In episode 47 of the Onus Athletics podcast, physiotherapist and clinic owner James Thompson shares his unique perspective on running injuries, shaped by his own journey from sprinting and pole vaulting to becoming one of Brisbane's go-to running physios. Along the way he recalls lunchtime runs past Buckingham Palace, the disastrous debut half‑marathon that pushed him into Tim Noakes’ Lore of Running, and the months he spent “walking the knife‑edge of overuse injury” while test‑driving minimalist shoes.
James breaks down his experiences at both the Ministry of Defence in London and the Queensland Academy of Sport, revealing how these high-performance environments influenced his approach to treating recreational runners. He discusses the important role of foot strength in injury prevention and why he believes most runners fail rehab because they rush back too quickly.
He also shares practical insights on return-to-running protocols, the importance of testing hip and calf strength properly, and his philosophy that "runners usually have most of the answers" – physios just need to tease them out. The conversation touches on everything from javelin throwers' bizarre injury patterns to why building capacity over years, not weeks, is what separates consistent runners from those stuck in boom-bust cycles.
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