In this episode Coaches Caroline and Valerie unpack why so many athletes—runners and recreational players alike—feel “stuck to the ground,” lose elasticity, and suffer knee pain. Using live examples from pickleball and running check-ins, they explain the simple shift that changes everything: lift your torso, increase fall, and actively pull the foot up. These small movement changes free your feet, protect your knees, and make every sport feel easier and more fun.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• ✅ Footwork matters across sports — the same drills that improve Pose → Fall → Pull running improve pickleball footwork and reduce knee injury risk.
• ✅ Unglue your feet: lifting the torso + pulling the foot up uses elasticity (stored energy) rather than brute muscle force.
• ✅ Most older recreational players and runners are “stuck” in low-elasticity patterns — retraining timing and lift restores speed and resilience.
• ✅ Bodyweight, movement-first strength builds stability that translates directly to running, court sports, and daily life.
• ✅ Practice progressions (simple hops, pull drills, glute walks) beat more miles for performance and injury prevention.
• ✅ Short-term trial: the RunRX Academy app offers a low-cost restart ($4.95 option) and full membership check-ins so you can get targeted feedback without being local.

Why this episode helps you

If you’re frustrated by plateaued pace, recurring knee pain, or slow recovery after sport, this episode gives practical, coachable fixes you can test in one week. It’s part movement lesson, part mindset reminder: you don’t need to push harder — you need to move smarter.

Resources & Where to Watch

• Download the RunRX Academy app (iOS / Google Play) for drill libraries, warm-ups, and the $4.95 restart program.
• Watch movement deep dives and demos on YouTube: RunRX.
• Join the RunRX membership for gait analyses, video check-ins, and live Zoom corrections.

In this episode Coaches Caroline and Valerie unpack the breathing craze—what’s helpful, what’s hype, and exactly how to use breathing drills to improve your running. They explain why breathing is a rhythm inside your run (not a distraction), how to practice breathing so it becomes automatic, and simple drills you can use in warm-ups to expand your chest, calm your panic response, and run longer/faster with less effort.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• ✅ Breathing is part of running’s rhythm — practice it as a drill, not as a constant thought during your run.
• ✅ Drills (exaggerated practice) teach your body to take fuller, calmer breaths so your breathing becomes automatic in the “show.”
• ✅ Nose vs. mouth breathing: useful drills exist (and historical methods like Buteyko helped many), but don’t limit your breath during hard efforts — expand it when you need it.
• ✅ Use the exhale-first cue at the start of easy runs (exhale → inhale → run) to release tension and find a steady rhythm quickly.
• ✅ Chest expansion and intercostal mobility let you lift your torso, increase fall, and run with better elasticity — breathing mechanics help speed and endurance.
• ✅ Breathing devices and masks are toys — they can help with drills, but they don’t replace coached progressions and movement training.

What to try this week

• Add a 5-minute breathing warm-up before runs: slow diaphragmatic breathing → chest expansion breath series → 2 minutes of fast, rhythmic exhale-focused steps.
• Try a few drills off the run (bands, balloons, exaggerated chest opens) to feel your ribcage expand before you practice on the move.
• If breath panic hits mid-run: stop → long exhale(s) → a short drill (ball-foot hops or marching) → restart.

SEO keywords (use these in platform tags & show notes)

Breathing for running, diaphragmatic breathing, running drills, breathing drills, run cadence breath, breath training for runners, RunRX Academy, expand chest running, exhale-first running cue.

Listen & follow

• Watch breathing deep dives and demo drills on our YouTube channel: RunRX.
• Download the RunRX Academy app (iOS & Android) for focused drill libraries, warm-ups, and guided breathing progressions.
• Got a breathing question or want Valerie to review your drill form? Post a clip in the app or drop a comment on the latest episode — we read every message.

In this week’s RunRx podcast, Coach Caroline and Coach Valerie dive deep into the three‑step gait cycle—Pose → Fall → Pull—and reveal how just 28 days of focused practice can transform your running form. Discover why understanding the nuance of timing, body awareness, and mindset is as critical as the drills themselves—and learn how decades of coaching with Dr. Romanov shaped Valerie’s game‑changing approach. Whether you’re a brand‑new runner or a seasoned marathoner, you’ll walk away with clear, actionable steps to run stronger, smarter, and pain‑free.

