Coming back from a Traumatic Injury: Coach Jen’s Story

Another Mother Runner

Sarah Bowen Shea

Health & Fitness

4.4 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 5 September 2025

⏱️ 70 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

This is a must-listen episode for any runner, regardless of whether you’ve returned to racing after a traumatic injury: It showcases the grit and vulnerability needed to wage a comeback! With host Sarah Bowen Shea, Coach Jen Harrison shares her story of her injury, surgery, and months-long recovery, then the duo talks with Coach Jen’s physical therapist, Denise Smith, and her sport psychologist, Erin Ayala, Ph.D., about: -trusting the recovery process;-embracing the process, not the outcome; -the importance of the mental recovery, not just the physical;-the role of self-compassion after an injury; and,-how the last 10% of the recovery can be the toughest. Host Sarah and Coach Jen jump right into Jen’s injury and recovery—no intro chitchat here! Subscribe to Another Mother Runner 3x/week newsletters. When you shop our sponsors, you help AMR.We appreciate your—and their—support! Feel the Currex difference: Get 15% off with code AMR15 at Currex.com Get rolling: Get 15% off any new ElliptiGObike with code GOAMR15 at ElliptiGO.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Thanks to Curex, the number one insole at running stores for its long-time support,
0:04.0	whether it's running, hiking, biking, golfing, or even working, Curax insoles can help you live a healthy and active lifestyle. For 15% off, visit curex.com and use code AMR15. Thanks to Elyptigo for its support. An elliptico bike looks like a cross between a bike and an elliptical machine,
0:25.2	and it provides an incredibly fun workout that's low impact, full body, and time efficient.
0:33.4	Visit elliptigo.com to learn more and use code go AMR 15 for 15% off any new elliptico bike. Music Welcome to another mother runner.
0:45.8	This is your host Sarah Bowen-Shay, and I do not exactly have a co-host today.
0:51.2	I sort of do.
0:52.5	It's a little bit of a hybrid show. The topic is coming back from a big
0:57.3	sidelineing injury, and I'm focusing on one individual in particular using her story and her
1:03.1	experts as examples of how to be smart about a comeback. And that person is Jennifer Harrison,
1:08.6	that the AMR triathlon and heart and soul coach, who's also a long-time
1:12.1	endurance coach and the business partner of my occasional podcast co-host, Liz Waterstrot.
1:17.2	So, all right, last fall, Coach Jen suffered a hamstring avulsion. Don't worry. She'll explain
1:22.8	what that is when she fell on a trail run. After months of rehab and more than four months off running,
1:28.4	Jennifer, quote unquote, clawed her way back to the race course
1:31.4	with the help and support of a physical therapist and sports psychologist.
1:34.9	Her perseverance paid off at the USA Triath on national championships,
1:39.5	where she finished fifth in her age group.
1:41.8	Way to go big and qualified for the world championships.
1:46.5	So I'm going to talk to all the gals involved, Coach Jen, her physical therapist, and her
1:51.1	sports psychologists. So Jen, welcome as a sort of host, sort of guest, but welcome.
1:58.3	I'm delighted to have you here. Well, thank you. I'm happy to be here. And I'm happy
2:02.6	that this podcast might be the icing on the cake to move on from the massive injury.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Sarah Bowen Shea, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Sarah Bowen Shea and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.