The Secret to Staying Healthy with Devon Allen
On this episode my athlete Devon Allen joins the podcast. Devon is a 2x Olympic finalist, 4x USA Champion, 2021 Diamond League champion, and has the 3rd fastest time in history for the 110m hurdles (12.84) and is a wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles.
Devon and I take a walk down memory lane, sharing how we first started working together and why since March 2022 have spent over 140 days together as he dials in on his goals of world records, world and Olympic championships, and being an impactful player on an NFL team all at the same time.
You will be surprised to find out what the secret really is to staying healthy and performing at such a high level and why he is the go to resource for his teammates when it comes to recovery and taking care of his body.
Thank you to Alex Andrei for the audio and visual recording and photos for this episode! Check him out on IG: https://www.instagram.com/alexandtrack/
Considering the viscera as a source of musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction is a great way to ensure a more true whole body approach to care, however it can be a bit overwhelming on where to start, which is exactly why I created the Visceral Referral Cheat Sheet. This FREE download will help you to learn the most common visceral referral patterns affecting the musculoskeletal system. Download it at www.unrealresultspod.com
=================================================
Watch the podcast on YouTube and subscribe!
Join the MovementREV email list to stay up to date on the Unreal Results Podcast and MovementREV education.
Be social and follow me:
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
-
Anna Hartman: Hey there and welcome. I'm Anna Hartman and this is Unreal Results, a podcast where I help you get better outcomes and gain the confidence that you can help anyone. Even the most complex cases. Join me as I teach about the influence of the visceral organs and the nervous system on movement, pain and injuries, all while shifting the paradigm of what whole body assessment and treatment really looks like.
I'm glad you're here. Let's dive in.
Okay. All right.
Devon Allen: And, and action. Welcome back to another episode of Ha ha. Yeah, it,
Anna Hartman: oh goodness. Uh, hello. Hey. Hey. Welcome back to another episode of Unreal Results Podcast. Uh, special episode. I got a guest, some random dude I met on the street. I was bored. I thought maybe he'd wanna film a podcast with me.
But no, uh, my guest and my athlete, Devon Allen up guys Olympian in the one 10 hurdles current Eagles. Player,
Devon Allen: currently a good player,
Anna Hartman: currently wide receiver. Wide receiver. Um, yeah, so it was a while back ago I asked on Instagram if people would wanna hear from, uh, any of my athletes, and the resounding answer was yes.
And so since I spent so much time with Devon, Um, and he's a fun guy. Fun guy. I thought I'd bring him on the pod as
Devon Allen: my, and we're here in the studio, aka my living room.
Anna Hartman: Yeah. Um, It's my second guess ever. He was really bummed to not be the first, but,
Devon Allen: oh yeah. You had, who'd you have on Lex? Lex.
Anna Hartman: Yeah, Lex. She was great.
But anyways, so, um, still number one in my heart though. Great. Thank you. Yeah, you're welcome. The biggest, the biggest question people had. Uh, well, there's three questions and then we can talk about anything. Okay. Was. How'd we start working together? Um, what you've learned from me and sort of like how it works, seen as how it works, how it works, works.
Whatever you do. The magic. The magic. How the magic works. So, okay. Do you wanna start
Devon Allen: three? Was that three or was that two? Those are three questions. Okay. Yeah, so thanks for having me for one. And, uh, the story on how we met was, I think it was 2016. 16? Mm-hmm. Yep. 2016 post Olympics. I returned back to college after the Olympic games playing football.
And my second or third game in, uh, versus Nebraska, I tore my a c l, um, for the second time my left knee. Okay. Um, and so I had knee surgery. I was in Eugene doing rehab for the month of November, and then that year, um, I don't think we made a bowl game. You did not, we did not make a bowl game. Sad news for the ducks that year.
Um, so we were, you know, the season was over after December 1st. First, yeah, the first week of December. And so we were allowed to go home and, you know, have winter break for the first time in my life. And so, Uh, I was going back to, to Phoenix, Arizona, where I'm from, and Steph, um, the athletic trainer I was doing my rehab with in Oregon.
She, uh, I told her, I was like, Hey, I'm, you know, I got like four weeks. I'm gonna be on my own. I don't want to like lose a lot of progress. I know how important like the first three months are of knee rehab. Cause I did, did my right knee, uh, the year before. I said, Hey, I don't want to miss out on that, uh, you know, progress.
