Monday, November 26, 2012

BOOK REVIEW: Eat & Run by Scott Jurek

Eat & Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness
By Scott Jurek
 
I just finished yesterday the book Eat & Run: My Unlikely Journey to Ultramarathon Greatness by Scott Jurek. I loved it! Once I got into the middle part I couldn’t put it down. And once I finished it, I went out to do, of course, a fast 5 miles in the cool Kansas air to let it all sink in.

I highly recommend this book to all my running, marathon, and especially ultramarathon friends. I add this to the list of my favorite ultramarathon autobiographies that I’ve read and among the most informative, reflective, and inspiring (though they are all inspiring).

As with any book, I don’t advocate everything his says, nor do I aspire to be just like Scott Jurek. But I respect the guy and his accomplishments and what he has learned about life and about himself because of and while running, competing and pushing himself.

I also am challenged in new ways about the use of food and how it affects the body. I don’t necessarily want to become a vegan like Scott Jurek, but I do want to take how I eat and what I put into my body at least half as seriously as how I burn it off.

 

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Run for Missions 2012 Official Report





Run for Missions 5K, 10K, Half-Marathon

The 2012 Run for Missions events are all now successfully completed. The fundraising process will continue through the end of the year, but the biggest final push is in the next few days as the original goal was to have all pledges made by November 15th! We are still boldly shooting for our goal of $25,000 to fund the Scholarship and Missions Support Fund. The deadline has been extended and we can receive those funds all the way through the end of the year (postmarked by December 31st). If you want to support the Run for Missions with a gift per mile, please send a check payable to EFCMAYM, memo Run for Missions, 2018 W. Maple St., Wichita, KS 67213.
The 3rd Annual 5K, 10K, and Half-Marathon Run for Missions events were held on a blustery cold Saturday, October 27 in Haviland. The temperature at the starting line was in the mid-20s with a light wind from the south. 144 runners lined up to participate in three events, first a half-marathon starting at 8am and then the 5K and 10K events starting at 9am. The races attracted runners from Haviland, Pratt, Wichita and other cities from around Kansas. The race was sponsored by area businesses including Origins Coffeehouse of Haviland, Traci Ballard’s Gymnastics and Dance Studio, Haviland Telephone Company, Farmer’s Cooperative Company, and GoRun Wichita running store. New in 2012 were finisher’s medals for all half-marathon finishers and ribbons for all 5K and 10K finishers. Also new this year was chip timing for all three events. Chip timing is a computer generated system that tracks each runner with a coded chip on their shoe as they cross the finish line for a very accurate finish time recorded. The timing services were contracted by TATUR (Tulsa Area Trail and Ultra Running) Timing. The finish line is under a large inflatable chute with a ten foot Run for Missions banner hanging over it.

A simple course change near the Mile 3 marker made this year go really smoothly. The runners in the 10K and Half-Marathon had to battle some soft sand on the country dirt roads but they got to enjoy the beautiful Kansas prairie scenery and hills. But first they were hosted by friendly volunteers holding encouraging signs and even playing the bagpipes!

Half-marathon finishers finished in a wide range from an hour and 16 minutes to just over 3 hours. An awards assembly was held at 10:45am sharp presenting awards to the top three males and females in each event. Then a random raffle was held to give away the remaining prizes. The race prizes (cookies, cakes, pies, brownies, and fresh homemade desserts!) and hospitality were provided by Friends Women missionary groups from Argonia, Derby, Haviland, Hutchinson, Northridge, Pratt, Rose Hill, University Friends.

A few 2012 t-shirts are left for purchase at cost.

We are already looking forward to the 2013 Run for Missions events and with the dates to be released soon.

Run for Missions 100 Mile Fundraiser Run
The 5th Annual 100 Mile Fundraiser Run was held on a hot and windy November 9th and into the morning of the 10th. The temperatures hit the mid-80s during the heat of the day, producing record highs. The finish line was reached just after the sun came up on a cool breezy Saturday morning.

Mike Neifert and Adam Monaghan set out at 5am from 2018 W. Maple St, the Friends Ministry Center, with three pacers (Taylor Johnson, Jeff Kinniburgh, and Marc Compton) on the 104 mile quest to Haviland. We wound through the streets of Wichita, up to Central, over to Zoo Boulevard, and then headed west on 21st straight west for 50 miles before turning south on a country dirt road. Mike was accompanied by his crew vehicle operated by Greg and Isaac Garrison. My crew vehicle was operated by my wife, Sarah.  The third crew vehicle was the church van driven by Frank Penna, assisted most of the day by Marc Compton, whose job was to take help the pacers find the runners and then find their cars after pacing.

