For the Long Run

A weekly newsletter exploring how to keep runners strong, healthy, and injury-free through every season of life. Blending personal insight with evidence-based strategies from my background in physical therapy and coaching—because running well is about more than just mileage, pacing and races. Running is for life.

Browse Past Newsletters

A popular running influencer recently posted a short video confidently stating that “running gait doesn’t matter.” It's a clear, bold claim - good for social media - and in some ways, not entirely wrong. But here’s the problem: there's nuance to this! It’s kind of like trying to figure out how y...

by Dr. Erin Kennedy Dalisay — Aug 01, 2025 running gait

How to Test Your Running Injury Risk

Can you pass these 5 Running Readiness Tests? What if there were simple, evidence-based ways to reduce your risk of running injuries this season? Would that help give you a little peace of mind during training? Good news! There's been a lot of research on key running readiness tests that help ass...

by Dr. Erin Kennedy Dalisay — Jul 18, 2025 running injury self-test the runner's checklist

3 Essential Tips for a Successful Fall Race Training Season

By now, you’ve probably got your fall race locked in and you're mentally preparing to increase your weekly mileage. Did you know that many running injuries can be traced back to training errors? That’s one reason I became a running coach after finishing physical therapy school. Understanding how ...

by Dr. Erin Kennedy Dalisay — Jul 11, 2025 half marathon training marathon training running injury prevention

Managing Your Weekly Fitness Routine With A Busy Schedule

It’s hard enough to stick to a regular fitness routine, and having to do that while navigating pain is exhausting. As a physical therapist, when I ask someone how their home rehab program is going, I’m used to hearing the somewhat defeated response of: “I’ve been too busy to do my exercises.” It...

by Dr. Erin Kennedy Dalisay — Jul 04, 2025

How to Recover After a Long Run

Ahhh the long run! It’s a sacred tradition for runners to lace up and prepare for their weekly long run while training for a half or full marathon. Long runs are an essential part of building endurance and are considered the key workout when chasing long distance goals. Currently I'm training f...

by Dr. Erin Kennedy Dalisay — Jun 27, 2025

Is Your Calf Weakness Causing Your Injuries?

When we think of running strength, the calves are often overlooked. But if you're a runner—or just someone who wants to stay active and injury-free—your calf muscles are doing a lot more work than you might think. Let's start at the soleus (one of the deeper calf muscles), one of the hardest-work...

by Dr. Erin Kennedy Dalisay — Jun 20, 2025

Happy Father's Day 💙🎉

I just realized that this will be the 15th anniversary of me signing up for my first marathon! My dad has been running marathons since I was very young. So for Father's Day 2010 my gift to him was signing up for the California International Marathon so we could train together. Long story short, r...

by Dr. Erin Kennedy Dalisay — Jun 13, 2025

Quick Test to See If You're Squatting Correctly

Whether you’re a runner, someone returning from injury, or just trying to stay active and strong as you age, the squat is one of the best exercises you can do. But are you actually doing it right? The squat is probably the MOST common exercise that I’ve educated patients on in my career as a phys...

by Dr. Erin Kennedy Dalisay — Jun 06, 2025

Why Strength Training Is Crucial for Injury-Prone Runners

It’s a common misconception that running alone is enough to build leg strength. As a running physical therapist, I’ll hear a lot about how injury-prone runners feel the solution to their pain is stretching, foam rolling or trialling out ten new pairs of shoes. But, honestly? You’ll likely see b...

May 30, 2025

5 Common Mistakes Runners Make That Cause Pain (And How to Avoid Them)

As runners, it’s not uncommon to feel tightness or soreness after runs. But if you’re worried that you’re starting to experience something more serious - this post is for you. I have a confession to make: at the beginning of this month, I started to develop some ankle pain. After finishing my rec...

by Dr. Erin Kennedy Dalisay — May 23, 2025

How a 10-Second Test Can Transform Your Running and Longevity

One Simple, But Eye Opening Exercise My daughter is seven months old. She’s been starting to experiment with pulling up on objects to try to stand. Of course, she needs a close eye and support, or else she won’t be able to balance for longer than a second or two. As a physical therapist, I know t...

May 16, 2025

The Runner's Strength Checklist

Can You Pass These 5 Runner’s Strength Tests? I personally used to dread the summer training cycle. This was before becoming a physical therapist or a run coach. It’s hard for me to perform in the heat, and moving to Virginia didn’t help either. Holy humidity! But after doing my research on the b...

by Erin Kennedy Dalisay — May 09, 2025

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For the Long Run

A weekly newsletter exploring how to keep runners strong, healthy, and injury-free through every season of life. Blending personal insight with evidence-based strategies from my background in physical therapy and coaching—because running well is about more than just mileage, pacing and races. Running is for life.

For the Long Run

For the Long Run

Legs hurting while running?