Will you help me find someone or send me somewhere to do knee rehab? And she goes, oh, I had the perfect person for you. And she sent me to Anna. And Anna had been either just moved from, from Phoenix to San Diego, or was in the process of moving. Yeah, I'd moved. Okay. Yeah. So you, you still had an office in Phoenix?
Anna Hartman: Yes. I still had an office in Phoenix when she reached out to me. She didn't say who it was. Mm-hmm. But I, as a duck fan and alumni. Knew I, I was like, oh my gosh, somebody had that had knee surgery that lives in Phoenix. I was like, that's Devon Allen. I was like, that was me. Yeah, I was a big fan. Big Devon Allen fan.
Big Ducks. Yeah. Big Duck fan. Uh, no, but I had just moved to San Diego to actually start working more with track and field athletes and so I was like, isn't that funny? You tell the universe what you want and then they, that's perfect. And Yeah. You know, you had just recently like, let the world know you were turning pro in trying,
Devon Allen: trying field.
Oh yeah, I did
Anna Hartman: know that. Yeah, I did. And so when sh, even though I wasn't living there, and it was like my super busy season because it was football season and I was traveling with, um, two football players. Mm-hmm. Then, and then also had just gotten, I. Asked from an actual team to do a consult over the Christmas break.
Um, I was like, I don't wanna miss this opportunity to one, start working more with the University of Oregon and then two, knowing it was probably you. I was like, yeah, sure, I can fit him in no problem.
Devon Allen: Yeah. Okay. I didn't
Anna Hartman: know that. I like, well, I didn't lie. I just, no, he just didn't, I hadn't announced to people that I left Arizona, so I was like, oh yeah, sure.
I'll
Devon Allen: make it work. Yeah. Okay. That makes more sense. Cause when you told me you were in San Diego, I was like, Yeah. But now it makes sense with the other athletes who I know who they are. I'm not gonna name 'em. Yeah. Um, but. It. So you were going That's so that's why we were working weird day Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday.
Yeah. Like hammering it,
Anna Hartman: because I remember being like, Hey, you know, I can see you, but I'm like in and out of town. Yeah. Are you flexible? And you're like, yeah, sure, no problem. Not doing anything. But I knew too, as soon as I worked on you and as soon as you heard why I had to travel, like why I was in and out, you would be impressed and be like, yeah, sure.
I'll do whatever you
Devon Allen: need. Mm-hmm. So, yeah. So we, uh, that was right. That makes, that does make sense why we were, we were hammering like, Three days, maybe four days a week, where I was like, we were like going after it for like two, three hours. And I was like, gee. Cause we were doing one treatment, little bit of treatment, some basic then yeah.
Uh, physical therapy stuff and then like hammering the weights, strengthening cuz it was like maybe two, two and a half months, three months plus. Yeah. You were week 10 I think when you came Yeah. Post-surgery. So yeah, we had just kind of like got into like the All right, stop babying so much, let's move around.
Yeah. And yeah. So that was a good,
Anna Hartman: yeah, but that's kind of a funny story because Yeah, I was like, oh, it's gonna be Devon Allen. Oh yeah. I'm, I'm not, I'm no dummy. Go Ducks.
Devon Allen: Yeah. Go Ducks. No, and it worked out. Um, yeah, knee. Knee feels great.
Anna Hartman: Yeah. So after that, um, obviously you went back to school and then we stayed in touch and when school was over and you moved back to Phoenix mm-hmm.
And like really was a pro you, we. Connected. And whenever I was out in, I would go back and forth with patients. Phoenix. Yeah. And I'd see you. And then you came out to San Diego for a little bit. Mm-hmm. And we worked together. That was in 2017. On and off. 2018.
Devon Allen: Oh, sorry, yeah. 2018 season. Yeah. 20 18, 17 early, but then the 2018 track season.
Yeah.
Anna Hartman: Um, and then when you moved to Maryland kind of,
Devon Allen: well, really just in Phoenix, I was like, I don't know what happened. I think with I. There was like a big push with my training group, I think to get like someone Yeah. Local that could work on everybody. Yeah. Which I'm sure if I would ask like then like, Hey, you know, the one day a week I'm seeing you, could you, you know, that've been kind of hard.
Yeah. Um, so we made a big push and I mean, I was busy though. Yeah. Yeah. I was super busy back. Yeah. Trying to find, um, an athletic trainer, a physical therapist for the, the group. And so we ended up finding, um, Adam, and so Adam started working with us. So when that happened, I was like, all right, well I'll just do this.
