You start feeling pain in your Achilles tendon– should you still go for an easy run?
Dr. Duane Scotti, DPT, PhD, OCS is a running physical therapist, Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, run coach, host of the Healthy Runner podcast, and founder of Spark Healthy Runner.
After spending years in the gym, Duane finally decided to become a runner as an adult and immediately got hooked.
Following 19 years teaching in higher education, Duane decided to step away as a Clinical Associate Professor of Physical Therapy to pursue his passion educating the running community.

In this episode, we focus on Achilles tendinopathy. It’s a common injury, so we are diving deep into how to treat it, why the last thing you should do is rest, why it’s more common among master’s men, and how to prevent it if you’re healthy.
By the way, most of our injuries are the result of training errors – and if we can train smarter, while building our resilience, we’re going to dramatically reduce our injury risk. Get a free training at strengthrunning.com/prevention to learn more.
Duane Scotti on How to Prevent Achilles Injuries and Healing through Them

In this episode, Duane Scotti and I talk about:
- Differences between Achilles tendinopathy and tendonitis
- Why you don’t need to give up running due to Achilles pain
- A pain monitoring tool to guide treatment
- Exercises for Achilles tendinopathy
- Preventative measures and shoe considerations
- Why do men 40+ suffer from this injury more often?
Share this episode with a friend who’s dealing with Achilles pain!
Subscribe to the podcast in Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or iHeartRadio.
Links & Resources from the Show:
- Duane on Instagram: @sparkhealthyrunner
- Duane on YouTube: @sparkhealthyrunner
- Duane on TikTok: @sparkhealthyrunner
- Duane’s Healthy Runner Group on Facebook
- Duane on LinkedIn
- Healthy Runner Podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts
- Ultimate Guide to running healthy without achilles pain: https://learn.sparkhealthyrunner.com/achilles
- Get our free injury prevention email series at strengthrunning.com/prevention.
Thanks to Ketone-IQ!
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There’s also promising research – and loads of anecdotal evidence – that ketone supplementation can help with recovery if taken post-exercise. I know some of the best ultra runners in the world, Boston Marathon champ Des Linden, and the pro cycling team that won the TdF in 2022 and 2023 all take ketones post-race to aid recovery.
Go to Ketone.com/strengthrunning to save 30% on your first subscription and receive a free 6-pack of Ketone-IQ and try for yourself today.
Thank you to 2Before!
We are supported by 2Before, a powerful sports supplement made from New Zealand Blackcurrant berries designed to increase endurance, manage inflammation, support immunity, and promote adaptation. 2Before helps to boost performance by increasing blood flow, making it more efficient for the body to pump oxygenated nutrient-rich blood into the muscles.
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Pro tip: get the caffeinated version. You’ll get the vasodilatory benefits of blackcurrant berries with the powerful performance and mental benefits of caffeine.
Thank you to 2Before for supporting Strength Running!
Thank you DrinkLMNT!
A big thanks to DrinkLMNT for their support of this episode! They make electrolyte drinks for athletes and low-carb folks with no sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. They are offering a free gift with your purchase at DrinkLMNT. And this does NOT have to be your first purchase. You’ll get a sample pack with every flavor so you can try them all before deciding what you like best.
DrinkLMNT’s products have some of the highest sodium concentrations that you can find. Anybody who runs a lot knows that sodium, as well as other electrolytes like magnesium and potassium, are essential to our performance and how we feel throughout the day.
If you’re not familiar, LMNT is my favorite way to hydrate. They make electrolytes for athletes and low-carb folks with no Sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors. I’m now in the habit of giving away boxes of LMNT at group runs around Denver and Boulder and everyone loves this stuff.
Boost your performance and your recovery with LMNT. They’re the exclusive hydration partner to Team USA Weightlifting and quite a few professional baseball, hockey, and basketball teams are on regular subscriptions. So check out DrinkLMNT to get a free sampler pack and get your hydration optimized for the upcoming season.