Running Reconnected with Dr. Angie and Kevin Brown

Dr. Angie Brown

Dr. Angie and Kevin Brown are here to help runners reconnect to themselves to become physically and mentally stronger runners through conversations about training, mindset, nutrition, health and wellness, family, and all the crazy things that life throws at us.  The lessons that we learn from running can carry over into all aspects of our life (and vice versa), and we are here to explore those connections through current research, our experiences, and stories from real people out on the roads and trails, so that you can become a physically and mentally stronger runner and achieve the goals that matter to you. 

  1. 10h ago

    484: 6 Back Pain Myths Runners Believe (And What to Do Instead)

    Most runners with a sore back fall into one of two groups, and both are stuck. One group decides it's just aging and pushes through. The other rests and plays it safe, afraid of making things worse. Neither group has a plan. In this episode, I break down six of the most common myths I hear from runners about back pain, what the research says about each one, and what to do instead. A lot of what I cover applies to other kinds of pain too, like hip, knee, or ankle pain. This episode is about non-specific low back pain, the most common kind, not pain from a known cause like a fracture or significant trauma. If you have numbness, tingling, weakness, pain that doesn't change with position and wakes you at night, unexplained weight loss, or fever, get checked out by a provider. Loss of bowel or bladder control is an emergency. The Six Myths: "Rest until it's better." A day or two of taking it easy is fine. Staying in rest weakens the tissue. Stay gently active instead."I'll only do what I can." Protecting your back for a few days is reasonable. Protecting it for months keeps your capacity frozen in place. Build back in steps."The scan shows what's wrong." Imaging findings are common in people without back pain. They aren't a verdict."A stronger core fixes it." Core work isn't wrong, and it isn't magic. Exercise helps, and the best exercise is the one you'll do consistently."Running is bad for your back." The data don't support that running destroys your back. Dose and progression matter."It's never getting better, it's just aging." Normal doesn't mean untreatable. Pushing through isn't a plan. A plan is.FREE CLASS This episode lines up the myths that keep runners stuck. In my free class, I walk you through the step-by-step process and framework I use to help runners with back pain. When: Thursday, October 29  Register: realliferunners.com/backpain Can't make it live? Register anyway and I'll send you the replay. Links and resources: Free class registration: realliferunners.com/backpainRead the article, "6 Back Pain Myths Runners Believe (And What to Do Instead)"My stoplight system episode, for telling if you're doing too much: 483: The Law of Diminishing Returns: Are you doing too much or not enough?My progressive overload episode: 460: Progressive Overload: The Principle Behind All ProgressMy running injury series: 482: My 3 Part Framework To Treat Any Running InjuryInstagram: @drangiebrown and @realliferunnersIf you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a runner you know. Gain access to my new secret podcast, Unbreakable: The Runner's Guide To Injury-Proofing Your Body After 40. Click here: https://www.realliferunners.com/secret Join the Team! -->  https://www.realliferunners.com/team  Thanks for Listening!! Be sure to hit FOLLOW on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player  Leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one! Come find us on Instagram and say hi!   Don't forget: The information on this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.

  2. Oct 15

    483: The Law of Diminishing Returns: Are you doing too much or not enough?

