Lauren Roberts has been running for as long as she can remember. As a young child, she was born with internally rotated thigh bones, and specialists doubted that she would ever be able to run. Never one to be deterred, Lauren did her first 5 km race at the age of 13, and even though she wasn’t the fastest, she continued to incorporate running into her childhood and teenage years.

After completing her degree in Kinesiology and Psychology at McMaster University, she went on to complete her Master’s in Physical Therapy at the University of Toronto, as well as compete in local triathlons. In 2015, Lauren competed in the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Austria, where she finished as one of the top ten Canadian women. Lauren presently is focused on running more competitively. She is a member of the BlackToe Race Team in Toronto and competed in the 2018 Boston Marathon. 

With advanced qualifications in manual physical therapy techniques, acupuncture, and treadmill gait analysis, Lauren’s treatment at The Running Physio focuses on developing specific, progressive movement patterns to successfully rehabilitate injuries and optimize running biomechanics. Lauren also places high value on incorporating mindfulness techniques into movement and running to help you find the flow, and move with joy.

In this conversation, Lauren and I cover a wide range of topics, including: 

• The biomechanics of running
• Whether there's a "right" or "proper" way to run
• How a running physiotherapist would assess your running technique and biomechanics
• Common running injuries and how to prevent them
• What to consider when buying running gear, including running shoes
• Alex Hutchinson's most recent book Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance  
• A runner’s mindset and what defines the ultimate limits of endurance