#61 Emily Durgin: When Will I Feel Like Myself Again? | Injury, Recovery & 2028

Emily Durgin has been a U.S. champion, finished ninth at the 2024 Olympic Trials, and spent years consistently improving and competing at the highest level. Then an injury changed the rhythm of everything.Emily opens up about the past year and a half of trying to feel like herself again. She shares what it was like racing at 85%, questioning whether her best years were behind her, and eventually deciding that continuing to push through wasn't worth sacrificing a full recovery.We talk about the mistakes she's made returning from injury, learning when to stop forcing fitness, rebuilding from the ground up, and separating her identity from running while still believing deeply in what she can accomplish.Emily also looks ahead to 2027 and 2028, why she believes her fastest running may still be ahead of her, and what it means to give herself the chance to go all in one more time.Chapters00:00 – Emily’s comeback and injury reset01:04 – Why she stopped racing through pain05:23 – The hardest part: being away from competition07:12 – Starting fresh in Boulder10:59 – The lesson: stop running through it12:21 – Why racing means so much more than workouts17:39 – Redefining success and choosing joy27:13 – Hill strides and rebuilding form30:32 – The biggest mistake runners make after injury34:12 – Faith, friendship, and joy outside running43:15 – December marathons and the road back47:41 – Why 2028 is the main goal50:55 – What she’ll appreciate most when she’s backFollow Emily:instagram.com/em_durgin/Follow The People Run Podcast:instagram.com/thepeoplerunpodcast/Music: instagram.com/mech__beats/