
Don't Call It a Comeback
What Happened When I Stopped Chasing PRs, and Started Chasing Happiness
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
3 months free
Pre-order for $20.24
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
About this listen
A victorious tale of coming back in middle age to topple marathon records, from the running world's most beloved underdog, mom of two, and woman voted "most fun follow" on Strava.
Keira D’Amato was an all-American runner who used to chase success. But after being injured in her early twenties, she assumed her running career was over, and settled into life as a military spouse and mother of two young children. In her early thirties, she found herself overweight, out of shape, and battling postpartum depression. She knew that improving her fitness would make her feel better, and told herself to just get out and run ninety seconds, down her street and back. To her dismay, she couldn’t do it. But two days later she tried again. And six years after that, she broke the American women’s record in the marathon at the age of thirty-seven.
Keira has created a buzz in the world of professional athletics by taking the road less traveled. The normal trajectory for an elite female athlete has been to focus on sport first, then get a "real" job, and finally, have a family. Keira upended that: she married her high school sweetheart, had two babies in quick succession, began her career in real estate—and only then returned to running. But it’s not just her relatable background that makes Keira so popular amongst fellow runners. We assume that to be successful, one must be serious and humorless, with an all-or-nothing approach to ambition. But what if the opposite were true—that cultivating more fun, and more variety in your life could actually help you reach your biggest goals?
At an age when most athletes consider retirement, Keira is just getting started. And she’s determined to share the secrets of her success to help listeners to start chasing their own happiness, to dream a big, scary dream, and ultimately to find their way back to themselves.
©2025 Keira D'Amato and Evelyn Spence (P)2025 Macmillan AudioListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Fearless Mind
- 5 Steps to Achieving Peak Performance
- By: Craig Manning
- Narrated by: Dallin Bradford
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Fearless Mind, sports psychologist Dr. Craig Manning teaches you how to beat mediocrity and embrace greatness. Overcome your fears, expel anxiety, build confidence, and become a high-performing individual no matter what your field.
-
-
Just another story.
- By Spencer on 10-03-24
By: Craig Manning
-
The Way of the Runner
- A Journey into the Fabled World of Japanese Running
- By: Adharanand Finn
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It may come as a surprise to many people, but Japan is the most running-obsessed country on Earth. A 135-mile relay race, or ekiden, is the country's biggest annual sporting event. Thousands of professional runners compete for corporate teams in some of the most competitive races in the world. The legendary "marathon monks" run a thousand marathons in a thousand days to reach spiritual enlightenment. Yet so much of Japan's running culture remains a mystery to the outside world, on par with many of the unique aspects of contemporary Japan.
-
-
Learning the way of the Runner
- By techieguy on 11-10-16
By: Adharanand Finn
-
To the Gorge
- Running, Grief, Resilience & 460 Miles on the Pacific Crest Trail
- By: Emily Halnon
- Narrated by: Emily Halnon
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Emily Halnon lost her beloved mother to a rare uterine cancer at just sixty-six years old, she wanted to do something monumental to honor the person her mother had been. Emily's mom had taken up running in her late forties; she ran her first marathon at fifty. She even went skydiving to celebrate her sixtieth birthday. Emily, already an accomplished ultrarunner, decided to try to break the record for the Fastest Known Time by a woman on the Pacific Crest Trail's 460 miles across Oregon.
-
-
Heartwarming and inspiring
- By Karie T on 05-17-25
By: Emily Halnon
-
Trails and Tribulations
- The Running Adventures of Susie Chan
- By: Susie Chan
- Narrated by: Susie Chan
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Susie Chan is an icon of endurance running. Since taking up running at the age of 35, she has completed the legendary Marathon des Sables more times than any other British woman, set the 12-hour treadmill World Record and was one of the first women to finish all the World Marathon Majors. Susie’s story is an inspirational fight against the odds. From leaving a dysfunctional marriage, managing as a single mum and tackling cancer treatment, Susie has had her fair share of adversity. Throughout it all, running has kept her going.
-
-
Strength
- By Charles M Rohre on 05-06-25
By: Susie Chan
-
Just Add Water
- My Swimming Life
- By: Katie Ledecky
- Narrated by: Katie Ledecky
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Katie Ledecky has won more individual Olympic races than any female swimmer in history. She is a three-time Olympian, a seven-time gold medalist, a twenty-one-time world champion, eight-time NCAA Champion, and a world record-holder in individual swimming events. Time and again, the question is posed to her family, her coaches, and to her—what makes her a champion? Now, for the first time, she shares what it takes to compete at an elite level.
