Your Backup Team:

Building a Health Plan Before You Need One

Maybe you’ve had a twinge in your calf.
Maybe your back tightens the next morning.
Maybe nothing’s hurt—yet—and that’s exactly why this matters.

     

    Line Up Your Team Before You Limp

    When you move every day—walk, jog, or run—you get to know your body in a way most people don’t. You learn its strengths. You sense its warning signs. And over time, you figure out how to listen to it without overreacting.
    But injuries still happen. And the worst time to search for help is after you’re already hurt.
    That’s why now—while you’re steady, healthy, or maybe just getting started—is the right time to build your team.
    Start with one: a sports-minded orthopedic doctor. Someone who understands running and respects it. Ask your running friends. Look up your local races and see who sponsors the medical tent. Search online and add the word “opinions” after their name. You’ll learn quickly who’s trusted.
    From there, consider others:
    • A chiropractor with a focus on movement and gait.
    • An acupuncturist who helps you recover or rebalance.
    • A sports massage therapist—not a spa visit, but focused work on the muscles you use most.
    None of this is exotic. It’s simply lining up care you hope you never need—but will be grateful to have ready.
    This isn’t about indulgence. It’s about insurance.
    Respect your body now so you can keep using it later.
    Because when you move every day, you don’t want to lose your rhythm just because you didn’t have a name and number ready.

      You didn’t just run.

       

      You built your bench.
      You put support under the stride.
      You gave your body a better chance to keep going.
      Now rest.
      Then come back tomorrow.
      We’ll be here.

      let’s run forever.

      TOGETHER.

      THE PERSONAL MILE

      Lessons from the Sidelines—and the Comeback

      The year is 2015.
      Nearly 60. Still running. Still strong—until I wasn’t.

      One of my sons invites me to run the New York Marathon. Training’s going great… until one week before the race: meniscus flare-up. Pain says no. Pride wants to argue. But the smart move? Sit it out.

      So we go. We pick up our race packets. Only Brad runs through the five boroughs that year. I’m at the finish line—watching, waiting, aching.

      Three days later, I’m on the table. Meniscus surgery in Spokane.
      Surgeon? A fellow runner, skier, friend. Dr. John Keeve.
      Result? Fast return. Trails within a week.

      Then came the fall. A cardiac event in the middle of the night.
      Face met floor. Cracked cheekbone.
      Pain? Yes. Swelling? Massive.
      Relief? John Song—acupuncturist. One visit. Ancient precision. Pain dropped. Swelling, gone.

      Later, chondromalacia. Left knee patella.
      Dana Weary, my chiropractor, stepped in. Laser therapy and spinal adjustment. Three weeks later—I’m back.
      Could’ve been six months. Wasn’t.

      Through it all?
      Dr. Russ VanderWilde—my orthopedic go-to, even post-retirement. Still answers my questions. Still in my corner.

      TOOLBOX

      Build Your Health Team Before You Need It

      1. Find a Sports-Smart Doc
      Someone who understands movement, not just medication. A runner, cyclist, lifter, swimmer. You’ll speak the same language.

      2. Keep a Body File
      Track what’s hurt, what helped, and who helped. Include dates, treatments, and results. You’re the quarterback here.

      3. Don’t Underestimate “Alternative”
      Acupuncture, massage therapy, chiropractic, PT—many solutions live outside traditional surgery. Stay open.

      4. Get Second Opinions—From Experience
      Talk to others your age. Ask what worked. Older bodies know tricks that textbooks don’t.

      5. Act Early, Not Desperate
      Don’t wait until pain stops you cold. Catch it when it whispers, not when it yells.

      You’ve got too much life ahead to sit out for long.
      So build your team. Keep them close.
      And if you’ve got names to recommend—share them.
      Because every comeback story starts with someone who knew what to do next.

      Bottom Line:

      Assemble your team.  Be proactive on this if nothing else in your life.  It’s health where you’re in control. 

      A Note BEfore we go

       

      This site isn’t about one man’s miles.
      It’s about all of ours.

      Every week, the stories here start conversations—about health, aging, setbacks, comebacks, and what keeps us moving. But the strongest lessons don’t belong to one voice.

      They belong to the men reading this.

      If you’ve learned something the hard way.
      If you’ve found a doctor, therapist, route, habit, or mindset that helped you keep going.
      If you’ve figured out what didn’t work and saved yourself the trouble.

      Share it with us.  https://irunforever.com/contact/

      A sentence. A paragraph. A name. A lesson.

      We’ll listen.
      We’ll learn.
      And we’ll pass it forward—because this is how a community moves together.

      Let’s run forever.
      Together.