then I'll go into the basement, watch something and run. The snow, the cold, I am not a big fan, so I would much prefer being on a treadmill warm and comfortable.

[00:05:19] Host Amber Smith: If you are running outdoors, do you run with headphones? I know there's kind of a big debate between runners, whether it's safe to do that, but whether it's beneficial, too.

[00:05:30] Bethany Hudson, DPT: Yeah, I know. They have a lot of different things now where you can also, like, hear your surroundings and listen to music. I should probably use something like that. I always run in a pretty safe place where I'm not near a lot of cars too. But no, I always am listening to something -- podcast, standup comedy, music, something, audio books.

[00:05:50] Host Amber Smith: How do you stay hydrated or fueled during the long runs, particularly when you're training for a marathon?

[00:05:58] Bethany Hudson, DPT: I carry a handheld water bottle. This is something that I did not use to do very well, and they gave me a lot of instructions with the different people that I would run with and the coaches at Fleet Feet. I don't like having something in my hand. It felt like, kind of like more resistance, more work, but when you're getting out there and you're doing a lot more miles, it was really important for fueling myself, having not only just the hydration, but nutrition.

And then, typically during a race, there's always so much that I hydrate every mile if I can, if they have water stops. Shorter distance, I don't because hopefully I won't be out there long enough, and I'll just hydrate after.

[00:06:38] Host Amber Smith: This is Upstate's "The Informed Patient" podcast. I'm your host, Amber Smith. I'm talking with physical therapist Bethany Hudson, about running. She was the fastest among runners from Upstate Medical University at the Syracuse WorkForce run this year.

So how did you get started or interested in running?

[00:06:56] Bethany Hudson, DPT: I never ran when I was younger. I just would go to the gym and run recreationally, just for fitness. And then when I was in college, I had a lot more time on my hands because I was, there was all these days that I didn't have structure, so I started running a lot more. And then it also was a way for me to reduce anxiety at that time, too.

So I started building miles, and then I kind of was like, I need a goal to have. So then I started signing up for half marathons, and then eventually that grew to marathon goals. But I never really ran competitively, never in high school, never in college. It was just something I did more as fitness, and then it became good structure for my day and kept me busy.

[00:07:43] Host Amber Smith: You mentioned as a physical therapist you've seen patients who have injuries from running. What are the most common running injuries, and do you have any advice for avoiding those?

[00:07:54] Bethany Hudson, DPT: Yeah. I see a lot of injuries with the feet. There's different types, like plantar fasciitis, post-tib (posterior tibial) tendonitis, things where your arch is hurting. Then I also see a lot of hip pain and sometimes knee pain. Those are probably the most common, anything for the lower body really. I do think I treat a lot more people with foot and ankle pain. That's kind of what I do, mostly, at Upstate.

As far as staying injury free, trying to build slowly, train appropriately. I think a lot of the times a lot of people are over training, not taking enough of those rest breaks, not doing enough cross training, I think, even more than rest breaks. Myself included.

I like running. That's kind of therapeutic for me. That's what I enjoy the most. The cross training doesn't come as naturally, so I don't do it as often, but there is so much importance to it that if we're not keeping our muscles strong and everything around all the structures that we're using so much, then you'll see kind of wear and tear, and those injuries happen. So definitely taking appropriate rest breaks, cross training.

And then I think, also, like when something is wrong, listening to the body and seeking help, right? It could be an easy fix. It could just be you need to implement stretching, you need to maybe add in a few exercises before or after you run.

So, hopefully trying to build slowly and manage that well will help.

[00:09:27] Host Amber Smith: Now you mentioned cross training. If you have found your perfect running shoe, is it OK to use that same shoe when you're cross training, or if you're working -- and you've got to wear shoes while you're working -- or do you need to have a separate shoe that's just for running?

[00:09:45] Bethany Hudson, DPT: I think it depends. I don't typically wear my actual running shoes working or cross training. You could. It would just wear the shoe out a little bit faster, because you have more time and miles on it.

I tend to wear a very similar type of shoe when I work. I wear a stability-like supportive shoe. I also wear inserts, and I do wear those all throughout my workday. I wear them when I do strength train and when I stretch and stuff like that. But I tend to rotate different shoes just to kind of keep the longevity of them.

[00:10:19] Host Amber Smith: What would you say to someone who wants to start a running routine?

[00:10:25] Bethany Hudson, DPT: Just start slow. One of the things that we implement at Upstate with our running program for people that are recovering from injuries is a return-to-running protocol. So it's intervals where you're building in a walk / run, so you're building that up very slowly. There's levels at which you have to progress each one, and we would monitor that as the therapist.

So I think the same kind of principle starts if you're going from no running to running. That's kind of the best way, I think, to reduce injury. And I think just getting started, some people are different. I prefer probably running on my own a little bit more, just because it's my time to kind of decompress. But my mom didn't start running until she was 55, and she signed up for a run / walk program and met great people that now she runs with three times a week. And that's kind of her motivation. So I think finding what works for people too. Some people don't like that. Some people like to do it themselves.

I do like the mix. It gets to be redundant to do the same thing by myself. So I like seeing and chatting with different people on my longer runs with Fleet Feet. So I think getting out there and meeting a group, there's tons of group groups in this area. Just to shout out, there's the Syracuse Track Club, there's the Lake Effect Run Club, there's the Y, there's Elevate (Fitness), Fleet Feet. So there's so many. They meet in different parts of town. There's people of all ages. It is just a good way to meet the community. So I think just getting out, starting small so you don't lose steam and get burnt out too. And then, find your people.

[00:12:03] Host Amber Smith: And what about someone who's been running for a while and wants to ramp it up, maybe do a longer distance, or maybe start competing for time? Are there ways to do that without putting yourself at risk of injury?

[00:12:18] Bethany Hudson, DPT: So there is a, it's a 10% rule is kind of like a well known rule that you shouldn't really increase your mileage more than 10% in a week, at a time. So every week should be slowly building. And a lot of training programs, when you are working toward a longer distance, will incorporate that. So they'll have like one day that's a little longer, but maybe they'll cut back some of the others so that total mileage isn't exceeding that 10% increase.

So there's definitely safe ways to do it. As far as speed work, following different speed programs, there's a lot of interval training out there that can help you get that aerobic endurance back.

[00:13:03] Host Amber Smith: Why do you think running makes such a good exercise?

[00:13:08] Bethany Hudson, DPT: I think it's great because you can pretty much do it anywhere. You know, if I'm traveling, I can bring sneakers and run and see a place. You don't need to have a lot of equipment or spend a lot of money on it. You can meet different people. You can do it alone. So I think there's a lot of different aspects for everyone. And you can do it at your own speed, you know. I run with a lot of different groups, and I run at a lot of different paces, and it's all fun and everything is, you know, different.

[00:13:36] Host Amber Smith: Well, I appreciate you making time for this interview, Ms. Hudson. Thank you.

[00:13:39] Bethany Hudson, DPT: Of course. Thank you so much.

[00:13:41] Host Amber Smith: My guest has been runner and Upstate physical therapist Bethany Hudson. "The Informed Patient" is a podcast covering health, science and medicine, brought to you by Upstate Medical University in Syracuse, New York, and produced by Jim Howe. Find our archive of previous episodes at upstate.edu/informed. If you enjoyed this episode, please tell a friend to listen too. And you can rate and review "The Informed Patient" podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or wherever you tune in. This is your host, Amber Smith, thanking you for listening.