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Stretching Miles at the Boston Marathon

After qualifying for the Boston Marathon, avid runner Laura Miles was devastated when persistent leg pain threatened to take her out of the race.

Running is a passion for Miles, but she also runs for her brother who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis eight years ago.

“I watched him go from being an active sports guy to being in a wheel chair,” said Miles. “That’s really been what motives me. The more the disease takes from him, the more motivated I am to use my own legs.”

Miles ran the marathon last year with the Boston Marathon MS Team and uses the race as a platform to raise money.

“I call the race ‘Boston for Bobby,’ because that is ultimately what the marathon is for me,” said Miles. “It is the marathon for runners, but I get to do it for my brother.” Her brother was at the finish line for her last year and she was looking forward to seeing him at the finish line again this year, which is why it was impossible to accept an injury taking her out of the race.

“If it was any other event, I would have backed out and let my body heal. I would have walked or even crawled the entire marathon if I had to because it was that important to me.”

After visiting other physicians in town, Miles found herself at Piedmont Orthopaedic Complex, where she had an MRI of her hip and eventually a CT scan. The experts at Piedmont discovered something other offices had missed: Laura had a stress fracture at the top of her femur.

According to Miles, her experience at Piedmont was phenomenal because every possible scenario was explored and she felt like her team of physicians, PA’s and trainers took a lot of time to evaluate her. Her trainer, Bradley Huff, ATC, even worked with her triathlon coach in Arizona to develop a rehabilitation plan that enabled continued training for the marathon.

Miles worked on mobility and strength and gradually added in pull running, swimming and use of an anti-gravity treadmill.

“It has been amazing what they have done for me,” said Miles. “Bradley did research, consulted with other colleagues, and came up with unique ideas. He went to bat for me. He’s been one of my biggest cheerleaders.”

Two months later, she began the Boston Marathon with a goal of finishing in five hours. She finished in four hours and 16 minutes. She actually negatively split the entire marathon, which means her speed increased in the second half, something that rarely happens on this course since the last leg is uphill.

Miles raised $7,500 for MS and her team raised a total of $400,000. Her brother was at the finish line when she crossed it.

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Stretching Miles at the Boston Marathon

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