    When it comes to running, more isn't always better. At some point, adding more miles, intensity, or strength training can stop helping and start working against you. In this episode, Kevin and I discuss the law of diminishing returns and how it affects running performance, recovery, and race preparation. We share lessons from our daughter's intensive PSAT prep and explain why, just like studying for a big test, there comes a point when you need to trust the work you've already done instead of trying to squeeze in more. We also discuss professional marathoner Vinny Nauti's high-volume training, why copying another runner's approach doesn't always work, and how to recognize when you're accumulating fatigue instead of making progress. I share why building an easy running base, balancing training intensity, prioritizing recovery, and adjusting your plan to fit your life are essential for long-term improvement. We also break down race tapering, including how to adjust your running and strength training so you can arrive at race day ready to perform. 00:00 – When More Stops Helping: The Law of Diminishing Returns 01:07 – PSAT Prep and Knowing When to Stop 02:16 – Trusting Your Training During a Race Taper 02:59 – Mileage, Training Stress, and Recovery 04:50 – Breaking Through Plateaus: Push, Pull Back, or Wait? 06:06 – The Salt Analogy: Finding the Right Amount 08:05 – Vinny Natti and the Outlier in Marathon Training 11:17 – High Mileage and Fast Treadmill Running 15:40 – Is It Overtraining, or Just Part of Racing? 19:59 – Finding Your Individual Training Limit 21:37 – The Gray Zone: When Every Run Feels Moderately Hard 23:19 – Balancing Running Volume and Intensity 24:26 – Build Your Easy Running Base First 26:20 – Making Training Enjoyable and Sustainable 28:13 – Age, Running History, and Recovery Needs 30:46 – Lifestyle, Sleep, Nutrition, and Performance 35:01 – Creative Training Cycles and Adjusting Your Schedule 36:18 – Race Tapering: Trust the Work You've Done 38:03 – How to Adjust Strength Training During a Taper 40:02 – Running Taper Variations and Individual Needs 42:15 – Balancing Training Stress and Life Stress Gain access to my new secret podcast, Unbreakable: The Runner's Guide To Injury-Proofing Your Body After 40. Click here: https://www.realliferunners.com/secret Join the Team! -->  https://www.realliferunners.com/team  Thanks for Listening!! Be sure to hit FOLLOW on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player  Leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one! Come find us on Instagram and say hi!   Don't forget: The information on this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.

  3. Oct 8

    482: My 3 Part Framework To Treat Any Running Injury

    Pain and injury can be incredibly frustrating as a runner, especially when it feels like the pain came out of nowhere. In this episode, I’m sharing the three-part framework I’ve used throughout my 20 years as a physical therapist to understand pain and determine what to do next: Evaluate, Assess, and Treat. We’ll look beyond the painful body part and consider the bigger picture, including training load, mobility, strength, sleep, stress, fueling, hormones, and previous injuries. I’ll also walk you through how I decide when to modify running, how much pain may be okay during recovery, and why complete rest usually isn’t the answer. The goal is not just to get you out of pain, but to help your body become stronger and better able to handle the demands of running long term. 00:00 Understanding Running Pain and Injury 03:00 The EAT Framework: Evaluate, Assess, and Treat 06:00 Understanding Your Pain Story 08:00 Running Injuries and Your Training Load11:00 Sleep, Stress, Fueling, and Recovery 00:16:00 Pain and Injury Red Flags 18:00 Screening for Bone Stress Injuries 22:00 Testing Mobility, Stability, and Strength 26:00 Assessing What Needs to Be Addressed First 29:00 Making Your Nervous System Feel Safe 32:00 How Much Pain Is Okay? 33:00 The 24-Hour Rule 35:00 Mobility, Stability, and Strength 40:00 Modifying Your Running During Recovery 43:00 When to Return to Running 45:00 Fixing the Root Cause 47:00 Building Your Body’s Capacity to Handle More Load 49:00 What’s Next in the Injury Series Gain access to my new secret podcast, Unbreakable: The Runner's Guide To Injury-Proofing Your Body After 40. Click here: https://www.realliferunners.com/secret Join the Team! -->  https://www.realliferunners.com/team  Thanks for Listening!! Be sure to hit FOLLOW on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player  Leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one! Come find us on Instagram and say hi!   Don't forget: The information on this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.