And so that was 2019 mm, the 2019 season. Oh yeah, that makes sense. Yeah. And then 2020, like 19, 20, 20 season leading up was when I decided, like February, March I was moving to Maryland. Gotcha. Yeah. So then I drove across country. I do remember that, and it kind of just, you know, just disappeared into my own.
Yeah. I was a little heartbroken. I was
Anna Hartman: like, I guess he doesn't wanna work with me anymore.
Devon Allen: Well, I just didn't, I didn't really think about logistics too much. I was just like, oh, she's in San Diego. It's gonna be, that's crazy. And you were still working with your football players full time then too? Yeah.
Anna Hartman: Yeah. So, um, would've been tough anyways, but then I, we always kept in touch. I'd always text you, check in every once in a while, check in, say, how you feeling if I heard that you were hurt? I would or saw that I was hurt, reach out or saw that. Yeah. Very shitty. If you ran crappy, you're like, Ooh. Uh, but then in, um, we tried to connect right before you went to the Olympics in 2021, but that didn't work out.
And then, um, then you reach out last year. Mm-hmm. In March. Yeah. And then we've been in separable since then. Yeah.
Devon Allen: We just, we did the, we did the tally last year. It was like 60 something days. In 2076 days last year. 76 days in 2022 in 67. So far in 67 so far. And, and it's only been six months, so, yeah. Yeah.
So the,
Anna Hartman: when he reached out last year, he, well, he was a, in college, he was a two sport athlete. You were on the football team and then you were a track athlete, obviously. And then, um, when we first met, you told me, That after the 2020 Olympics you were gonna try for football. And I was like, yeah. You know, everybody always has those things.
Mm-hmm. And then in March, 2022, when you were out, uh, helping Navy in San Diego, you reached out to see me again and. We reconnected. And that's when you said, Hey, by the way, I've actually decided I'm gonna do my Pro day at Oregon. Mm-hmm. And do the NFL thing. And I was like, what? I was super excited for you.
And basically I was like, this is perfect. Like, let's make sure you stay healthy and like, uh, just lock it in. Yeah. And that was sort of too like, you know, going back to the math of how much time we've spent together over the last two years. The whole reason for that is because I basically told you like I.
I'm all in because I don't think that many people can do it. But I believe that you can and will and mm-hmm. Be successful at it. And so for me it was like worth the investment of my time. Yeah. And effort. And um, I basically told you that week like, if, if you want me, I'm in, and you just have to commit to like, Being consistent with it.
Mm-hmm. And cons and being consistent, like seeing me every other week if possible throughout the track season to make sure that when training camp started, you were healthy and ready to go. Mm-hmm. And so that's sort of how Yeah. It, it
Devon Allen: really evolved and it Yeah. Evolved into more than that eventually, cuz it ended up being like, pro day you traveled me to Eugene and then I came.
I was around for Mount Sac, so then I came down. Yeah, well, oh yeah. Well I came to San Diego before I went and then pin relays. You came out to Philly, so that was two weeks later. Yeah. And you stayed around and then, well,
Anna Hartman: I think too, then as soon as we started hanging out and doing it more, we're like, we enjoyed each other's company.
Mm-hmm. And it was fun. Yeah. And then also you started noticing like it was feeling
Devon Allen: a lot better and just like helpful. Yeah. So, and then may when. Uh, I, I was doing ota so trying to balance both those two things. And I was like, we talked about like being consistent and like keeping the machine rolling.
Yeah. And so we, we did that and I got covid, but then like a couple weeks after, I remember that, that was a funny thing. I got, Anna was on her way to Maryland while I was training in Annapolis, um, on a plane. I had woken up early that day cause I was getting my car detailed and maybe around 11
Anna Hartman: or, because everything has to be perfect
Devon Allen: for me, you know, to detail your car.
Yeah. Or 10, 10 or 11. Cuz you left at like 6:00 AM or Yeah. Early. Or early. So you were like, Hey, I'm about to get him. The flight said great, and that was like 10 or 11 and the guy was working in my car and I was like, he was like, oh, it'd be a couple more hours. So I was like, okay, cool. It was hot in Philly.
I wasn't doing anything on a Sunday, so I fell asleep. And when I woke up, I was feeling crazy, like I was like achy fever, and this is like the, the middle of the covid. Pandemic too. Everybody was still wearing masks and I, I was like, I should do a covid test. Cause I hadn't gotten covid yet. And uh, neither of us had.
