SportsLab

⛰️Hills Pay the Bills!!

Hill training is one of the most underrated tools in a runner’s toolkit — it builds strength and aerobic capacity while actually reducing load on your joints and tendons compared to flat running at the same effort.

Two ways to use it depending on what you’re after:
Longer incline reps on the treadmill — great for building overall capacity and getting comfortable at sustained effort.

Short 20-30 second hills outside — great for improving running efficiency and turnover
Whether you’re training for your first 5K or trying to break through a plateau, hills are worth adding to your rotation.

Curious about how to structure your training? Drop a comment, send us a message, or check out Jake’s schedule through the booking link in our bio.

Confused by all the zone models out there? Us too. Here’s how Evan breaks it down:

Zone 1 - you could do it in khakis.
Zone 2 - you’d regret the khakis.
Zone 3 - nobody should be running in khakis.

Zone training is one of the simplest ways to run smarter and actually make progress. Most beginner runners spend too much time in the middle - working hard enough to be tired, but not hard enough to build anything. Understanding your three zones fixes that.

How much of each do you need? Shoot us a message to find out!

Meet Zach Shaver, PT, DPT 👋

Zach is now seeing patients at SportsLab PDX — he’s in network with Blue Cross Blue Shield (including Regence), Aetna, and Cigna.
Zach specializes in bridging the gap between rehab and full return to sport. His approach goes beyond treating pain — he takes time to understand your goals, your story, and your performance demands, then builds a plan grounded in evidence-based practice and real-world application.

Whether you’re recovering from ACL surgery, returning to competition after injury, or trying to unlock a new level of performance, Zach brings a high level of expertise and genuine curiosity to every patient he works with.

His background includes a Sports PT Residency with Providence, hands-on work with collegiate and professional athletes including the Portland Thorns, and a special interest in post-op rehab and rock climbing injuries.

past rehab and ready to make gains? Zach also offers 1-on-1 Performance Training for individuals looking to build strength, improve movement quality, and take their fitness to the next level.

🩼PT Self-Pay Rates
Evaluation: $200
Follow-Up: $165

💪 Performance Training

Single session - $145
4 pack - $500
8 pack - $856

✅ In network: BCBS / Regence, Aetna, Cigna
✅ Medicare panel currently open
📍 710 NE Holladay St., Portland
🔗 Book in bio

Injuries aren’t usually about the movement.
They’re about the dosage.

Yesterday, Evan laid down some wisdom around how injury is a part of athletic exploration. Today, Zach outlines some of the “whys” around injury.

Most injuries happen when the applied load exceeds the body’s ability to tolerate it.

And load isn’t just physical forces. It includes stress, sleep, recovery, and even emotional and psychological readiness.

That’s why movements often get unfairly labeled as “dangerous.”

Deadlifting isn’t the problem. Sprinting isn’t the problem. Throwing isn’t the problem.

The problem is usually too much, too soon—an overdose of load without the capacity to handle it.

Rehab isn’t about avoiding load.
It’s about rebuilding tolerance.

We manage symptoms, restore capacity, and then systematically bridge the gap between current ability and desired performance—so athletes can return stronger, not just symptom-free.

— Zach Shaver, PT

SportsRehab SportsPerformance SportsLab PortlandSports

Coaches Corner with Evan Price 🏃‍♂️

Taking a break from Trivia Night content to share some coaching wisdom.

In endurance sports, injuries often get treated like a failure—bad form, bad training, bad decisions. But that story doesn’t actually help athletes move forward.

As both a physical therapist and endurance coach, Evan takes a different approach. Injuries aren’t something to demonize—they’re information. A moment to zoom out, understand the bigger picture, and rebuild smarter.

This year, we’re shifting the conversation. Less blame. More context. Better long-term outcomes for runners and endurance athletes at every level.

This is the first of many Coaches Corner conversations—where performance, rehab, and real-world coaching experience meet.

👇
What’s an injury myth you’ve been told that never quite sat right with you?

InjuryRecovery TriathlonLife PhysicalTherapy EnduranceCoaching PNWRunners