  4. Oct 1

    481: Pain Is Not a Fixed Trait: What the Berlin Marathon Teaches Us About Pain and the Brain

    What do you think would happen if you completely ruptured your Achilles tendon with two kilometers left in a marathon? Most of us would probably assume the race was over. But Tigst Assefa’s 2026 Berlin Marathon story forces us to ask a much more interesting question: how could someone experience a significant injury and still keep running at an incredibly fast pace? Assefa developed pain around 31K, eventually completely ruptured her Achilles around 40K, and still finished the race, won, and set a course record. That doesn’t mean she somehow didn’t have an injury or that pain is “all in her head.” It gives us a fascinating look at how the brain processes pain and how much context can influence what we actually feel. In this episode, Angie and Kevin break down the idea that pain is an output created by the brain based on much more than tissue damage alone. Your brain is constantly taking in information about what is happening in your body, along with your stress level, sleep, emotions, attention, past experiences, expectations, social environment, and how important the current situation is to you. They talk through examples ranging from phantom limb pain and the famous construction-worker nail story to elite athletes, childbirth, war injuries, and their own experiences with running and pain. The bigger takeaway is that pain isn't simply an on/off switch. It's more like a volume dial that can move up or down depending on the context. And this is where the conversation gets really practical for everyday runners. You can learn to change some of the inputs that influence your pain experience. Better sleep, reducing chronic stress, having a meaningful goal, shifting your attention outward, social connection, gentle movement, and slow breathing can all help turn the volume down. But Angie and Kevin also emphasize an important warning: becoming really good at ignoring pain isn't the goal. Pain is still a protective signal, and turning that signal down too far can allow you to continue running through an injury that needs attention. The goal isn't to become someone who never feels pain. It's to develop more nuance around what you're feeling, understand the context, and learn when to listen, when to adjust, and when you can safely keep going. 00:00 – Berlin Marathon Shock 01:44 – Achilles Rupture Details 03:34 – Pain Comes From Brain 04:34 – Phantom Pain Stories 05:54 – Pain Inputs Explained 08:48 – Turning Pain Down 09:43 – Achilles Anatomy Q&A 12:29 – Descending Modulation 16:23 – Stress and Pain Effects 20:40 – Elite Athletes and Pain 23:51 – Research on Pain Tolerance 27:01 – Training Builds Nuance 29:42 – Trauma And Ultra Running 31:54 – Stress Kills Pain Edge 33:43 – War And Survival Analgesia 39:03 – Childbirth Expectations Shift 41:28 – Everyday Pain Amplifiers 47:59 – How Pain Spirals In Races 48:49 – Tools To Turn Pain Down 54:30 – When Tuning Out Backfires Gain access to my new secret podcast, Unbreakable: The Runner's Guide To Injury-Proofing Your Body After 40. Click here: https://www.realliferunners.com/secret Join the Team! -->  https://www.realliferunners.com/team  Thanks for Listening!! Be sure to hit FOLLOW on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player  Leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one! Come find us on Instagram and say hi!   Don't forget: The information on this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.

  5. Sep 24

    480: Running Myth: Women in Menopause Should Just Do HIIT

    If you’ve been told that women in perimenopause or post-menopause should stop doing easy, steady-state cardio and replace it with HIIT, sprinting, and heavy lifting, this episode is for you. Angie and Kevin continue their Running Myth series by unpacking where this idea came from, what HIIT actually does well, and why replacing your easy running with high-intensity training misses a much bigger picture. The problem isn’t that HIIT is bad. In fact, Angie and Kevin talk about plenty of reasons to include higher-intensity work in a well-rounded training program. HIIT can be a time-efficient way to improve VO2 max, provide a strong metabolic stimulus, develop neuromuscular power and coordination, and provide the impact needed to stimulate bone remodeling. The problem comes when one tool gets treated like the entire toolbox. What helps one specific outcome does not automatically replace everything your body gets from other types of training. For endurance runners, easy running provides the foundation that allows everything else to work. It helps build aerobic capacity, mitochondrial and capillary density, metabolic flexibility, running economy, and connective-tissue resilience while creating a much smaller recovery demand than repeated hard sessions. And especially as recovery needs change with age, being able to accumulate consistent training matters. Angie and Kevin also discuss how recommendations from researchers like Stacy Sims can lose important context when they are reduced to short social media clips. The takeaway is not “never do HIIT.” It’s to build the foundation first, then layer intensity onto a body that is prepared to handle it. 00:00 – HIIT Myth Setup 02:36 – Why Nuance Matters 03:11 – TLDR: Keep Both 05:44 – Where the Myth Came From 09:32 – Training Is Individual 12:42 – What HIIT Actually Is 13:20 – HIIT Benefits Breakdown 18:52 – Why Easy Runs Matter 21:37 – Recovery and Volume 26:03 – Volume Builds Economy 27:11 – Connective Tissue Resilience 29:46 – Easy Runs Feel Better 31:36 – Cortisol and Cooldowns 33:22 – The Gray Zone Trap 34:19 – Miles Beat HIIT Alone 35:35 – Injury Risk and Base 39:21 – Safe Speed Progression 40:14 – Effort Levels Simplified 43:03 – Strength and Mobility Foundation 45:48 – Stacy Sims Advice Misread Gain access to my new secret podcast, Unbreakable: The Runner's Guide To Injury-Proofing Your Body After 40. Click here: https://www.realliferunners.com/secret Join the Team! -->  https://www.realliferunners.com/team  Thanks for Listening!! Be sure to hit FOLLOW on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player  Leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one! Come find us on Instagram and say hi!   Don't forget: The information on this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.