✅ What You’ll Learn:

• ✅ Why Pose – Fall – Pull Works: Break down the only three essential actions in running, and why mastering each on dry land supercharges your in‑stride efficiency.
• ✅ 28‑Day Drill Blueprint: Exactly how to structure your first month of daily drills to groove the perfect pull‑up, correct fall angle, and steady pose.
• ✅ From Thinking to Feeling: Coach Valerie’s 3‑phase progression—from “I can’t” to “I get it” to “I feel it”—built from 20+ years of Romanov training.
• ✅ Mindset Tricks for Form Retention: Overcome the mental “wall” that stops most runners at week 3 and learn to embrace deliberate focus without losing the joy of running.
• ✅ Next‑Level Nuance & Timing: How to listen to your body’s feedback, fine‑tune head‑to‑toe posture, and translate drills into effortless outdoor (or treadmill) strides.

📲 Listen & Subscribe: • YouTube: Watch the full Deep Dive at RunRx Academy • Apple Podcasts & Spotify: Search “RunRx Podcast” and hit ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • Google Play & Google Podcasts: Subscribe for weekly episodes on form, strength, and recovery

💬 Join the Conversation: Got questions about Pose – Fall – Pull? Drop a comment on our latest YouTube video or shoot us a DM on Instagram @RunRxFit. We read every message!

📱 RunRx Academy App: Download free on iOS & Android—your one‑stop hub for drills, strength routines, self‑care videos, and live Q&As with Coach Valerie.

Keep running pain‑free! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️

🎧 Episode Overview

In this week’s episode, Caroline and Valerie tackle the rise of AI-driven fitness tools and why—no matter how sophisticated—artificial intelligence can’t replace the human element of running coaching. From gait analysis data to dynamic movement feedback, discover why real-time, personalized guidance remains irreplaceable when it comes to staying injury‑free and unlocking your full running potential.

📋 Key Takeaways

1. Data ≠ Diagnosis
   • Wearables and apps give metrics (VO₂ max, cadence, stride length), but they can’t tell you why you’re injured.
   • Only a coach can interpret how your movement patterns (pose ↔ fall ↔ pull) create or prevent pain.
2. The Power of Pose, Fall, Pull
   • Running is an innate “free‑fall” movement—but adults often forget the natural blueprint.
   • Learning the three‑step gait cycle and practicing it daily rewires both mind and body for efficient, pain‑free running.
3. Human Nuance > Machine Precision
   • AI can track what your form looks like, but it can’t coach how it feels or why you compensate.
   • A coach sees subtle shifts—twitchy hips, collapsed posture, early pull—that no algorithm flags as “errors.”
4. Accountability & Adaptation
   • Submitting videos or joining a weekly Zoom means six-plus live check‑ins per month—more feedback than any AI bot.
   • Coaches help you adjust on‑the‑fly: “Stop, reset, drill, then run again,” rather than “ignore discomfort and hope it goes away.”
5. Building Sustainable Movement
   • Before surgery, before dropping thousands on hi‑tech gadgets, invest in foundational strength, mobility, and body‑awareness.
   • Coaches guide you through progressions—glute bridges, body‑weight squats, core drills—so your form becomes second nature.

🔗 Resources & Next Steps

• Try the RunRx Academy App (iOS & Android) • Search “RunRx Academy” in your App Store or Google Play. • Access 80 % free content: movement drills, strength routines, active recovery flows, plus community Q&A.
• Join the RunRx Membership • Get one‑on‑one video feedback, live Zoom clinics, personalized run plans, and unlimited coach check‑ins. • Learn more and sign up at runrx.fit
• Stay Connected • YouTube: Subscribe for Deep Dives & technique breakdowns • Instagram / Facebook / X: @RunRxFit – Drop your questions, share your progress, and join our global community!

Think you’re running just because you lace up and move your feet? Think again.

In this episode, Coach Valerie shares her deep dive into the Pose Method and how true running starts only after you move past the basics. Most runners stop at "pose-fall-pull," but it’s the nuance, the timing, and the mindset that unlock effortless, powerful running.

She shares what it was like training directly with Dr. Romanov and how learning to unthink and feel running transformed her—and now hundreds of RunRX members. If you’ve plateaued or feel like running is still hard no matter how much you train, this episode is for you.

🎧 Download the RunRX Academy App – FREE Access Now! Available in the App Store and Google Play. Search RunRX Academy for 80% free coaching content and access to Valerie.