Yeah. So then I, and I did. You thought we were special? Yeah. Did two tests and I, I had covid and so I texted Anna and was like, Hey, are you on the plane? She was like, yeah, it's been, it's a six, I've been on the plane. It's a six hour flight. Like, I haven't stopped yet. And I was like, well, I have Covid. So she was like, ah.
Yeah. And yeah. So you got to, you stayed in a hotel. You brought me some soup and stuff. Brought me some, yeah. I made sure he was food snacks. And then hung out with your friend Darryl for a day and then went back. Yep. Yeah, that was funny. And then the next week came back and that was in New York meet of 2022 and I ran 1284 that weekend.
Yeah. And set the world on fire, and then went over to Europe and then came back prepping for USAs. Then we went up to Eugene. For USAs did that, that worked well. Like the whole logistics of it was interesting with the, the Airbnb and mm-hmm. Figuring all that out. And then we had, what, three more weeks of training and then did, did Worlds.
And then you You traveled with me there and then After Worlds, it was like a week off. Yeah. And then right to training camp. And that was like every other, every four days. Four days, yeah. Checked in and then then, After I got released and signed back to the practice squad, it kind of turned into like every couple weeks because Yeah.
You know, I wasn't necessarily playing, so Yeah. But now that's track season again. I'm kind of, it's been like every, yeah, we're back every 10 days, like for four days or so. Traveled.
Anna Hartman: Well, it's been even more this year because we had to, you know, you guys had such a long season for football. Yeah. Since you went to the Super Bowl.
Um, We were just behind the eight ball and getting your body and your nervous system ready back for track.
Devon Allen: So yeah, it's kinda good. And be able to train multiple days.
Anna Hartman: Yeah. Yeah. Um, so, and then too, I got sick of traveling all the time and I was like, I would rather just hang out with you for a week or two weeks or three weeks at a time instead of going back and forth.
Yeah. So, um, with that said, that whole. Scenario. Um, I think, you know, a lot of questions, a lot of questions we get from people, you know, like when we, when we're around our friends or other athletes is like, how does it work? Like, and, you know, um, it is interesting because my biggest, my shtick that I always tell is like, how I know I'm successful is when an athlete doesn't need me all the time.
And so it is funny because. Sometimes you feel like you're like, man, do I need you all the time? Like, yeah, I feel like I can't do anything without you now.
Devon Allen: Yeah. Maybe I'm good. Yeah. Yeah. But then I just, yeah.
Anna Hartman: But it's one of those things too that I think anybody like, um, you don't need me. I always tell you like, you don't need me.
You'd probably be fine without me. And just doing the check-ins like we did last year or like less frequently. But once you start realize how nice it is to feel good for practice and. And training mm-hmm. On a daily basis. You're like, why would you not want that if you had access to it? For sure. Um, but even with that said, like, you know, we run into situations with your body where even though I want it to feel good every day, it still doesn't feel good every day.
Cuz that's all I, that's how the body works. Athlete. Right. Body. Body. Um, and our philosophy is really con uh, Go together. Well, because you, you, you know, I'm big about listening to the body, listening to your body, figuring out what you need and like realizing the body knows best. And I think you and your coach, Jamie Cook, are really excellent about doing that with your training program as well, is like not pushing through things like Yeah, valuing rest and valuing days off as just important, if not more important than, All the work you put
Devon Allen: in.
Yeah, I agree. And I think, uh, I mean the biggest like takeaway from my athletic career that I've got gotten from like the last five years, even in track especially, was every year that I was mostly healthy or pretty healthy. I ran well. Yeah. You know, even if I didn't train that much or whatever. And then the years that I like trained super hard.
Yeah. And training for a long time and I was hurt. It kind of like didn't run well. It didn't matter how much I trained, like how much preseason work I did. And so, you know, getting, working with Jamie, he kind of understands like, you know, it's fitness is important, but also just being healthy and feeling good is, you know, me being healthy and feeling good is good enough.
Yeah. Like I'm athlete enough to Yeah. Compete, you know, at a high level regardless of how much training I do. Um, And that's kind of where we figured it out the last three years. And so I don't really have to do as much. You know, some of the training I do do is you do, some of the training I do is very intense, but also some days it's kind of like the opposite.
Yeah. Because I'm like, oh, I don't feel great. You know? So like even today, like our training, I went to the track warmed up and I'm like, Ooh, a little bit tight. Like, I think we sh I shouldn't do much cause I'm trying to like, We're ramping up to USAs for next week too. It's only like 12 days away. Yeah. So it's not like I need, I'm gonna, yeah.