  6. Sep 17

    479: Stop Telling Women to Stop Running (Running Myths Ep. 2)

    If you're a woman in perimenopause or postmenopause, you've probably seen the claim that running is bad for your hormones because it raises cortisol. Maybe you've even wondered if you should be doing less cardio, switching entirely to walking, or giving up running altogether. In this episode, Kevin and I unpack that idea and talk about what cortisol actually does in the body. Yes, exercise temporarily raises cortisol, but that's a normal and useful response. The bigger issue is chronic stress, poor sleep, under-fueling, and inadequate recovery. And while menopause can change how our bodies respond to stress, that doesn't mean we need to stop doing something that's incredibly valuable for our cardiovascular health, fitness, and brain health. I want you to walk away from this conversation feeling less afraid of running and more confident about how to balance running, strength training, fueling, recovery, and the rest of your life. 00:00 – The Menopause Running Myth 02:50 – Where the Claim Comes From 07:08 – Cortisol Isn't the Villain 11:08 – Menopause and Cortisol Regulation 13:41 – What Actually Drives High Cortisol 15:20 – Research Says Aerobic Exercise Helps 18:11 – The Real Risk Is Heart Health 21:35 – Why Walking Isn't Enough 25:09 – VO2 Max and Longevity 29:03 – Measuring VO2 Max 33:01 – Training to Boost VO2 34:16 – Brain Benefits of Cardio 38:44 – Cortisol Fearmongering 40:24 – Strength Plus Running 43:11 – Walking Versus Aerobic Exercise Gain access to my new secret podcast, Unbreakable: The Runner's Guide To Injury-Proofing Your Body After 40. Click here: https://www.realliferunners.com/secret Join the Team! -->  https://www.realliferunners.com/team  Thanks for Listening!! Be sure to hit FOLLOW on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player  Leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one! Come find us on Instagram and say hi!   Don't forget: The information on this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.

  7. Sep 10

    478: My Dog Improved My VO2max - Why A 20 Minute Run Counts More Than You Think (Running Myths Ep. 1)

