s5/e17 An Unwelcome Twist: Everything You Need to Know About Coming Back from Ankle Sprains with Dr. Lauren LaPierre, DPT
The Running Explained Podcast
Running Explained
4.6 • 534 Ratings
🗓️ 5 June 2025
⏱️ 86 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
An ankle sprain can put a serious crimp in your style, especially when it happens two days before race day. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Lauren LaPierre, physical therapist, running coach, and trusted resource for all things injury rehab, to break down what it actually takes to recover from a sprained ankle and get back to running (properly!)
In this conversation, Lauren breaks down what a sprain actually is (yes, it’s more than “I rolled my ankle”), how to assess its severity, and why conservative care should almost always be your first move. She walks us through each stage of her own recovery, from using compression and regaining range of motion to eventually reintroducing running through careful, progressive loading. She also shares the mental and emotional toll of dealing with a derailed season and how to give yourself the grace and space to process it.
Whether you’re dealing with an acute injury, navigating the gray area between “healed” and “ready to run,” or simply want to understand how to support your future self (or athlete clients), this episode is packed with wisdom, relatability, and practical takeaways.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL HEAR ABOUT:
The different grades of ankle sprains and what they actually mean
How to handle the first 24–72 hours post-injury (and what to avoid)
Why swelling and pain don’t always equal more damage
How to use pain as a guide... without letting it become a barrier
The critical rehab phases: isometrics, strength, neuromuscular control, and plyometrics
The real timeline for returning to running safely
Common mistakes runners make in trying to come back “too soon”
The emotional weight of missed races, lost momentum, and re-setting goals
ABOUT LAUREN:Dr. Lauren LaPierre is a physical therapist, running coach, and the founder of The Personalized Running Doc, where she helps runners bridge the gap between rehab and performance. She’s also the creator of the Revive Running Retreat and a passionate advocate for educating runners on how their bodies work—and how to keep them working well.
Learn more about Lauren’s work and get in touch: thepersonalizedrunningdoc.com
Follow her on Instagram: @thepersonalizedrunningdoc
Register for the 2025 REVIVE Retreat: REGISTER HERE
Research & production assistance by Sophie van Leeuwen
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Welcome back to the Running Explained podcast. Hi, I'm Coach Elizabeth and I'm here to break down the science of running in a way that actually makes sense. |
| 0:10.1 | Whether you're training for your very first race, aiming for a new PR, or just trying to be a more balanced runner, this podcast is your go-to spot for all things running. |
| 0:19.7 | At Running Explained, running is more than just about logging miles. |
| 0:23.4 | It's about becoming the best version of you. |
| 0:26.2 | That's why we talk about more than just improving your fitness, but how to support your |
| 0:30.1 | physical, mental, and emotional health too, so you'll see improvements that go far beyond |
| 0:35.3 | race times. |
| 0:36.5 | And if you're looking for more support, I've got you |
| 0:38.8 | covered. Whether you're interested in one-on-one coaching, following a structured training plan, |
| 0:43.2 | or joining our supportive group coaching, I've got options to meet you where you are and help you level |
| 0:48.4 | up. Ready to dive in. Let's go. Welcome, welcome, welcome to this week's episode super excited to have you here my guest |
| 0:56.6 | this week is returning guest dr lorne lapierre physical therapist runner and coach and she's been |
| 1:02.6 | on the show before to talk about knees your knees and running in two episodes because |
| 1:07.8 | knees are a very hot topic and this this week we are talking about ankle, |
| 1:12.2 | specifically ankle sprains, how to come back, how to navigate, how to deal with, how to move |
| 1:18.9 | forward from an ankle sprain, whether that occurred when you were running or you happened to |
| 1:24.9 | sprain your ankle doing a different activity, but now you're |
| 1:28.6 | kind of wondering, how is this going to impact my running? We talk all about that in this episode. |
| 1:34.5 | But before we get started, very exciting announcement. The Running Explained Road to Race Day |
| 1:40.0 | Philadelphia program registration is open. What is Road to Race Day? Road to Race Day is a small |
| 1:47.4 | group training program with multiple coaches. So a lot of coach to athlete, good ratios, |
| 1:55.4 | where we are offering essentially a really, let's say, community focused intensive race-specific training |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Running Explained, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Running Explained and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.