Each month, Iron Physical Therapy highlights a special patient to tell their inspiring story. We want to honor the people who go all in - body, mind and spirit. They show us what’s possible - that you can move on from a setback to do amazing things...to challenge your body, to chase your dreams, to address pain in a healthy way to #getbetterbebetter.

Read Ashley’s story below and then click here to read more inspiring patient stories.

————————————————————-

Ashley first came to Iron last year for some really stubborn hip pain that sidelined her from running. Fast forward a few months and she would undergo surgery to repair the damage. The recovery has been one with a number of surgical precautions to ensure proper healing has occurred....meaning, this would be a slow and conservative process.

I've watched her go from crutches and not being able to perform a simple leg lift, to now jogging in my clinic and deadlifting over 120 lbs! Amazing! This endurance runner is well on her way back to her passion and will be stronger than she ever was before.

This has been a slow process, but Ashley has maintained an incredibly positive and determined attitude, especially for a runner who hasn't been able to run over the past year. I look forward to seeing her back in action soon! Great job Ashley!

- Dr. Geno Mayes, DPT

In Ashley’s Own Words…

How did you get into running and why do you still want to run?

My best friend had an extra bib for a trail 10k, so I downloaded a Couch to 10k app to try and prepare for it. I think I made it about halfway through the program before the race, but had a blast doing it. A few months later, the same friend gave me a bib for a half marathon. I felt so proud finishing that half marathon, and at that point I was hooked.

Running has been life changing for me. I met my husband, became part of an amazing community, and moved to an area that I absolutely adore...all because I showed up at a group run at Fleet Feet Montclair one Thursday. I can't imagine not having running in my life, even if running looks different for me now than it used to.

What Brought You Into Physical Therapy?

The final straw for me to call and schedule an appointment was after I "ran" (it was definitely mostly walking and crying) a half marathon and needed to use my hands to lift my leg. Before that day, it had been a minor pain that I thought would just go away with time...man, was I wrong about that! 6 months and multiple doctors later, I had surgery on my hip. Post-surgery recovery has been challenging, but there is noticeable, daily progress!

What advice do you have for runners who get injured during training?

Make an appointment with your favorite PT before something gets really bad...and then do what they tell you. The faster an injury gets treated, the faster you can get back to doing what you love without pain.

What have you learned at PT that you didn’t know before?

I learned how to deadlift! I had never lifted anything heavy before my surgery, and doing it now makes me feel so strong! I am definitely going to be better about cross training. I have always had a habit of training for running and resting from running by running more...throughout this process I started spinning, swimming, and doing yoga regularly. Doing other activities only makes my running stronger, without the wear and tear on my hips.

Check out Ashley moving some weight at PT!

What can you share about the mental and physical setbacks of having to slow down your training to recover?

The hardest part of being injured was how lonely I felt. For me, running is a social event and I would run with friends almost every day of the week. Once I had to stop running, the amount of time I saw friends plummeted. We are all so busy, and while we were good about making time to run at 530am, that's not really the time of day to just hang out and chat.

What has been your biggest motivation to #getbetterbebetter?

My biggest motivation is to be able to go on adventures with my husband again. Before my injury, we would often run, hike, explore, etc together, and we haven't been able to do those things together in the same capacity since.