✅ Key Takeaways:

• ✅ Why learning "pull" is just the beginning
• ✅ How decades of movement misunderstanding block your progress
• ✅ The real difference between mimicking drills and actually running
• ✅ What Dr. Romanov taught Coach Valerie about free falling and body awareness
• ✅ Why most runners don’t feel their run—they just check the box
• ✅ The secret to unlocking speed and effortlessness as you age
• ✅ Why the most powerful shift in running is mindset first, then mechanics

Whether you’re stuck in a running plateau, feeling like form work is overthinking, or just want to finally feel good when you run—this episode shows you what’s waiting beyond the drills.

Ever catch yourself saying “I can’t do that” before you even try? You’re not alone. In this episode, Coaches Valerie and Caroline break down the mindset that holds runners back—and the real reasons behind so-called limitations like tight hips, weak cores, or bad posture.

Learn how most pain or movement struggles aren’t due to permanent body “flaws”—but from poor positioning, inactivity, or misunderstanding proper form. Hear how simple modifications and mindset shifts can unlock movements you once avoided, and why correct movement corrects movement.

Whether you’ve given up on core work, are frustrated by a limited range of motion, or just need help setting realistic movement goals, this episode will show you how to move forward—literally and mentally.

🎧 Download the FREE RunRX Academy App! Available now in the App Store + Google Play. Search RunRX Academy to access 80% free strength, self-care, and drill coaching.

✅ Key Takeaways:

• ✅ Why saying “I can’t” keeps you stuck—and how to reframe it
• ✅ The truth about “tight hips” and “weak cores”—and what’s actually going on
• ✅ How movement cues and small adjustments can change everything
• ✅ Why your abs are not just your belly—and your glutes are part of your core
• ✅ The myth of training by body parts vs. training as a whole-body unit
• ✅ How to set goals, start where you are, and progress safely
• ✅ The importance of having a coach watch your movement—not just give you a plan

🙌 Whether you’re trying to do a sit-up without neck pain or want to run without feeling broken—this episode is for you.

Thinking about knee surgery as your fix-all for running pain? In this episode, we’re breaking down the real path to recovery—and it starts before you even go under the knife. Coach Valerie shares what’s often overlooked: how lack of glute strength, poor walking mechanics, and skipping foundational movements are the real root of chronic pain.

You’ll hear why some runners don’t need surgery at all—and why others who do still end up frustrated and in pain afterward. Whether you’ve had a procedure, are trying to avoid one, or are stuck in a cycle of pain and quick fixes (like knee braces or cortisone shots), this episode will help you reframe your path to lasting movement and pain-free running.

🎧 RunRX Academy App is Now Live! Find it in the App Store or Google Play. Search RunRX Academy to get 80% free access to drills, strength, and self-care. Train with real coaching support!

✅ Key Takeaways:

• ✅ Why knee surgery isn’t a quick fix—and what to do before and after
• ✅ The hidden cause of knee pain: inactive glutes and poor movement mechanics
• ✅ What to do instead of reaching for another brace or band
• ✅ How strength training helps you avoid joint replacements
• ✅ Why fixing your movement first leads to faster recovery (even post-surgery)
• ✅ How the RunRX Zoom coaching helps you correct real-time movement
• ✅ Learn the 12 foundational strength moves every runner should master

💥 You don’t need more devices, shots, or surgeries—you need movement that works. Let Coach Valerie help you find it.

Are you glorifying the grind… or ignoring the warning signs of injury? In this episode, Coaches Valerie and Caroline break down the difference between productive discomfort and unnecessary pain in training. Learn how to recognize when it's time to push—and when it’s smarter to reset and preserve your ability to run another day.

From overtraining mindset traps to the truth about DNF (Did Not Finish) shame, this episode is a must-listen for any runner who's ever felt conflicted about stopping mid-run.

Discover the RunRX approach to intensity, injury prevention, and what “suffering” in training should really feel like.

🎧 New! Download the FREE RunRX Academy App: Now available on Apple & Google Play. Search RunRX Academy to access free strength, recovery, drills, and coaching!

✅ Key Takeaways:

• ✅ The difference between intensity and injury—and how to spot it
• ✅ Why the “no pain, no gain” mentality causes more harm than progress
• ✅ When to stop mid-run and how to use the stop-reset method
• ✅ How over-focusing on mileage can derail your performance
• ✅ The truth about DNFs and what pro runners actually do when pain hits
• ✅ Why intervals and higher intensity runs are more valuable than long painful ones

🎙️ Coaches share real race stories—including injuries, DNFs, and what they’ve learned about running smarter, not just harder.