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Hi,
David here.
As I write this, I’m 2 months ahead of schedule in the healing process from a torn plantar fascia tendon. And I don’t think I’d be here without Momentous Collagen and Thorne Vitamin D.
BIG STATEMENT, I know. I’d temper it more if this were a scientific case study rather than a marketing email. But a cool part of the freedom that The Feed gives me is that you get to hear what I really think.
Let’s zoom back before we sell some products. Just before mile 50 of the Javelina 100 Mile in late October, I had a sharp pain under my left heel, like a rock was stuck in my shoe. I ran through it because it’s a 100 miler, and you just have to accept that everything hurts. Inside me, there are two wolves. Sometimes, like when I DNF’d Western States, I’m a delicate little bitch. But on this occasion, I was a dumb tough idiot.
I put off an MRI for 2 months, treating it like plantar fasciitis. Eventually, I was limping so badly while carrying our kids up the stairs that I couldn’t wait any longer. The MRI showed “Intermediate/high grade tearing of the central cord attachment to the calcaneus,” along with a smorgasbord of other findings.
It was the worst-case scenario for my goals. There were 2 US-based races remaining that gave “golden tickets” to the Western States 100 (the Black Canyon 100k in February and the Canyons 100k in April), which I needed after handing down a golden ticket from my 2nd place finish at Javelina to the 3rd place finisher. The top doctor I saw said I could think about top-level racing in July.
Crap. We’ve all been there. Being an athlete involves getting periodic reminders that we are decaying meat sacks. But I was going to give my meat sack every advantage it could get. I’m a meat sack with a dumb dream, dammit!
I talked to my new doctor, going over my past bloodwork and some of the clinical studies, and I ramped up two supplements. First, I became half-idiot, half-bitch, half-collagen. Collagen may be a precursor to healing processes in tendons, though there is debate about how the amino acids are utilized after they are broken down. For example, a 2023 study found that collagen strengthens patellar tendons in female soccer players, a 2022 study found increased cross-sectional area in the achilles tendon with supplementation, and a 2019 study found that collagen may accelerate recovery from achilles tendinopathy.
There are some non-findings too, but it’s one of those supplements that is not risky and potentially comes with some substantial reward for tendon and ligament strength. Study protocols generally look at 15 grams plus vitamin C before exercise, which may enhance the adaptive response to stress. I took 45 grams of Momentous Collagen spread out over 3 doses, which comes with Vitamin C. I’m going to continue taking 15 grams of collagen indefinitely. I choose Momentous as it's NSF Certified for Sport, another option is SwissRX Collagen which adds Tendaxion (another form of collagen) for additional soft tissue repair.
But the most important change I made may have been increasing my Vitamin D intake. The research on Vitamin D could blot out the sun. A 2015 review found that 56% of athletes have vitamin D inadequacy, with some seasonal patterns of lower winter numbers. Low Vitamin D levels correlate with just about every negative health outcome, though that is subject to confounders that could also blot out the sun.
In coaching, most of the pro athletes I coach are on Vitamin D supplements. However, I had convinced myself that it caused stomach issues for me, so I was content with my low-normal numbers. The injury spurred me to take Thorne 5000 IU Vitamin D every day. While we can never be sure of exact impacts, I have always felt like a bit of a sad boi in winter. If I could play a morose acoustic guitar, I’D BE PLAYING THE HECK OUT OF IT. But my mental health has never been better in February than it was in 2026.
I’m writing this article on March 10. I could be back in the walking boot next week, for all I know now. But I don’t think so. The foot feels strong and resilient. The brain feels stellar. The personality feels like bitch-idiot, but that’s par for the course when I’m writing an article selling supplements.
And I just registered for the Canyons 100k. Another golden ticket is probably impossible. But I’m a meat sack with a weak grasp of probability, and that’s why I’m in the position to write you this email at all.
FAFO, with eyes wide open, and body full of collagen and Vitamin D. Let’s do this.
- David
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