The first 25 miles were uneventful other than the wind. Our early morning shift pacers dropped off after mile 10 and Mike and I ran alone most of the way until mile 50. We were joined for an hour by a young boy on a bike from my church, Ky Leslie.
Mile 25-50 was were the run got pretty intense with full sun exposure, the heat soaring into the 80s, and an intense wind that gusted up to 40-50 mph at times. The miles, pain, heat, sun, and dehydration took it’s toll on Mike and he had decided to end his run at 50 miles.
See Mike Neifert’s full report of his experience this year at the Run for Missions. Mike is a brave hero and dedicated runner and even more important, a champion for the cause of missions.
The conditions were taking a serious toll on me as well. It took me about 10 hours and 30 minutes to complete the first 50 miles, slightly longer than normal. Heat and dehydration usually leads to nausea. This day was no exception. By mile 63 I had to vomit. Ironically, this is the third year in a row (of 5 total years of completing the 100 mile run) where I have puked for missions! J And it always seems to happen somewhere around the 60-70 mile mark.

I was joined by a whole host of pacers from mile 55 – 80 including Tim Hawkins, Dan from Pratt on a mountain bike with a spotlight to light the way for all the runners, Nate Dipman, Ryan Kendall, Matthew Schafer, Andy Bowman, Gabe Hancock, Ellen Sigley, Dwight Smitherman, David Frietas, and Jake Spencer. Each running different sections provided encouragement, motivation and company.
After the long bout with nausea for nearly 15 miles, by mile 70 I was running consistently again. Our team clicked off mile after mile as we could see the lights of Pratt pulling us in. We arrived at Pratt Friends Church and used the facility as the final aid station, at mile 81, before heading into the country for the final 23 miles to Haviland. On the west side of Pratt we encountered a train that was stopped on the tracks. We waited 10 minutes but knew that we had to find a way around or we were going to freeze up and fall asleep. So we actually drove around the section to the other side of the tracks and ran from there. About 30 minutes later we heard the train start to move.

The final 23 miles are always some of the most challenging and most exhilarating times. On one hand you are so close but on the other hand even the smallest number of miles begins to feel so psychologically overwhelming when you’ve already put on 80/90 miles on your legs. I was joined by 4 individuals who all ran ultra of their own in pacing me to the finish: Gabe and Andy – 45 miles, David 30 miles, Ellen 35 miles. We were also rejoined by Mike Neifert who had thrown up, had a shower and something to eat and drink. He helped provide crew and support and driving all the way to the end!

About 2 miles from Haviland the sun came up on Saturday morning.  The sun seemed to give me that final boost of energy I needed to finish strong. We ran pretty well all the way from Pratt but those last few miles were pretty fast, comparatively speaking. Running into Haviland was again once a thrill. It never gets old. Finishing 104 miles takes so much determination and persistence. I was overjoyed to cross the finish line with the 4 other ultra-marathoners and 50 mile runner Mike Niefert. Our crew, and family and a few other friends and well-wishers were there to cheer us on. We quickly went to host homes to shower, eat and sleep.
The Finish Line: 103.9 Miles
The Sunrise on Saturday Morning

As I limped around weary and tired for the next 24 hours I was just overwhelmed with gratitude for all the support and prayers and, as always, most of all for the donors who sacrifice to give to this cause. 5 years of the Run for Missions down, and 5 years to go…that seems to be the way this whole thing is working out. Here’s to making 2013-2017 the best 5 yet. Until next year… J

 

Monday, November 5, 2012

Speaking of Jesus

"Speaking of Jesus: the Art of Non-Evangelism" by Carl Medearis is definitely one of my new favorite books of all time and definitely my favorite of 2012. A great call to make my life and ministry speak of Jesus, not about Jesus or anything else. Here are some of my favorite quotes from the book:

“Because we’re Christians, we unfortunately feel we have to own up to Christendom. We believe that we are responsible for the entire history of Christian faith and that it’s our job to explain everything.” 39