    Have you ever looked at your schedule and thought, “I only have 20 minutes, so it’s not even worth running”? I get it. As runners, we can easily fall into the trap of believing that a run only counts if it’s long enough, fast enough, or fits perfectly into our training plan. But in this episode, Kevin and I are kicking off a new series where we bust some of those common running myths, starting with the idea that short runs aren't worth it. I actually got a real-life reminder of this when a few short 20-minute run/walks with our rescue dog, Jasper, ended up having more of an impact on my training than I expected. It made me think about how often we dismiss the training we can do because it doesn't look like the training we think we should be doing. We talk about the mindset traps behind this, including all-or-nothing thinking, comparison, productivity, and even the hassle of showering and doing more laundry. We also dig into what the research tells us about maintaining fitness when you have less time to train. The goal isn't to turn every short run into a hard effort. It's to understand that shorter runs can still provide a meaningful stimulus, and sometimes a little running is much more valuable than skipping it altogether. 01:37 – Why We’re Busting Running Myths 02:28 – Are Short Runs Actually Worth It? 03:56 – My Short Runs With Jasper 07:17 – What My Garmin Data Taught Me 10:00 – Why Running Isn’t the Same as Walking 13:23 – The All-or-Nothing Trap 16:54 – When Showering and Laundry Become the Barrier 18:12 – Consistency Over Distance 19:45 – Can Long Runs Increase Injury Risk? 20:59 – What the Research Actually Says 23:19 – What the Hickson Study Says About Frequency 25:39 – What Happens When You Reduce Duration? 26:56 – Why Intensity Still Matters 30:00 – How to Add Intensity When Time Is Short 31:04 – Short Runs Still Count 32:12 – The Jasper Principle Gain access to my new secret podcast, Unbreakable: The Runner's Guide To Injury-Proofing Your Body After 40. Click here: https://www.realliferunners.com/secret Join the Team! -->  https://www.realliferunners.com/team  Thanks for Listening!! Be sure to hit FOLLOW on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player  Leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one! Come find us on Instagram and say hi!   Don't forget: The information on this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.

  8. Sep 3

    477: Becoming

    What if you stopped asking, “Do you think I can do this?” and started asking, “Who do I need to become to do this?” That’s the conversation Kevin and I are having in this episode. We’re talking about how we are all constantly becoming, whether we’re intentional about it or not. Our circumstances, past experiences, injuries, relationships, and even the opinions of other people can quietly shape who we believe we are and what we think is possible. I want to help you start looking at your running and your life differently. You don’t have to wait until you feel ready to become a marathoner, a stronger runner, a trail runner, or whatever version of yourself you want to grow into. The decision can come first, and then your actions begin to build the evidence. We also talk about giving big goals enough runway, planning ahead while staying flexible, protecting new goals when they’re still fragile, and understanding that sometimes becoming a new version of yourself means making different choices in your life. 01:37 – What Does “Becoming” Really Mean? 05:11 – When Your Circumstances Start Defining You 08:52 – “Do You Think I Can Do This?” & Borrowed Belief 12:00 – Giving Big Goals Enough Runway 14:41 – Planning Your Training When Life Changes 20:33 – Kevin's Journey From Marathoner to Ultramarathoner 25:09 – Becoming the Mom I Want to Be 28:00 – Becoming a Business Owner & Choosing a New Path 29:22 – Why I’m Choosing to Become a Trail Runner 31:45 – The Real Time Commitment Behind Big Goals 32:28 – Choosing Before You Feel Ready 33:45 – What Kevin Didn't Expect About Running 100 Miles 36:23 – Borrow Belief, Then Make It Your Own 40:58 – Protecting a New Identity & New Goals 45:17 – How Growth Can Change Your Relationships 49:31 – Choose Your Identity, Then Let Your Actions Follow 55:46 – Adjust Without Quitting 57:02 – The Power of Intentional Becoming Gain access to my new secret podcast, Unbreakable: The Runner's Guide To Injury-Proofing Your Body After 40. Click here: https://www.realliferunners.com/secret Join the Team! -->  https://www.realliferunners.com/team  Thanks for Listening!! Be sure to hit FOLLOW on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player  Leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your ratings and reviews really help and we read each one! Come find us on Instagram and say hi!   Don't forget: The information on this website is not intended to treat or diagnose any medical condition or to provide medical advice. It is intended for general education in the areas of health and wellness. All information contained in this site is intended to be educational in nature. Nothing should be considered medical advice for your specific situation.

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Dr. Angie and Kevin Brown are here to help runners reconnect to themselves to become physically and mentally stronger runners through conversations about training, mindset, nutrition, health and wellness, family, and all the crazy things that life throws at us.  The lessons that we learn from running can carry over into all aspects of our life (and vice versa), and we are here to explore those connections through current research, our experiences, and stories from real people out on the roads and trails, so that you can become a physically and mentally stronger runner and achieve the goals that matter to you. 

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