Active Detroit Running Community Member Gets Back in the Race

Running has been a part of Megan’s life for as long as she can remember. Growing up, her dad was a runner and she began taking interest while in middle school.

"I ran a little bit here and there in middle school, and ran cross country and track for a couple of seasons in high school," said Megan. In 2013, she started racing and training consistently.

Megan is now highly involved with racing in the area, not only as a runner, but in coaching and as a volunteer and 2016 FREEP Ambassador. She ran various events at the Detroit Free Press Marathon, Boston Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Indy Marathon, and even did her own self-supported 50k during the COVID-19 pandemic when most races were cancelled. Running is a significant part of Megan's life and she loves the running community in Detroit.

Injury was looming

By fall of 2022 Megan recalled, “At this point, I knew injury was coming on. My mechanics felt off and my running became slower. I just kept pushing through, though.”

Megan could tell her body didn’t feel the way it used to. She continued training in spring of 2023, but she noticed her hip started to hurt. So, she reached out to her friend, Stefanie Heyser, physical therapist at Henry Ford Health, to get some advice. Stefanie advised that she meet with orthopedic surgeon, T. Sean Lynch, MD, and got her an appointment.

Upon meeting with Dr. Lynch, Megan was diagnosed with a bulging disc in her lower back and a labral tear in both of her hips.

“One thing I really enjoyed about my care at Henry Ford is that they treated me like an athlete and did everything they could to get me back to running. They gave me the choice of how to proceed after my diagnosis and I felt empowered," said Megan, “I chose to continue with physical therapy instead of surgery, and Dr. Lynch and the whole team respected my decision.”

Gaining strength and stability

Megan began physical therapy in May of 2023 and spent the rest of the year rebuilding her strength. Her physical therapist, Stefanie Heyser, said, “When Megan came to me, she was lacking hip and trunk stability. I began working with her on her running posture and strengthening her hips and core.”

In many cases, lack of strength and stability can cause a ripple effect of additional issues. In Megan’s instance, she experienced issues in her upper and lower back as well as her hip joints.

“What I appreciate about Megan is that she’s a good problem solver and detective. She is an asset to the running community. She also understands the “why.” So, when I asked her to decrease the number of days she was running per week to reduce her joint inflammation, she was compliant and diligent. She went above and beyond throughout her entire rehab process,” said Stefanie.

Megan was discharged from physical therapy at the beginning of 2024 and was ready to begin running again.

Getting back on track

Once Megan got back to running, she had to significantly cut back her mileage while training and work her way back up.

“I could feel I was getting stronger, but my running mechanics still didn’t feel good. I felt clunky. I ran the Rock CF Half Marathon on Grosse Ile and didn’t cause any reinjury, so I signed up for a half marathon in Toledo in May of 2024, and the Chicago Marathon in the fall of 2024,” said Megan.

Megan’s physical therapy team helped her to better assess pain versus soreness. They also gave her an arsenal of exercises and strength training to do on her own as she trains for races in the future.

Treated like an athlete

Overall, Megan is thankful that her care team at Henry Ford Health treated her like an athlete. Since Megan’s goal was to get back to distance running, her physical therapist challenged her enough to build up strength while letting her heal.

“Henry Ford helped me get back to the incredible running community of Detroit. I will always choose Henry Ford every time. I Am Henry.”