7 Years, One Achilles, and My Running Comeback

Welcome back to my weekly blog series, The Rebuild! Let's talk about this week. Check out the beginning here Entry 01!

In this entry we'll take a look inside some of my running history and the earlier chapters of my life, and what it all taught me, in the Rewind.

The Number

This week's number is 7, as in 7 years ago, when I was in the best shape of my life and ran my marathon long run along the Baltimore Marathon course during the race. The very next day, an Achilles injury popped up and sidelined me until January, causing me to miss the California International Marathon (CIM) and my chance to chase an Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifier.

The Week

So let's talk about this, because it's been a HUGE part of my story over the last 7 years. I want this Rewind section to be where I go back into my running history and pull out the parts of my journey that shaped who I am today and where my journey has gone. Since the Baltimore Marathon was on Saturday, just about 7 years since this incident, it felt worth talking about.

As for my own training, the little injury I talked about last week lingered this week, so I took an extra rest day and skipped my speed workout to focus on the long run. Fittingly, all these years later, I had my best long run in a while. And I did it running along this same course, spectating friends and cheering on others. 22 miles total on the day, and a really positive step forward on my journey toward the rebuild.

Before we hop into the story, let me set the scene a little. Heading into 2019, I was fresh off a 7-minute marathon PR at CIM in 2018, where I ran a 2:30, and I felt like I did it without really tapping into my potential. Yes, I was 11 minutes off the 2:19 I needed to qualify, but my coach and I came up with a plan for me to chase a 10K, a half marathon, and then the marathon in December of 2019, giving me plenty of opportunities to see if it was possible. I never knew if I could do it, but it was a fun challenge I wanted to try.

The Thread

The reality of 2019 was that I had a really great start. My second daughter was born in January, and I was training for both a half marathon in March and a 10K in April. Both went really well despite less-than-optimal sleep with a 2-year-old and a newborn. I knocked out a 32:29 10K and a 1:10 half, both showing me that I was at least within range of chasing this goal with some more training (and more sleep).

Running the 2019 Shamrock Half in 1:10

However, in May I was hit with a core injury, and then at the end of May, after a workout, I came down with the flu and a high fever and ended up checking myself into the emergency room, where I spent 3 days with mild rhabdomyolysis. It was very scary because, honestly, it had almost nothing to do with my training, since I was just coming back from an injury. The doctors ruled it mild rhabdo, and all of my follow-ups came back fine. I've actually never had symptoms like that again. That derailed training a bit. I was very timid with my running comeback from it and worried about whether I should pull back entirely until I got the OK from my doctors.

By the fall I was getting into the best shape of my life, and on the morning of the 2019 Baltimore Marathon I set off to do what is still probably the best workout of my life: 20 miles with 2 x 5 miles, and I ran both just slightly over the pace I needed to run to try and qualify. What amazed me most was how comfortable and smooth I felt. I really started to believe that maybe this was possible, that I could do this.

The next morning I set out for a medium recovery run, and instantly my Achilles hurt with every step. It hurt so much I couldn't run a single step without pain. We rested and hoped, and I went to PT, but it didn't resolve quickly. It took me out for months, and I missed my goal race. As I built back up for some big goals in 2020, March came and the world shut down, and honestly, my fitness has tanked year after year ever since. That run was literally the fittest I've ever been, and everything since that day has gone in the other direction.

When I look back at this, though, for years I mourned my fitness and the race that was never meant to be. I had this chance, it was taken away, and I never got to try again. I fell out of training during COVID. Solo runs weren't my thing, and my whole local training group moved away, so my motivation to train with no races (or even for races) faded when I had to do it all solo. For years I just said it's OK, I ran fast, I don't miss it, and I don't miss trying anymore because I already achieved my goals.

Party Pacing Grandma's Half Marathon after Rhabdo

But the reality is, I was only saying that because I felt like I could never get back. That I could never be fast again, so why try? That it wasn't worth trying again. I became a coach and started diving into my athletes and their journeys, and that was replacing my own. But truly, it wasn't. It was just covering up that I was afraid to try again. It took me years to break out of this funk, and it wasn't until May 2026 that I truly told myself I needed to try again. Not for anyone else. I had to try for me, because even if I never get back to the fitness I had before, it's worth it to chase my potential again and have some fun.

So here I am writing this series, putting in 20-mile runs again, doing speed workouts, and truly looking forward to seeing what I can do in this chapter of life. I have no clue where it'll end up (we never do), but the curiosity of messing around with my potential and seeing what happens is so exciting. For years I felt this day in Baltimore was the day my fitness was lost forever, and I told myself I had moved on and I was fine. The reality is, I was scared I could never get back, so I didn't want to start again and fail. But that story is behind me now.

Next Week

That's the story of the day I was the absolute fittest of my life, and how it came and went and ended up holding me back for years. It's a pivotal moment because I always believed that even an injury couldn't stop me. I would heal and come back. But an injury, plus a pandemic, plus losing my training group, and the next thing I knew my fitness was slipping away year after year. Next week we'll chat a little about life behind the desk and what it's been like taking over Running Explained, becoming a running coach, and the scary feeling of betting on myself after leaving my government job last year.

Also, if you're looking for a 1:1 coach, I have openings this fall, so hit me up at this link and let's see if we're a good fit.

About the author: Nick Klastava is the CEO and head coach of Running Explained. He is a USATF and RRCA certified run coach and a masters runner with a 2:30 marathon PR and a Boston Marathon finish.