Nike Bowerman Track Club professional athlete Vanessa Fraser, a Stanford All-American and the second-fastest American female competitor in history in the indoor 5,000 meters along with seventh overall on the absolute U.S. list, joins DyeStat editor Erik Boal to discuss her return to racing for the first time in 283 days at the Sound Running Track Meet, where she placed 15th in the 10,000 meters in a personal-best 32:09.57. Fraser revisits having surgery May 15 in Arizona to remove damaged tissue in both of her Achilles, along with having the bones on both heels shaved in a procedure known as Tenex. Fraser shares about being able to chronicle her rehabilitation and recovery on social media and how appreciative she was to receive the outpouring of support from her fans. She reflects on how impactful Dr. Jeff Moreno, founder of the Power Lab, was during her recovery, which saw Fraser first use the Alter G six weeks after surgery and return to land running for the first eight weeks post-operation, and what it meant to wear her Bowerman racing kit again 205 days after the procedure. Fraser reflects on the pain and discomfort she experienced for the past few years and how she would often rely on saline injections in her heels in an effort to create extra cushioning in her feet in order to make it through a long training camp or significant stretch of racing. She looks back on running her lifetime-best 14:48.51 in the 5,000 on Feb. 27 at Boston University and how impressed and inspired she was by the performances of her Bowerman teammates throughout their summer intrasquad series at Jesuit High in Portland. Fraser also examines the depth of American women's distance running after 17 U.S. athletes qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 10,000 at the Sound Running Track Meet, and how impactful she expects the Bowerman group to be at the event next June at Hayward Field in Oregon. She also expresses gratitude toward teammates not only during her recovery, but throughout the year for using their platform to shine a light on issues surrounding racial and social injustice, and using their racing opportunities to support several fundraising programs and initiatives.