There's no need. I'm not gonna change the world in 12 days either. Right. Um, so I'd rather feel good going into USAs than like super, super sharp. Um, and yeah, so just, just kind of that whole, um, Like trust and even trust with you in terms of like listening to my body and understanding like kind of what you do is mostly through the nervous system.
And the nervous system is kind of like telling you, Hey, like I don't like this, or, you know, whatever range of motion you're going in is not the right one. Or your body's like protecting a certain range of motion because. I don't know. I don't know why he does it sometimes. Right. But,
Anna Hartman: but you know enough to know that Yeah.
It seems it's, it is for
Devon Allen: a reason. Yeah, it's for a reason. And you seem to figure it out in terms of just like what's going on. Um, you know, because most, most, you know, other than my ACO injuries and stuff like that, like any little small injury thing is usually not, uh, It's not long lasting. It's kind of like, ooh.
And then it goes away. So, you know, just trying to figure out like some chronic stuff that I have and like, you know, what causes that? You know, what mo what movement patterns and what do I do in training every day that causes that? And yeah. So we're starting to figure that out and like how my body responds to treatment.
Mm-hmm. Which is good too. It's like a little bit easier to kind of like, you know, where to start a little bit better. Yes. As opposed to like, Going through the whole eval and then you know, having to like try everything. Yeah. And you can kind of like, oh yeah, I know what works well for you. This usually works.
Let's do it. Okay. That worked great. Yeah. Yeah. So
Anna Hartman: it's good. I know what works for good for you. And then kind of in the same sense of training is like sometimes, especially when I'm around you a lot, you know, sometimes we just have to like realize that when we're doing treatment every day, manual therapy every day, like that's a little bit of us trying to force the body.
And so sometimes it's just like, You know, like when we were in Europe, I was like, I think maybe we don't need to do treatment for a couple days. Mm-hmm. Cause we've been doing a lot and maybe we just like let your body be. Yeah. And so it's like, it's just, you know, it's a practice for all of us is like checking our ego and not trying to override the body's own natural.
Protection pattern, like to force it out of something that it's doing on purpose. Yeah. And for a good reason. So, um, and you've, I mean, and you've always been really good at like learning and taking things, you know, and that's the other thing too, like part of the reason when I, last year when you came to me of like, you know, with this plan was.
And I wanted to be part of it is because you also were like, oh, I've been watching all your videos. You were like my biggest fan on Instagram. You're like, oh, I saw this video and I've been doing it. Like, even though we hadn't worked together for a couple years, you were still doing stuff that I gave you in the past.
Devon Allen: Yeah. I had like that little, like that roll like that, yeah. Log. I was doing my, my, yeah. Put it under my, uh, big toe and doing like the, yeah, the orange ankle. Yeah.
Anna Hartman: Yeah. What is that? I forget the, the, uh, pelvic floor, floor prop it was called. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So that, that's the other big, big tooth. Big thing too.
You've always been a really good like, active participant in your care. Like you'll do the stuff in your own body too. Like if I have exercises or drills for you to do, you always are all in. Mm-hmm. Which is nice. So, Um, yeah, so like a typical day for us when we're together or what your life is like, really, as we, you know, I'll check in I, every day, I reevaluate you, see where your body's at, check your range of motions, check in with you how you're feeling, and then do whatever manual therapy or exercises are needed.
And then we go to the track and. I like, like to watch you move. Yeah. Um, I like to watch you move for two reasons. One, if we're dealing with any of the chronic stuff, it gives me some insight into what might be driving it. Um, and then also because it's good for me to sort of read your body language and how you're really feeling, because like many athletes, you have a tendency to ignore what's.
Below your neck sometimes and just be like, I'm fine. Everything's fine. Yeah. And so it allows me a little bit better picture of like, what's going on. Yeah. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Which is great.
Devon Allen: Yeah. And I think that's partly football mentality too. For sure. Oh, I gotta practice. It's every athlete's mental, I gotta practice anyways.
Yeah. Like, but sometimes, especially in track and field, like when the goal is to be. Fast. Yeah. Or very precise and especially in the hurdles, like the technical part is very precise. Right. You know, you can't really practice what you need to practice, like race pace or whatever. Yeah. If you're not like in that 98, 99, a hundred percent feeling, ready, feeling.