-
-
Fantastic Book!
- By Amazon Customer on 09-10-24
By: Katie Ledecky
-
Atmosphere: A GMA Book Club Pick
- A Love Story
- By: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Narrated by: Kristen DiMercurio, Julia Whelan, Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting listeners to iconic times and places, creating complex protagonists, and telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love—this time among the stars.
-
-
This has soared to the top of my all-time favs!
- By Kimberley on 06-03-25
-
The Fearless Mind
- 5 Steps to Achieving Peak Performance
- By: Craig Manning
- Narrated by: Dallin Bradford
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Fearless Mind, sports psychologist Dr. Craig Manning teaches you how to beat mediocrity and embrace greatness. Overcome your fears, expel anxiety, build confidence, and become a high-performing individual no matter what your field.
-
-
Just another story.
- By Spencer on 10-03-24
By: Craig Manning
-
The Way of the Runner
- A Journey into the Fabled World of Japanese Running
- By: Adharanand Finn
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 9 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It may come as a surprise to many people, but Japan is the most running-obsessed country on Earth. A 135-mile relay race, or ekiden, is the country's biggest annual sporting event. Thousands of professional runners compete for corporate teams in some of the most competitive races in the world. The legendary "marathon monks" run a thousand marathons in a thousand days to reach spiritual enlightenment. Yet so much of Japan's running culture remains a mystery to the outside world, on par with many of the unique aspects of contemporary Japan.
-
-
Learning the way of the Runner
- By techieguy on 11-10-16
By: Adharanand Finn
-
To the Gorge
- Running, Grief, Resilience & 460 Miles on the Pacific Crest Trail
- By: Emily Halnon
- Narrated by: Emily Halnon
- Length: 5 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Emily Halnon lost her beloved mother to a rare uterine cancer at just sixty-six years old, she wanted to do something monumental to honor the person her mother had been. Emily's mom had taken up running in her late forties; she ran her first marathon at fifty. She even went skydiving to celebrate her sixtieth birthday. Emily, already an accomplished ultrarunner, decided to try to break the record for the Fastest Known Time by a woman on the Pacific Crest Trail's 460 miles across Oregon.
-
-
Heartwarming and inspiring
- By Karie T on 05-17-25
By: Emily Halnon
-
Trails and Tribulations
- The Running Adventures of Susie Chan
- By: Susie Chan
- Narrated by: Susie Chan
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Susie Chan is an icon of endurance running. Since taking up running at the age of 35, she has completed the legendary Marathon des Sables more times than any other British woman, set the 12-hour treadmill World Record and was one of the first women to finish all the World Marathon Majors. Susie’s story is an inspirational fight against the odds. From leaving a dysfunctional marriage, managing as a single mum and tackling cancer treatment, Susie has had her fair share of adversity. Throughout it all, running has kept her going.
-
-
Strength
- By Charles M Rohre on 05-06-25
By: Susie Chan
-
Just Add Water
- My Swimming Life
- By: Katie Ledecky
- Narrated by: Katie Ledecky
- Length: 7 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Katie Ledecky has won more individual Olympic races than any female swimmer in history. She is a three-time Olympian, a seven-time gold medalist, a twenty-one-time world champion, eight-time NCAA Champion, and a world record-holder in individual swimming events. Time and again, the question is posed to her family, her coaches, and to her—what makes her a champion? Now, for the first time, she shares what it takes to compete at an elite level.
-
-
Fantastic Book!
- By Amazon Customer on 09-10-24
By: Katie Ledecky
-
Atmosphere: A GMA Book Club Pick
- A Love Story
- By: Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Narrated by: Kristen DiMercurio, Julia Whelan, Taylor Jenkins Reid
- Length: 9 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting listeners to iconic times and places, creating complex protagonists, and telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love—this time among the stars.
-
-
This has soared to the top of my all-time favs!
- By Kimberley on 06-03-25
-
What I Talk about When I Talk about Running
- A Memoir
- By: Haruki Murakami
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 4 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From the best-selling author of Kafka on the Shore comes this rich and revelatory memoir about writing and running and the integral impact both have made on his life. Equal parts training log, travelogue, and reminiscence, this revealing memoir covers Murakami's four-month preparation for the 2005 New York City Marathon. Settings range from Tokyo, where he once shared the course with an Olympian, to the Charles River in Boston, among young women who outpace him.
