For Long-Distance Runners Who've Tried Everything
Your body isn't broken.
Your plan is.
Three months or more of Achilles pain. You've done the PT. You've rested, stretched, and done the heel drops. And every time you build back up, it comes back with you. The Achilles isn't the problem. The approach is.
I help runners fix Achilles pain without having to stop running, their life, or their goals.
Sound Familiar?
You've tried everything.
Nothing sticks.
You've done the calf raises. You've worn the night splint. You've iced it, rested it, and taken weeks off. Then you feel the same pain the moment you try to run again.
You've seen a PT. Maybe more than one. They gave you the same three exercises, told you to back off mileage, and sent you home. And when you came back a month later in the same spot, they just reset the clock.
So you went looking for answers yourself. One video says stretch. The next says never stretch. One says stop running. Another says run through it. Now you're more confused than when you started, and your race keeps getting closer.
The real problem isn't your Achilles. It's that everything you've tried was built for the average injured person. Not for a runner with a goal on the calendar who refuses to accept that this is just how things are now.
Why Everything Else Failed
Rest doesn't fix Achilles pain.
It just postpones it.
Rest calms the pain for a while. But it doesn't build the capacity your tendon needs to handle running, so the pain comes right back when you do. What actually works is load. Progressive, specific, well-sequenced load. Not generic exercises. A deliberate 12-week protocol built around keeping you running while the tendon rebuilds.
Find your baseline.
We test before we prescribe. A single-leg heel raise test on both sides, your pain history, and your race date tell us exactly where to start. Every decision after that gets measured against real numbers, not how the tendon feels when you squeeze it.
Rebuild the capacity.
Isometrics, then heavy slow resistance, then plyometrics. In that order. This is where the tendon actually rebuilds, and where generic PT stops short. The load has to be heavy, progressive, and matched to where you are.
Return with confidence.
A return to full mileage built backwards from your race date. You'll know when to push, when to pull back, and why a small spike after a run doesn't mean you're going backward. No more second-guessing every mile.
Why I'm Different
I don't want you pain-free.
I want you unbreakable.
I want you to be so resilient that you never need another PT visit again. That's not a marketing line. It's the standard I hold myself to with every single client.
As an athletic trainer, I've spent over a decade working alongside orthopedic surgeons, physicians, and physical therapists managing thousands of athletes. I'm a doctoral candidate in Athletic Training at Florida International University. And I'm a distance runner myself.
I've seen what works, what doesn't, and why the same generic protocols keep failing the same runners. The runners I work with don't just get back to running. They come back trusting their body in a way they haven't in years.
Is This You?
This isn't for everyone.
That's on purpose.
I only take on a small number of runners at a time. So I'm picky about who I work with. Here's how to know if we'd be a good fit.
This is for you if...
- You're a distance runner with Achilles pain that's lasted 3 months or more.
- You've already tried PT, rest, stretching, or heel drops, and you're still stuck.
- You have a specific goal: a race, a PR, or a mileage target you're working toward.
- You want to keep running while you fix it, not shut everything down.
- You're ready to commit to about 20 minutes a day for 12 weeks, even when it gets boring.
This is not for you if...
- You're looking for a magic exercise or a quick fix.
- You want a free program and aren't ready to invest in coaching.
- You'll quit the plan the first time it flares up.
- You don't have a running goal you're working toward.
- You just had a sudden injury or think you may have ruptured your Achilles. See a doctor first.
How we work together
The Reforge Achilles Protocol
12 weeks of 1-on-1 coaching built on Assess → Load → Run. Your program is built around your tendon, your schedule, and your race date.
- Your own program in a private app, with a video of every exercise
- Direct access to me by text and voice notes
- Regular check-ins and video calls
- Form feedback on your videos
- ~20-minute workouts you can do anywhere, so you still have time to run
- A run plan built backwards from your race
Get better or you don't pay.
Do the work for the full 12 weeks. If nothing improves, you get a refund.