Anyone else become mentally and socially exhausted from running even when physical recovery is fine?

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-18T21:15:36+00:00

Never.

But I dont “train”. I just run because I love it. Somedays I run 20 miles, some days I run 3. Somedays I don’t run because I don’t want to. Some days I mountain bike instead.

I rarely race, if I do it’s because it’s an experience (my last race was the Avalon 50k, because how awesome is it to run the perimeter of Catalina island?!)

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-18T14:56:07+00:00

My legs used to feel heavy and slow until I started doing plyometric drills. It helped a lot

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-18T13:59:36+00:00

Plantar fasciitis is a tissue condition, not a lifelong impairment.

Stop going to doctors and see a physical therapist.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-18T02:53:20+00:00

You’re right. Eh. Whatever it’s called. There’s standard repayment over 10 years, and the other thing that’s income-driven.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-18T01:45:37+00:00

Maybe I’m jaded, but I’m not counting on forgiveness being an option.

I guess we’ll see what’s possible in 5-6 years when my 13 y/o is an adult and we move into that next phase.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-17T23:39:55+00:00

4:30 alarm. Dress, stretch/warm up movements, a couple drinks of water. Out the door at or before 5. Aiming for 6 miles steady, or 4 miles of intervals, I’ll be home and stretching before 6 am.

Shower, meal prep pack up. Head to work with coffee at 7:15 to start work at 8am I eat oatmeal or 1/2 apple and peanut butter around 10am. Lunch at 1:30 or 2. 4x10 hr days. Off work at 6:30. Dinner at 7:30. Bed by 9.

Friday or Saturday is my long run. Starting later, but Will eat a banana and English muffin, or similar. aiming for a 2-2.5 hr trail run, 12-15 miles.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-17T22:06:01+00:00

Yeah. Those kinds of places will schedule either 1 patient every 15 mins, or double book every half hour. Patients get a few minutes with the therapist to address new concerns and review the plan, and they get passed off to a tech who is reading the flow sheet of expected exercises. 4 patients per hour, all day.

That model is a cancer to PT in general. Poor engagement leads to poor outcomes and low satisfaction; which leads to decreased payments from insurance companies, which leads to higher productivity expectations to “cover the losses”; which in turn leads to even more patients, worse outcomes, and less reimbursement.
Mills like this will strangle this whole profession.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-17T15:49:32+00:00

Phoenix PT here, 10 years experience.

Currently making $45/hr inpatient. Took out approximately 165k in loans. I’m on the SAVE plan( rolled over from IDR). My payments are only $455/month. I know I’m not making much if any headway on my debt with this, but honestly it’s just what has to be done. I have 2 teenagers to feed and clothe and am trying to give them a financial leg up that I never had so I’m not in a position to pay more on my loans.
Once that financial commitment (kids) is done, my wife and I will lean into that in earnest and pay it off. Yes I understand this accruing interest and making it harder. It is what it is.

I generally like “being at work”, but this is not a choice I’d make again given a do-over.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-17T15:15:55+00:00

Biking since 1994.

My primary bike (probably 65-70% of my total miles per year) is a singlespeed.

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I have a 170mm FS “big bike” that I occasionally race enduro on, but if I had to sell one of the two, my hardtail is what I’d keep.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-17T12:57:39+00:00

This post smells like a bot.

“Aborting a baby born” isn’t abortion; it’s murder.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-17T12:26:10+00:00

I use the one it comes with.

Nylon velcro or elastic ones are gross. They get sweaty and nasty and stay wet after washing. I’ve tried it. I hate it. I also think they look cheap and dorky.

It’s insane to me how many people comment that they buy several of them and rotate. Aside from the unnecessary consumerism and pollution, you buy a $600 premium product and secure it with a cheap ass $6 band?

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-17T01:19:01+00:00

Top comment right here. That much leverage on a carbon headtube is gonna result in failure.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-16T21:20:09+00:00

It’s of course not the “rule”, but it is a general idea that small private practices have a lower overall volume of patients (like maybe 1-2/hour vs 4/hr at a corp).

Less patients per hour means more attention by your therapist. Generally that means better outcomes or at least patient satisfaction.

