The Human Potential Running Series Podcast · John Lacroix

HPRS Podcast - Episode 69: What To Do When Injury Arises

·1 hr 4 min·4 clips

Storms says she tore her knee open, could see things she 'shouldn't have seen,' and hiked out two miles.

1. HPRS Podcast episode 69, “What To Do When Injury Arises,” centers on John LaCroix, Tommy, and Storms discussing trail and ultra running injuries. 2. John LaCroix is the HPRS owner and race director, Tommy is a physical therapy guy and running coach, and Storms is a nurse and runner, so each brings a different lens. 3. The episode asks what to do immediately after an injury, how to get help, and how to rebuild when the acute moment has passed. 4. The first step they name is a quick scene assessment: what happened, can you put weight on it, are you bleeding, and can you move. 5. They repeatedly return to eating and drinking as the first practical move after panic starts, because it forces breathing and helps keep the brain steady. 6. Storms describes tearing her knee open on a rock, covering it without looking, and hiking out about two miles with a friend. 7. The group links that story to the need to think about the nearest road, the fastest way out, and whether to call a loved one or 911. 8. John says people should take stock of location, closest egress, first aid supplies, and what they can do to help themselves get safer. 9. The conversation includes body-temperature control, with Mylar blankets, Walmart ponchos, whistles, and basic emergency kit items. 10. Tommy says the brain can disassociate an injured limb in the first five minutes, which is why visual and verbal grounding matter. 11. He gives a sports-orthopedic example of people circling their right shoulder in magazines to reconnect their brain to the injured area. 12. John and Storms say shock can make people feel falsely okay or make bad decisions, especially after a severe cut or possible bone exposure. 13. The discussion then shifts to the harder phase after the hospital visit, when grief, frustration, and identity questions begin. 14. Storms talks about an eight-month layoff caused by a stress fracture in her pelvis and a hamstring tear at the same time. 15. She and Tommy describe cross-training workarounds such as swimming with a buoy, one-pedal bike training, and indoor rowing. 16. Tommy says recovery from major injury can take 12 to 18 months, and John says people need to accept that reality rather than only hoping for a faster timeline. 17. The tone is conversational, practical, and supportive, with frequent joking about candy, hats, and awkward clinical examples. 18. The format is a three-person talk that moves from first aid to rehab, with Tommy and Storms answering John’s questions in real time. 19. Trail runners, ultra runners, and self-sufficient outdoor athletes will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting a short, high-level motivational talk without medical detail may skip it.

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