Trail runners
Trail running and gait
A physical therapist watches you walk and run, tests the strength behind it and builds a plan around your training week.
Is this for you?
This care is for you if
You are building toward a longer race
We plan the strength work around your mileage and your calendar.
Descents and steep climbs bother you
We look at how your hips, knees and feet handle load on the way down and up.
You are returning to running after time off
We check what you can do now and agree on a plan for building back.
You want a second set of eyes on how you run
A treadmill, a phone camera and a therapist who explains what they see.
A visit
What a visit looks like
A first visit is about an hour with a physical therapist.
- 01
Step 1: Talk through your training
Your week, your terrain, your shoes and your next race.
- 02
Step 2: Walk, then run on the treadmill
We film from behind and the side so you can see what we see.
- 03
Step 3: Test strength and landing
Single-leg strength, calf and hip control, hops and balance.
- 04
Step 4: Leave with a plan
A few exercises, how to fit them into your week and what we will check next time.
What we do
How we work with you
Gait and load check
How you land and push off, and how your stride changes as you tire.
Strength and control work
The hips, calves and trunk, with exercises you can do at home or at a trailhead.
Hands-on care
Manual therapy to ease stiffness so you can move well enough to train.
Good to know
What decides how many visits
It depends on what we find, how long it has been going on, how close your next race is and how the first weeks go. We tell you what we expect after your first visit and review it with you as we go.
Who treats you
A physical therapist at every visit. Laila Bankston sees most trail runners. Each of our therapists holds a Vermont license, and the lines are on the team page and in the footer.
Meet the teamHow it is paid for
We bill many kinds of plans for evaluation and treatment visits, and you can pay yourself. The fees page explains how.
How fees workWhen to see a doctor first or call 911
See a doctor first if pain started after a crash or a fall, if an arm or leg is numb or weak, or if pain wakes you at night. Tell us if pain started with a fall on a trail. Call 911 for chest pain, trouble breathing, or a head injury with confusion or a loss of consciousness.
Questions
A few questions about this care
Should I bring my running shoes?
Yes, and the pair you want to race in if they differ. Wear shorts you can run in.
Will you tell me to stop running?
Not by default. We tell you what we find and what we would change, and we agree on how to keep training while we do.
Do you treat hikers and walkers?
Yes. The tests are the same, with a plan built around your pack, your hills and your trips.
Training for something?
Tell us the date and the distance, and we will plan backward from it.