Yeah. So like sometimes it's just like, eh, not feeling it today. Yeah. Sometimes I force it because it's like, this is the day we have to get it in. Right. Or this is the day it's supposed to be like in the plan. This is the day it's supposed to be, but. Like I said, usually now, like we don't, I don't force it as much, so I just like tell Jamie, Hey, I can't.
Right. I can't today. And he's like, all right, well, let's just, you know, just move around. Like, even today I talked to him, he is like, well, go lift and make sure you, you know, get some stretches in and feel good and talk to Anna, make sure she knows what's going on and that you, you know, do what you need to do and Right.
Get some rest and, you know, yeah.
Anna Hartman: I probably take it harder than you do when you don't feel good.
Devon Allen: Yeah, you definitely do. Yeah, I can feel that for sure. And I think, and like you said, sometimes when we even, you know, like when we're in Europe, um, trying to figure out how to like work day to day is like you, you make a good point cuz some days I just am tired.
Yeah. And it's not even so much my body. I'm having like issues. It's just like, I'm just kind of like, ugh.
Anna Hartman: I mean, and that's the benefit two of us working for so long. Like, I get like now I know what you, when you're tired, like when you're tired, I know how you act. I know what you complain about. And so sometimes when you complain I'm like, he's fine.
Yeah, yeah. He's just tired. Um, which is like, I mean, that's the benefit of. I mean anybody Consistency. Yeah. Anybody knows, like having the same practitioner, massage therapist, whoever, like having that relationship long term is like, so important. And I think, you know, all of my athletes who've ever been with me, so, you know, long term and you know, a lot of 'em, I've been with them their whole careers and that's what they loved about it is like I knew their body, I knew them, I understood their body language.
Mm-hmm. Like, You know, I anticipated their needs
Devon Allen: pretty easily. Well, and you can build that trust and like, you know, in, in some, in, in all instances, there's always like, if you can't figure it out today, you're gonna figure out Yeah, I'm gonna
Anna Hartman: figure it out. Yeah. So, and I'm not afraid to pull in other people to help.
Devon Allen: Yeah. So that's the thing is like, you know, as much as I have, you know, chronic stuff and you know, stuff that feels great one day and the next day I'm like, ugh. Yeah. You know, like. Figure you're gonna figure it out eventually. Yeah. Um, and then I was going on quickly. Yeah. Quickly. Eventually. Yes. But yes.
Yeah, yeah. Making sure all the questions. And that was, what do you do? The basic gist, and I'm looking right into the camera right now. Um, and if you're watching on YouTube, YouTube or wherever, if you're listening on Spotify and Apple Music, you're, you should feel my eyes in the static airway. But, uh, so the, the ba the basic gist for, for me is the nervous system is, you know, kind of built into the body to protect it from hurting itself or when you're in trauma from hurting itself.
So, you know, like if you're training hard and. You know, I'm, I'm trying to give a base example. You do a heavy back squat and you're like, ugh, like your back feels like it tighten up. How are you, how are you? You feel like, yeah, right. You do a heavy squat, like, you know. Correct. I mean, it's not exactly but do a heavy squat and you tighten up.
It's because your back, you know, your nervous system's. Like, oh, I'm gonna hurt, you know, protecting the spinal column. Like, yeah. Block all these muscles up around here, or like, you're running and your calfs get tight. It's because like, Your foot's going to a, maybe a wrong motor movement and it's trying to protect the tendons or, or whatever The muscles.
The nerve. Yeah, the nerves. So, alright. That's, that's the basic of what I understand it. And with all the training and practice you've done, you can kind of feel that. Mm-hmm. And the athlete's body and that's what the listening and you know, that's kind of where you start in terms of no, it's not kind of where you start.
It is where you start in terms of treatment. And making sure the nervous system's cleared up so that when you do do treatment, whether it's manual therapy or whatever, um, you, that treatment holds. Yeah, because like I'm sure you talked about on the other podcasts. Yeah. If you don't. Fix the nervous system part.
You're gonna treat and you might feel better for a bit, but then it's gonna go back to the old, move the pattern, right? So yeah, it kind of frees you up and gets you feeling good. Um, it makes it last, makes it last. And overall too, like it helps for me. I've noticed a lot of help, like benefit and recovery.
Right. And just like energy levels too. Like, like I said, some days when I'm just tired, I know it's because I'm really just. Worn out. Yeah. Yeah. But some days when I'm like kind of feeling like lethargic, it's because my nervous system kind of like it has some tension. Yeah. All the whack. Um, so then,
Anna Hartman: then you feel better after
Devon Allen: treatment.