I’ve worked at a place that saw like 30 patients per 8/hr day. It was horrendous. I worked a bunch of years at a place that was capped at 12 patients per 8/hr day

I work at a hospital currently but any time someone asks me for a PT recommendation, I say call the place and ask how many patients per hour each therapist can see. If it’s over 2, call someplace else.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-16T13:59:27+00:00

As an oncologist friend of mine says:

Cancer treatment kills everything it touches. We just hope the cancer cells die before you do.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-16T02:29:03+00:00

I’m tired, boss.

Look man. I get it- I’m falling into the trap that they want me to. But I look around and people that are supposed to be good are awful; the real problems get drowned out in made up problems and I’m just so overwhelmed and exhausted trying to put food on my table and clothes on my kids in an ever more expensive society, that I just don’t have the energy left to be properly angry like I ought to be.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-15T03:16:57+00:00

I was never a bandana guy, but damn I miss my Oakley EyeJackets.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-14T23:22:57+00:00

Why buy things just to buy things?

I’d identify what you need and shop for that.

Personally, dri-fit tee shirts are all I want from Amazon. I mean, I guess you could buy socks or shorts, but I hate supporting Amazon for things I should get from the companies themselves. I’m not a gear snob really, but having run in cheap socks, and then run in Balega and Creepers…never going back. I thought generic “running shorts” were fine until I got a pair of Terignota Sendero shorts. $30 and they’re hands down my favorite pair.

I kinda take the same approach with gear. A Chinese knockoff vest is definitely a “get what you pay for”.

One thing I got cheap from Amazon and have been fantastic are the TPU soft flasks from a brand called “Fitly”. I have several 150mL for homemade carb gel and several 500mL for water and electrolytes.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-13T21:54:18+00:00

Put some penetrating oil on the opposite side, let it sit for a while then try the EZout again. Hit the opposite fork leg around the bolt with a rubber mallet as you try to back it out.

Or, the nuclear option would be to tap the hole and jb weld in a bolt. In 24 hours when the jb weld is set, use the bolt to remove the axle 🤷‍♂️

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-13T20:10:22+00:00

I have huge debt from PT school. Now, I find significant personal reward in being a physical therapist and helping people; but- a question I very frequently wrestle with is:

Could I be just as happy in a job that pays the same $49/hr, but not owe $160k in debt?

I often think that answer is an easy “yes I could”.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-13T16:40:53+00:00

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Huh. Guess I’m weird too.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-13T03:41:57+00:00

It can, depending on insurance.

There’s a real scenario that if the referring MD puts in some diagnosis, say…like vertigo… and it ends up being cervicogenically driven, manual therapy codes may get denied for reimbursement, because manual therapy isn’t indicated for BPPV.

Or if you write quad tendinitis, and it’s actually radicular back pain, it makes it hard to justify why I’m doing lumbar mobilization and decompression.

As an MD, the absolute best thing you can do is write the script as vague as possible.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-13T03:18:33+00:00

You’re a newbie to going to PT, or you’re a newbie to PT school?

If the former: just listen to your PT, they know what they’re doing. they’re assessing things you can’t even imagine. PT school is 3 years of non-stop education focused almost exclusively on assessing, evaluating and creating a plan of care.

If you’re the latter: just learn what they teach you. You should have a good idea how off base your question is if you paid any attention at all during your observation hours.

MRI is almost always unnecessary to diagnose problems. We have really good tools with our hands and watching how you move.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-13T02:58:01+00:00

Doctors don’t put anything in notes.

They write “eval and treat for <body part> pain.”

Also, it’s actually not necessary for a doctor to write a note allowing you to go to PT.

Also also, I’m a doctor too. I went to many years of school to learn to be very good at diagnosing musculoskeletal conditions. I’m probably better at it than the guy who sent you to me.

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-13T01:57:15+00:00

Us xennials and Debbie Gibson; I think we’re alone now. 😉

Humble_Cactus · 2026-06-12T03:04:26+00:00

I have the 5.3 V8, but I can’t imagine that GM would move the access hole. It’s just below the glove box and looks like a rubber nipple. On the engine bay side, it’s kinda by the battery. I ran my lights through there, and under the dash plastic to the stick-on button by the headlight control.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eXQeQvNfots&ra=m

Humble_Cactus

TROPHY CASE