295. Can You Run With Achilles Tendonitis? (Why Rest Might Be Making It Worse)
Release Date: 02/26/2026
295. Can You Run With Achilles Tendonitis? (Why Rest Might Be Making It Worse)
Healthy Runner Podcast
If you’ve been told the only way to fix Achilles tendonitis is to stop running… this episode might completely change how you think about healing. One of the biggest myths in the running world is that you can’t run with Achilles pain. But in most cases, total rest doesn’t build a stronger tendon, it actually reduces its load tolerance and keeps you stuck in the frustrating start-stop injury cycle. In this episode, I break down: - Why total rest can make Achilles tendinopathy worse - The real reason your pain keeps coming back - The 3 signs it’s SAFE to run with Achilles pain -...
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294. Run Pain-Free: 3 Strength Training Secrets for Half Marathon Runners
Healthy Runner Podcast
What’s the real goal of half marathon training? It’s not pace. It’s not mileage. It’s preventing breakdown. Because if you’re injured heading into race day… you won’t hit your goals. In this episode, Dr. Duane Scotti breaks down why strength training is the most misunderstood and most powerful tool in half marathon training. You’ll learn: ✅ Why 7 out of 10 half marathon runners get injured ✅ How strength training increases durability and prevents common running injuries ✅ The simple weekly strength structure that works for busy runners ✅ How strength improves running...
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293. Hip Pain Relief for Women Runners: Why It Keeps Coming Back & How to Fix It with @TheHipDocSarah
Healthy Runner Podcast
Does your hip pain disappear with rest… only to return a few miles into your next run? You are not alone. In this episode, Dr. Duane Scotti sits down with physical therapist, run coach, and hip specialist Dr. Sarah from Legacy Rehab and Performance to break down why hip pain is so common in women runners and why traditional advice like rest and stretching often fails. You will learn: - The top reasons hip pain keeps coming back in women runners - Why stretching alone does not fix the real problem - How hip, core, and glute strength influence running mechanics - The key strength...
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292. How I Conquered the Dopey Challenge Feeling Strong, Durable, and Healthy (2026 RunDisney Marathon Weekend Recap)
Healthy Runner Podcast
Most runners go into RunDisney Marathon Weekend just hoping to survive it. In this episode, I share how I completed the 2026 Dopey Challenge, four races totaling 48.6 miles and finished feeling strong, durable, and pain free. This is not just a race recap. It is a breakdown of the exact training, fueling, recovery, and race strategy decisions that allowed my body to handle four consecutive race days without breaking down. You will hear: - How I structured training after a recent marathon - Why patience and pacing mattered more than fitness - How I approached fueling and recovery across all...
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291. Why Runners Don’t Follow Through on Their Half Marathon Goals (And How 2026 Can Be Different)
Healthy Runner Podcast
Join If you’ve trained for a half marathon before but didn’t follow through, this episode will change how you think about training. In this episode of the Healthy Runner Podcast, Dr. Duane Scotti breaks down the real reason half marathon training falls apart for so many runners (it has nothing to do with motivation or discipline). Most runners are committed and driven, but they’re missing a system that actually fits real life. You’ll learn why relying on motivation leads to burnout, how skipping strength and recovery increases injury risk, and what it really takes to stay...
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290. RunDisney Marathon Weekend: 7 Race Week Essentials for Dopey Runners
Healthy Runner Podcast
Preparing for RunDisney Marathon Weekend or taking on the Dopey Challenge? Dr. Duane Scotti breaks down the 7 race week essentials that every Disney runner must know from how to taper the right way, to what to eat each day, to the weather, packing, and logistics that make RunDisney so unique. Learn how to avoid the common mistakes that drain energy, derail race week, or increase your injury risk, and instead run each magical mile with confidence, gratitude, and joy. Whether you're running the 5K, 10K, Half, Full, Goofy, or Dopey, this episode will help you feel prepared, strong, and...
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289. Philadelphia Marathon Recap: What Went Wrong and What I Nailed to Get Stronger for My Next Race
Healthy Runner Podcast
If you have ever trained perfectly… only to fall short of your goal on race day… this episode is for you. I am breaking down my Philadelphia Marathon, the lessons that cost me a PR and the wins that set me up to come back even stronger. Inside, you will learn: • The exact moment my race slipped away • How I managed pacing, fueling, and hydration with zero cramps (until I didn’t) • The elevation traps most runners underestimate in Philly • Why “middle mile mindset” can make or break your race • What I will do differently next time, so you can too Race...