Yeah, exactly. Or the opposite. If I like, if we do like the Yeah. Sometimes we can make it the cranial too. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I mean, it depends on what time of day it is. If it's before I go to bed. Great. And what we do after. Yeah. So,
Anna Hartman: but yeah, so I know every once in a while I get nervous. Like if it's the day of a meet and you're.
Cranial stuff comes up, I'm like, uh, like I feel like I need to fix, like I need to do something about it. Yeah. But because it's creating tension, but I'm also like, sleep, I'm gonna put this guy to sleep. So not the best move before competition. Yeah. Um, how do you, um, I always like this one. How do you explain when your teammates or other athletes ask you what I do and like, Why you
Devon Allen: like where you went?
Yeah, I, I pretty much just regurgitate exactly what I said. Just that, yeah, like I want, you know, some of the guys on the team that you've worked with and work with now. Uh, I kind of explained that it was like, Hey, the body is going into like, some kind of protective mechanism. Yeah. Depending on your injury or chronic injury usually is what those guys complaining about because, you know, a one-off thing that kind of like Yeah.
You know, comes and goes. Right. You forget about, right, it's the long-lasting hamstring soreness or the long lasting back pain or neck pain or whatever knee pain that the athletes kind of remember. And usually it's like a nervous system thing. Sometimes it could be a, you know, imbalance, especially if you have surgery and stuff.
And that's what I think the benefit of you being an athletic trainer as well. Yeah. Is like, you know, like you've seen all these injuries, you've rehab all these injuries too, you know, like. The pattern on like, oh, so you did this? Yeah. This is probably bothering you now. Right. Or this probably bothering you at one point.
Yeah. Or this is how to fix it and, right. Yeah. So, and, and,
Anna Hartman: Yeah, I mean, I think you do go in more in depth with your teammates than probably any of my other athletes ever had. Mm-hmm. Most of 'em are like, I don't know. I don't know what she does. She's magic. She, my knee hurts, she sticks her finger in my ear and then I feel better.
Yeah.
Devon Allen: Well that's the thing too, is like, I do a lot of stuff around the facility, like our exercises or even just like our, you know, range of, I don't even know, nerve glides. Yeah, nerve glides, um, and stuff like that. And I'll even give some of the athletes that are having chronic stuff that I. You know, have dealt with maybe a tight hamstring or whatever.
Yeah. And I tell 'em to go through a nerve blood and they're like, Ooh, how does that, why does that work? Yeah. And I'm like, yeah, I don't know. But it works. Yeah. And I, I felt the same thing. You're feeling. So, and they're kind of like, okay, that makes sense. And I have a little bit of notoriety because I am the Olympic athlete on the team.
Yeah, for sure. So like,
Anna Hartman: and they're always ama like, they're like, I don't know how you. Especially during OTAs, cuz you were doing OTAs Monday through Thursday and then during driving up to Annapolis for the weekends the other days. And they're like, they're exhausted from the OTAs. Yeah.
Devon Allen: And they're like, and I'm seven days a week doing.
Anna Hartman: But yeah, they are that they all go to Devon in the weight room or the locker room and like, Hey, what would you
Devon Allen: do for, yeah, what is this? Why? They always ask me why I use a softball. Yes. I'm just like the, here's the, this is the actual explanation I do give because it's the easiest in my head. I'm like, all right, so.
You have and
Anna Hartman: softball, for those of you listening it, it's not a softball. Not a softball like, like baseball, softball, but like it's like a ball. A ball that is soft.
Devon Allen: Yeah. Softball. It is like a ball filled of air. The Franklin ball. Franklin ball. So when you push on it, it is soft and compresses. So when I explain that to them, I explain it, but I usually do the feet thing because everybody wants to use lacrosse balls on their feet.
Yes. And we use, I don't know what the other balls are called that you give me
Anna Hartman: the, uh, tuneup fitness tuneup, the yoga therapy. Yoga, the, the, I mean it's called tuneup therapy ball, I guess. Yeah.
Devon Allen: Yeah. And these smaller, but also soft. Yeah. And so I'm like, Hey, they're still hardb, but they're soft. Yeah. Much softer than the cross ball.
Mm-hmm. Or golf ball. Yes. Like these guys roll their feet up. Yes. I was, I explained it to them, like the foot for the foot. I'm like, Hey, so your foot already like feet and hands, already have a lot of nerves. Yeah. And a lot of tension because you're on your feet all day. Yeah. Why would you beat it up more with like a hard Yeah.
