If you’ve ever pushed the pace for a cleaner Strava graph, you’ve felt the tug-of-war between ambition and anatomy. We invited physiotherapist and Trail Kings host Shale Coranda to unpack how runners actually get better: not with hacks, but with small mechanical tweaks, heavy strength done right, and a stubborn commitment to patience. Shale’s blend of clinical insight and real-world running culture cuts through noise and offers clear steps you can use on your very next run.
We dig into first-line physio care for musculoskeletal issues and why waiting for GP triage can delay outcomes. Shale explains how a simple 10% cadence increase reduces patellofemoral load, and why pairing it with a 5% incline can drop knee stress dramatically. From Achilles to shins, he outlines effective progressions: heavy calf work that exceeds bodyweight, quad strength for knee resilience, and hands-on treatment to create rapid relief and better engagement. He also shares his own osteitis pubis story—how sprinting too much, too soon, forced him to respect timelines and load management the hard way.
The conversation also addresses the culture that shapes our choices: ultra envy, HIROX hype, and super-shoe symbolism. We talk stack height, shoe drop, and how footwear shifts load, plus the recovery trend that sometimes sells comfort more than capacity. Diet, sleep, and stress show up as silent drivers of pain, with practical referral pathways for REDs and bone stress risk. On the data front, we highlight the value of objective measures without letting them override clinical reasoning or the human in front of you. Perhaps most myth-busting of all: knee pain often inhibits glutes rather than weak glutes causing knee pain—load management still leads.
Walk away with a plan you can trust: keep running when you can, just less; increase cadence for knee relief; lift heavy with quality; pick one primary goal and accept trade-offs; recover like it matters; and filter social media with a critical eye. If this helped clarify your next step, follow the show, share it with a runner who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find us.