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288. Weighted Vest Training for Runners: Helpful or Harmful? What You Need to Know with Coach Cat
Healthy Runner Podcast
Should you run or walk with a weighted vest to get stronger or faster? Or is it just another social media fitness fad that can lead to injury? In this episode, Dr. Duane Scotti sits down with from the Spark Healthy Runner team to break down the science behind weighted vest training for runners. Together, they uncover what fitness influencers often get wrong and explain when (and how) a weighted vest might actually be helpful — and when it can do more harm than good. You’ll learn: - Whether weighted vests really help with bone density, weight loss, or speed - Why runners over 40...
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287. Stop Making These Marathon Fueling Mistakes (Especially If You’re Over 40) with Jennifer Giles, RDN
Healthy Runner Podcast
Are you unintentionally sabotaging your marathon with fueling mistakes? You’re not alone. Most runners over 40 struggle with energy crashes, GI issues, cramping, or bonking — and it has nothing to do with fitness and everything to do with fueling. In this episode, I’m joined by sports nutritionist, exercise physiologist, and speaker , who specializes in marathon fueling for masters runners. Together, we break down the most common marathon nutrition mistakes and exactly how to fuel smarter so you can run strong from start to finish. ✅ Here’s what you’ll learn: - The biggest fueling...
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286. NYC Marathon Survival Guide: Race Day Tips from Ferry to Finish with Coach Whitney LaCombe
Healthy Runner Podcast
Are you running the TCS New York City Marathon this year? Whether it’s your first 26.2 or your fifth, this episode is your complete survival guide to race day — from the ferry ride to the finish line in Central Park! Coach from the coaching team joins Dr. Duane Scotti to break down everything you need to know to make race day smooth, confident, and unforgettable. We cover: 🏃♀️ Race morning logistics — what time to leave, what to bring, and how to handle the start village chaos 🗽 Course experience — where the hills really hit, what the crowds are like, and how to...
info_outline[Download] The Ultimate Achilles Guide for Runners
If you’ve been told the only way to fix Achilles tendonitis is to stop running… this episode might completely change how you think about healing.
One of the biggest myths in the running world is that you can’t run with Achilles pain. But in most cases, total rest doesn’t build a stronger tendon, it actually reduces its load tolerance and keeps you stuck in the frustrating start-stop injury cycle.
In this episode, I break down:
- Why total rest can make Achilles tendinopathy worse
- The real reason your pain keeps coming back
- The 3 signs it’s SAFE to run with Achilles pain
- The difference between insertional vs midportion Achilles tendinopathy
- How to modify running without making your symptoms worse
- The exact strengthening principles that rebuild tendon capacity
- When you actually SHOULD stop running
You’ll also hear real runner success stories from inside our Healthy Runner community who went from fearing their running days were over… to rebuilding strength and returning to racing pain free.
If you’re wondering:
Can I run with Achilles tendonitis?
Is it safe to run with Achilles pain?
How do I heal without completely shutting it down?
This episode gives you the clarity and structure you need.
Because tendons don’t heal from avoidance.
They heal from smart, progressive loading.
🎁 Download my free Achilles guide here!
If you’re ready for structured strength plans, progressive return-to-run programming, and coaching support so you’re not guessing week to week, join the Healthy Runner Academy waitlist
Return to Running Program without Achilles Pain here
Listen to my previous episode answering the most common achilles questions answered here!
Listen to my previous episode on insertional achilles tendinopathy treatment here!
Listen to my previous episode on the Best Running Shoes for Achilles Tendonitis
Listen to my previous episode on Running Again After Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy Surgery with Tina Muir
Learn how to get rid of achilles pain to run pain free in 5 minutes!
Want to work with Dr. Duane as your running physical therapist and coach with structured achilles rehab, strength, nutrition, and a run plan with full support and accountability to overcome your achilles tendonitis and keep it from coming back again? Book a call and learn more about Healthy Runner coaching here
Connect with Dr. Duane:
- Instagram - @sparkhealthyrunner
- Sign up for the Healthy Runner Newsletter
- Join our Healthy Runner Facebook Community
- Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
- duane@sparkhealthyrunner.com
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