Ball? Yeah. Like, you know, it hurts. Why would you make it hurt more? Yeah. Your body's already like saying, ouch, this hurts. So it's gonna tighten up. Why would you keep doing it? Yeah. It's like getting punched in the stomach. You're gonna like flex. Yeah.
Anna Hartman: So during the season football season, we definitely. I had to bring you a lot of,
Devon Allen: oh yeah.
A lot of my teammates have those. Yeah, because I was like, because you kept giving 'em away. Yeah. And I was like, which is fine. And I'm like, dude. He's like, oh, my foot, my feet. I'm like, I get it. Cuz my feet are sore too. Football cleats are tough. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But also stop beating your feet up. Yeah, for sure.
Yeah. Anybody listening? Just stop. Stop it, stop it. Get some help. Stop it. Stop it. You gotta put that clip Michael Jordan, if you can. If you can get in there, but not copyright it. But yeah. So yeah, really just understanding how the body works and why things are sore or hurt sometimes. Yeah. I mean obviously there is.
The cases where there might be a legitimate injury, right? Like a muscle for sure. Tear or whatever, and then even that.
Anna Hartman: But yeah, I'm like even that when you know what, treat it in a way that you honor the body's. Processes. It, it doesn't have to take as long, like for sure. You know, like swelling doesn't have to linger and muscles can be strained, but then fully function fine when you make the nerves around them happier.
Mm-hmm. So, cool. Uh, anything else you wanna share with the people, practitioners, or athletes that
will
Devon Allen: be listening to this? I don't know, just.
Anna Hartman: Or you feel like I need to share what the people are, the athletes?
Devon Allen: No, no. Don't do drugs. Don't do drugs. Oh, I am out of all of Anna's athletes, the best chef. Oh, 100%.
And coffee barista.
Anna Hartman: Yes. That Devon's actually cracked my code. He, he's figured out that I will pretty much do anything for him because he brings me coffee. Mm-hmm. As soon as I get out of bed,
Devon Allen: basically. Yeah. We'll just, yeah. Yeah. And then I, I make anywhere
Anna Hartman: even whether we're, we're, whether, whether I'm with you at your house or, or in hotels.
Yeah. He always makes sure that I have coffee. Mm-hmm. Which I appreciate. Yeah. It's like a love language I didn't
Devon Allen: even know about for sure. And I think I love coffee so much that like, I enjoy like someone that I enjoys coffee too. Yeah. Cuz not everybody likes coffee. No. Mm-hmm. So,
Anna Hartman: so that was like, I am like.
I really, I'm, I'm a really cheap date in that sense. Mm-hmm. Like who, who knew? You're like, how much does it cost for you to come work with me? And I'm like, can you just bring me coffee? Bring me coffee every morning? And that's all it takes. And
Devon Allen: the cooking's good. But I, around this time of year, I get kind of like, Basic and locked in.
Cuz I'm trying to like, but you're basic and locked in is still really good. Yeah, it's still good. I still
Anna Hartman: have to And it's like, again, you're making it for me. Yeah. And so that's fair. That's all that matters. It's like when your mom makes the sandwich versus you make the
Devon Allen: Yeah. I always tastes way better.
Yeah. Way better. You're right. Way better. Mom. What you put on this, uh, Turkey, pickles, lettuce, tomato, and salt and pepper. Yeah.
Anna Hartman: All right. So, um, that's it. I mean, we have fun together. We laugh a lot. And it's fun to support you. That's great. Thank you. Yeah. Mm-hmm. You're welcome. Shaky, bait, go ducks. And, uh, that's really what it's all about.
Yeah. Ducks fly together.
Devon Allen: We gotta take care of each other. Ducks fly together. Go Birds. Oh yeah. Go Birds too. Alex is in the, in the back. Right here. Our producer. Our producer
Anna Hartman: I suppose so. Go Birds. No, no, definitely. Go Birds. Everybody always asks like, who my favorite football team is or like whoever's got an athlete on it that's paying my bills.
Barely. Loyalty. Yeah. Barely one. And on that note. And we're out. Thanks for joining us. Uh, we'll see you next week and, uh, we'll work on our podcast name for our podcast together one day. I thought this is
Devon Allen: your podcast. Oh, you talking about the joint podcast? Yeah. And the
Anna Hartman: future. All righty. Back to the future.
Devon Allen: Thanks. Back back to the Future. Good podcast name,
Anna Hartman: great name. Thanks, Devon. Yeah, you're welcome. Now I gotta edit it.
