Page 67 - 2018_Results_Bookv5

Comeback Kids Treated by MedStar Sports
Medicine Ace 10 Mile Run
hree runners belonging to
a five-person group which
Tcalled themselves “MedStar
Virginia” recovered from recent
injuries well enough to place in the
top 4.5% of the 17,000-strong field
in the 2018 Credit Union Cherry
Blossom 10 Mile Run. Although not
meeting the criteria to compete in the
Corporate Team competition since
they are former MedStar patients
not employees, the top two men and
top woman posted a combined time
faster than the top team in the official
Corporate team division (3:19:08 to
3:29:58 ).
The threesome had all received
therapy from MedStar Sports
Medicine staff for injuries that had
threatened to blow their chances for
high performance in the 2018 spring
season—or beyond.
Michael Pryce-Jones, who led
the trio, credits MedStar’s physical
therapist and Running Program
Specialist Megan Moran with
boosting him to 280 place (top
th
1.7%) in the overall scoring. Pryce-
Jones has suffered from iliotibial (IT)
band inflammation for several years,
and treatment from Moran assisted
him the 2017 Boston Marathon.
Then, over the summer of 2017, he
slacked off on the recommended
strengthening exercises, and an
ultra marathon in the fall put him
in the pain zone again. He returned
to Moran at New Year’s for more
work on the IT issue, and even
resumed speed work prior to the 10
Mile—something he had avoided the
previous summer.
Not far behind Pryce-Jones,
Bradford Hardin finished in 455
th
place overall. Another long-term
patient of Megan Moran’s, Hardin
found himself hampered by Achilles
tendonitis going into the winter
of 2018. It was back to therapy—
fortunately in time to put in a solid
performance in the 10 Mile. Hardin
confessed that part of the “therapy”
was psychological acceptance of
MedStar patients and staff in the 2018 Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile. Top MedStar
Virginia runner Michael Pryce-Jones (bib #690) stands fifth from right with his hand raised.
Team runner-up Bradford Hardin is seen fifth from left in the back row.
limitations. Don’t overdo! No great
surprise there, since most runners’
injuries are due to overuse, for which
an overly ambitious, self-imposed
program is often to blame.
Denise Gallant rounded out the
three scorers on the MedStar team by
placing 765th overall (top 4.5%) and
150 among almost 10,000 women
th
2018 Credit Union Cherry Blossom Ten Mile Run
(top 1.5%)
Pryce-Jones noted that his
recovery from IT stemmed in part
from a change in running style—in
particular, a faster gait. A change in
form also turned out to be key to the
running career of Mikka MacDonald, years ago was a happy turnaround in
another MedStar patient who ran
in the 10 Mile. MacDonald, age 23,
finished in 1:08:06, placing 582
nd
overall, and 108 out of 9,866 women.
th
In fact, MacDonald’s age-graded score
of .7247 surpassed even that of the top
three on the MedStar group. (Age-
grading is based on gender as well as
age.)
Men’s Results
MacDonald’s story differs in that
her running therapy, conducted
by MedStar’s Josh Billings, ended
seven years ago. She’s not quite a
comeback kid in the vein of the
others . . . BUT what happened seven
MacDonald’s physical performance,
her psychological outlook, and her
hopes for continuing to run into the
indefinite future. Things looked bleak
for MacDonald in high school. She
discovered a passion for running, but
soon thereafter her body rebelled.
She was, she feared, facing the end
of her running career when it had
barely started. Josh Billings notes that
MacDonald had a mix of injuries
causing pain in her legs. Besides
the usual therapeutic methods for
strength and flexibility, Billings talked
her into what MacDonald describes as
“completely restructuring my form.”
In less than a year she was running
pain-free, a condition that continues
to this day.
The takeaway from these recovered
runners is pretty straightforward—
don’t give up, but get help.
Professional help may make the
difference between running well and
running badly—or not running at
all. No one wants to have to walk
the last miles of a 10 mile race when
an old injury kicks in and they have
nothing to blame but their own pig-
headedness.
Lastly, if you’re running with
persistent injury, you might want to
consider a change in form.
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