A few months after giving birth to her second child, Allie Rude decided to start running.
“I didn’t grow up running really. I kind of just jumped into it,” she said.
She worked out with her husband, ran alone outside, and used that running time to help recharge her battery.
“Being a mom, as a lot of people know, it’s very demanding and I love my kids, but (running is) a nice little break and kind of more ‘me time’ I guess,” Rude said. “It just kind of rejuvenates me. During nap time I can go for a run and come back and be more present with my kids too. So I just really like the outlet it gives me.”
Taking on the run project
Rude is an RN and a lactation consultant at Sanford Health in Bemidji, Minnesota. When Sanford Sports opened up their annual Blue Ox Marathon run project to employees, she didn’t hesitate to sign up. She had already run the Grandma’s Marathon in Duluth, but she wanted to improve.
“I don’t typically do any strength and conditioning exercises or like weights. So that was really intriguing to me,” Rude said.
Enter Anna Iburg and the rest of the Sanford Sports team, who used their expertise and state-of-the-art technology to analyze Rude’s gait and help her be more efficient with her strides. Iburg also helps Rude with weight training, to gain strength in ways that balance the wear and tear of long runs.
“When you’re running it’s a lot of repetitive movement,” said Iburg, a certified strength and conditioning coach at Sanford Sports in Bemidji. “Working those opposing muscles, since you’re always going forward and backwards, we do a lot of lateral stuff in the weight room just to compensate for that repetitive motion and help the joints stay stable.”
Rude says the program has worked well for her, and she can feel it in her runs.
“Even just like banded leg workouts and things like that, I didn’t realize that would help me a lot with running,” Rude said. “My knees, a little bit before this, started hurting and they don’t hurt anymore. Or I can just like, run longer without having any hip pain. I used to have a little bit of hip pain and I don’t really have any anymore. So a lot of those things have improved and it’s been great.”
Plus, Rude says that as a mom, she’s happy she doesn’t have to make any decisions about her workout each day.
“She just tells me what to do,” Rude said laughing. “So it’s great. I really enjoy that.”
“She’s super busy,” Iburg said. “So we just want to help her get better and actually give her more resources to help her further her goals.”
Racing toward the finish
Rude is building up to run the Blue Ox Half Marathon on Oct. 12, a scenic run around Lake Bemidji, ending at Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox. She’s run the loop before, and it’s become a bit of a family affair.
“That has been the coolest part of training,” Rude said. “If I have a long run, they’ll meet me halfway around the lake and come give me water and run with me a little bit. Then I keep going and it’s amazing.”
Now her family, and her trainers, plan to meet her at the finish line. A fitting way to end her latest race, and another successful run project.
Learn more
- Bemidji doctor ready to run with help from Sanford trainers
- Sanford Sports running program designs plans for all levels
- Sanford Sports Performance: What is it and how can it help?
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Posted In Bemidji, Running, Sanford Sports, Workplace Health
