#124 Alan Needle | The Brain-Ankle Connection, Injury Prevention, & Running for the Long Haul

The MidPacker Pod is part of the Freetrail network of Podcasts.Join the Newsletter at:⁠ ⁠MidPack Musings SubStack⁠⁠Join the Free Newsletter orBecome a supporting member: https://troymeadows.substack.com/subscribeCheck Out MPP Merch ⁠Make sure you leave us a rating and review wherever you get your pods.Looking for 1:1 Ultra Running Coaching? Check out ⁠Troy’s Coaching Page ⁠STOKED TO PARTNER WITH  KILA - $50 off your order⁠GO BREWING⁠ - 20% off your first orderUSE MIDPACKER TO GET THAT DISCOUNT FRIENDSRENDEZVU.CO - Check out the Gear I love your purchases support me directlyJOIN THE APP STATE INJURY LAB: TRAIL RUNNING STUDYHERE : https://forms.gle/iWRESvzk5Xkx3NJh6 “In order to treat these injuries, we need to treat the brain.”Dr. Alan Needle has spent more than a decade running ultras while building a research career around a problem most trail runners know all too well: rolling an ankle.In this episode, Troy talks with Alan about his work at Appalachian State studying chronic ankle instability and the surprising role the brain and nervous system may play in repeated injuries. Alan explains how changes in proprioception and the way the brain communicates with a joint can affect stability, and why treating an injury may require looking beyond the ankle itself.Now Alan is bringing that research directly onto the trails. His team is studying runners at races across the Southeast to understand why one runner falls or rolls an ankle while another doesn&#39;t.They dig into:The connection between the brain, nervous system, and ankle stabilityProprioception, attention, and cognitive loadAlan&#39;s &quot;parking lot theory&quot; and why runners may get hurt when they let their guard downBalance and strength training for ankle stabilityBurnout and Alan&#39;s decision to work with a sports psychologistTrading work-life balance for &quot;work-life rhythm&quot;Building longevity through rest and self-kindnessAlan&#39;s birthday run to Grandfather Mountain and Run Raft adventuresAfter 14 years of ultrarunning, Alan&#39;s perspective is refreshingly simple: fitness comes and goes, training ebbs and flows, and staying in the sport for the long haul sometimes means accepting that &quot;that was what it needed to be.&quot;Alan’s Links IG: @eyeoftheneedle828@injurylabappstate Alan Needle | Appalachian StateApp State Injury Lab + Trail Running StudyMost Recent Trail Running Study - this is paywalled if interested in reading I can get you a PDFRelevant LinksAlan Needle | Appalachian StateApp State Injury Lab + Trail Running StudyTanawha AdventuresFonta Flora 50K &amp; Half MarathonDirty Wolf Racing<a href="https://dirtywolfracing.com/races/the-black-copperhead-sting/?utm_source=chat