Run Your Socks Off! FREE Fun Run May 9th 6:30-8:00 p.m.

Join Roadrunner’s of Kansas City and CoachAmyPT for a walk/run for charity. The event is FREE with a donation of socks for Cornerstones of Care. We've loved running with you over the years, and our goal is to expand our running group so we can hit the streets with more running buddies every month. So, grab your family, friends, and co-workers who may be interested in our run group, and join us for this community building event. Wear your crazy socks, and walk or run for up to 50 minutes on the Trolley Trail, starting and ending at Betty Rae’s Ice Cream in Waldo. 

A raffle, prizes and discount ice cream from Betty Rae’s will conclude the event. By checking in at the registration table, participants are entered into the raffle drawing for a FREE month of RRKC Saturday Group Runs. 

Step up your participation and win some RRKC swag.  Prizes go to:

1. Participant wearing the craziest socks

2. Participant who brings the most friends

3. Participant with the most donated socks

This run is FREE, but registration is required, and all are encouraged to donate socks! All participants must register at the following link below to reserve a spot. 

Event details:·       

• May 9th, 6:30- 8:00 p.m.

• Meet at Betty Rae's Ice Cream in Waldo (7140 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO 64114), check in at the registration table upon arrival. 

• Run or walk the Trolley Trail north for 25 minutes and turn around. Feel free to run or run/walk a shorter period of time.

Enjoy the outdoors, and spend time with family and friends as we help our greater KC community with this weekday workout!

Meet Up Details for Rock The Parkway

Racers! Meet at 6:30 AM in the parking lot of the Colonial Presbyterian Church: 9500 Wornall Rd, Kansas City, MO 64114. Coach Amy will not be at the start of the race this year as she is run lead for the RRKC group run. We recommend you pow wow on our FB page and exchange cell numbers so you can meet up without a hitch. In the past we walked down to the race start together, asked a friendly bystander to take a photo, went for a mile warm-up run and then hit the porta-potties before lining up. Best of luck to all the runners for a happy race day!

Why a Coach Needs a Coach

Coach Amy on the podium (far right) while her coach takes a photo with her phone.

So, I get asked this a lot, “Why do YOU need a coach when you ARE a coach? 

Looking from the outside in, I can see how that may seem odd. But let’s think about it; a surgeon doesn’t perform surgery on herself. That’s an extreme example, because logistically it’s nearly impossible to perform surgery on oneself, but the underlying reasons that professionals seek other professionals is the same: practicality, accountability, impartiality and experiential learning.  

As a wife, mother and owner of a coaching business and physical therapy practice, I tend to put myself last on the totem pole.  So getting around to creating my own training schedule and modifying it is impractical; it just doesn’t happen. Instead, I rely on a coach to design a training plan personalized to my goals, experience and schedule. This way I don’t get forgotten or lost in the shuffle.  

A sound training plan is one thing, but actually following through with it is quite another! Reporting to a coach on a daily basis holds me accountable. I’m not just checking off the completion of a workout. I’m sharing physical data and subjective reports about how I feel physically and mentally, so modifications can be made. 

With recommended modifications, a coach is objective and impartial. Practicing what I preach is hard to do. My athletes and patients will oftentimes hear me say, “Do as I say, not as I do!” Many health care workers and coaches are the worst patients and athletes when left to their own devices. It is easy to do too little on days I’m feeling tired or lazy, and it’s easy to push myself too hard when I should be recovering. Having a coach saves me from myself!

Planning, training and modifications aside, the most profound thing I have gleaned with years of professional practice and coaching is that the more “expert” I become, the more I realize there is still a lot I don’t know. There is so much more to learn, and always room for improvement. By having my own coach, I’m not only becoming a better athlete but I’m also learning how to be a better coach.  

Spring Pep In Your Step!

This week is the start of a new month. It's the beginning of spring, green grass, and rebirth.  If you haven't been feeling the Spring momentum, let’s change that! You CAN do it!

I have to tell myself this a lot! Coming home from a long day at work, I’m tired and emotional from the stress of LIFE. My advice as a coach and a fellow training friend: Take each day and each workout, ONE AT A TIME. Get dressed and ready, start the workout easy, and build into it. If you fall apart during the workout, that may be because you are sick or over trained. But usually by pushing through (this goes for my own training), I feel better afterwards!  

Those of you on taper, TRUST the training. Sometimes you feel great during taper. In that case hold yourself back this week. It may be tempting to go fast on your easy runs this week with those fresh legs, but you need to save it for race day! Most taper days, leave you feeling sluggish. Do not freak out! It's NORMAL. No amount of training is going to help you now - it will only hinder. Keep the pace and distances down as prescribed. And for goodness sakes, don't add anything new or different to workouts this week! 

Carbo load with “good for you” carbs on the front end of the week and taper that load down towards race day. Hydration is the key to absorbing carbs, so be sure to drink lots of water and electrolytes. 

Best of luck to those running a race this month!

And speaking of racing…It's time for our local KC area Rock the Parkway race! Please email Coach Amy (amy@coachamypt.com) if you’re racing RTP next weekend (4/13). We are making plans for meet up and warm up before the race. Stay tuned for details.

Can Physical Therapy Get Rid of My Headache?

I get this inquiry a lot and, yes, physical therapy can help! It all depends on the cause. Headaches caused by restrictions in the muscles, nerves and fascia can respond well to physical therapy. For example, when muscles of the jaw, neck and upper back are tight or weak, they can pinch nerves and blood vessels resulting in headache.

For treatment, I use a combination of Dry Needling (IDN), Active Release Technique (ART), and functional exercise. Check out this full article on the CoachAmyPT blog to read more about the effectiveness and qualifications of these treatments for severe or “pop up” headaches.

Active Release Technique (ART) and Dry Needling Can Boost Recovery

Nothing is more frustrating than becoming injured during training. Even with a sound training plan, injury can occur and completely derail race plans and goals. Physical therapy early in the injury process with a practitioner that specializes in endurance sports, can keep athletes training and racing with minimal to no disruption in training.

Lauren, a CoachAmyPT patient, shares her story of how Active Release Technique and Dry Needling helped her recover from injury within weeks of race day, only to compete and PR for that course! Click the full article link below from the CoachAmyPT blog to hear Lauren’s story, and discover the powerful results from these state of the art treatments.