-
-
It is what it says it is
- By Rick on 03-10-09
By: Haruki Murakami
-
Kick Ass with Mel Robbins
- Life-Changing Advice from the Author of “The 5 Second Rule”
- By: Mel Robbins
- Narrated by: Mel Robbins
- Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Want more out of life? You're not alone. And best-selling author Mel Robbins is here to help with no-bullshit life and business advice that you won't get anywhere else. This follow-up to The 5-Second Rule - available only in audio - takes the classic talk-show format and elevates it to a premium audio experience. Listen to private, one-on-one coaching sessions between the celebrated motivational speaker and people like you - people who want better relationships, to be healthier and more productive, to get unstuck from destructive habits.
-
-
A $26 Podcast
- By Sam Cochrane on 06-01-18
By: Mel Robbins
-
How to Run the Perfect Race
- Better Racing Through Better Pacing
- By: Matt Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Gregory Abbey
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Pacing can be the difference between a breakthrough workout and a backbreaker, a PR and a DNF. In How to Run the Perfect Race, acclaimed running coach and author Matt Fitzgerald reveals how conventional training and device overdependence will keep you from accessing the full power of pacing. With a mix of fascinating science and compelling stories spanning the sport, Fitzgerald shows that pacing is the art of finding your real limit—running out of gas just as you complete the workout or cross the finish line.
-
-
Great info to finally help push me past a running plateau
- By @femalejaysfan on 04-15-25
By: Matt Fitzgerald
-
The Examined Run
- Why Good People Make Better Runners
- By: Sabrina B. Little
- Narrated by: Patricia Shade
- Length: 9 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Examined Run, philosopher and ultramarathon runner Sabrina B. Little asks whether running can be a laboratory for developing our character. She looks at the key ideas in virtue ethics-virtue, vice, exemplarism, moral emotions, and competition-and brings them into conversation with her experience in training and racing.
-
In the Spell of the Barkley
- Unravelling the Mystery of the World's Toughest Ultramarathon
- By: Michiel Panhuysen
- Narrated by: Rupert Holliday-Evans
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to the Barkley Marathons, a fever dream of an ultra event, inspired by a prison break, heralded by a conch blast, paid for in cigarettes and socks, and completed only by a select few. A race in which competitors haul themselves up mountains, through extreme weather conditions, beyond pain and exhaustion, mile after mile. Completed 60 miles? That’s just the fun run. In the Spell of the Barkley is a story of sporting obsession, exploring what drives individuals to challenge themselves at the limits of what is possible – and what it takes to succeed.
-
-
3/5 - a fun run but not a finish.
- By C. Oestreich on 12-19-23
-
The Other Talent
- The Curiously Complex Role of Mental Health in Athletic Greatness and Why It's Never Too Late to Harness Your Potential
- By: Matt Fitzgerald
- Narrated by: Gregory Abbey
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On the playing field, natural talent isn’t enough—there’s a mental component that determines whether athletes win the race or wipe out before the finish line. But what separates standout sports stars from the rest? In a paradigm-shifting new theory, acclaimed sportswriter Matt Fitzgerald identifies two key traits behind athletic success: strict self-regulation over thoughts and emotions and an unquenchable psychological need to pursue victory—even when it means enduring extreme mental and physical suffering.
-
-
Excellent
- By CC Coach Mike on 12-18-24
By: Matt Fitzgerald
Critic reviews
"I’ve read hundreds of running books in the last fifty years, and Keira D’Amato’s Don’t Call It A Comeback stands apart from the pack. It’s not that she’s faster than everyone else—though she comes close. It’s that she’s zanier, more spontaneous, and ultimately more honest than the rest. D’Amato’s realistic look at elite running—the good, the bad, and the bonky—makes her book a reader’s delight."—Amby Burfoot, 1968 Boston Marathon Winner and author of First Ladies of Running
"Don't Call It a Comeback is fireworks in a crowded field of athlete memoirs. With a knack for hilariously vulnerable storytelling, Keira D’Amato unspools a fascinating tale of her unconventional running career. Even though I’m a much slower runner, I found Keira’s story incredibly relatable, and I would enthusiastically press this book into the hands of anyone who runs or jogs or walks."—Shelby Van Pelt, New York Times bestselling author of Remarkably Bright Creatures
"D’Amato’s success has been riveting to watch, in part because it seemed to come out of nowhere. She had only resumed running competitively in 2017 following a seven-year hiatus. In the interim, she adopted the life of a typical suburbanite—career, marriage, kids. And then, around the time most people are starting to reminisce about their glory days, D’Amato started living them. Really living them. She found more success in five short years than most elite runners do in an uninterrupted lifetime of training."—Runner's World