“In my experience, sharing Jesus is not all that difficult, even in a hostile environment. I don’t tell people that they’re sinning and that they’re going to go to hell unless they believe what I believe. I just talk about Jesus. If, on the other hand, we believe that the gospel is a systematic explanation of Christianity, we have to own up to all the faults and failures of Christian history, while convincing people that Christianity really is better than whatever they believe.” 46-47

“I believe that the gospel and the religion of Christianity can be two different messages. Even opposed on some points. When we preach Christianity, we have to own it. When we preach Jesus, we don’t have to own anything. Jesus owns us. We don’t have to defend Him. We don’t even have to explain Him. All we have to do is point with our fingers, like the blind man in the book of John, and say, “There is Jesus. All I know is that He touched me, and where I was once blind, now I see.” 47-48

“We have to open our eyes to the possibility that we’re preaching the wrong message. We’re busy trying to find the boundary line that separates the saved from the unsaved and trying to bring people across that boundary by convincing them to think like we do. Here in the West, reason is king. We have doctrines and apologetics and really nifty devices to solidify the right thoughts. If it doesn’t make sense, it’s not relevant.” 48

“I don’t want to redefine salvation. I don’t want to redefine the gospel or even Christianity on the whole. I suppose I want to undefined them. I want to strip away the thousands of years of graffiti painted onto the gospel, turning it into a reasonable code of doctrines. The gospel is not an idea. It is not a belief. It is not a favorite verse. The gospel does not live in your church, it cannot be written down in a simple message, and it is not the sinner’s prayer. The gospel is not a what. It is not a how. The gospel is a Who. The gospel is literally the good news of Jesus. Jesus is the gospel.” 48-49

“…The gospel lies in the person of Jesus, that he himself is the Good News, that my one task was to live and to present him. My task was simplified.” 55

“What if we were to take Jesus at His word --- “I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32 NKJV)? What if our complicated explanations are wrong, not because they are incorrect, but because they do not constitute the person of Jesus?” 55

“The gospel is not a debate or a list of things to believe. The gospel is a person. Jesus Christ is the gospel. He is the truth. He is the point. He embodies all of the salvation/redemption/forgiveness/freedom stuff Himself, and because He is a personality, He does not require doctrinal mastery to connect with an individual.” 56

When we stand inside the circle, trying to get people “into the kingdom,” we mistakenly do two things wrong. First, we try to “download” the right definitions, doctrines, and beliefs into the brains of people who don’t know the apostle Peter from Homer Simpson. By doing that, we communicate that having the right thoughts is the means of salvation. We’re telling them that it’s the stuff that happens between their ears that matters. When we focus on theology, we’re not touching thirsty hearts. Thirsty people don’t want to memorize theology any more than they want to learn a new language. 67

This is not a case of Paul versus Jesus. They’re not in any kind of doctrinal debate against each other. If Paul and you and I sat down today for a cup of coffee, Paul would talk about one thing above all. He would talk about Jesus. If Paul could make one exhortation to today’s church, he might simply plead with it to stick close to Jesus. 83

If you want to get to know Jesus, the actual person, then read the four Gospels. Read them until they become part of you. Eat and breathe them. 88

…The Word became flesh and lived with us. And now dwells in us. All of the Bible is helpful, but it is a signpost to the ultimate Word of God –Jesus the Christ. We do not follow the Bible. We don’t worship the Bible. We love it because it directs us toward the One who is everything. So while all the Bible is God’s  Word, it is not all equal in weight. 88

I don’t have to defend or understand everything in the Bible in order to share my faith. Jesus is the point of the Bible. It all points to Him. I don’t have to be the Bible’s defense attorney. All I have to do is speak of Jesus and He will draw people to Himself. 89 

We know Jesus by practicing acting like him. I’m not really that good at being like him, so I act like him. 91

If you don’t feel like you have to evangelize someone away from their team and onto yours, you can speak of Jesus much more freely, and thus, more effectively. 103

There is no score, or at least, we don’t know what the score is. There are sheep and goats, but we’ve admitted we sometimes confuse the two…This doesn’t mean they aren’t what they are, it just means we may not as good at knowing the difference as we once thought. 103

Relax. Enjoy your friends. Enjoy their company along with the company of Jesus. Point Him out, freely, without fear or intimidation. You’re not responsible to sell Him to them. You’re simply saying what you’ve seen. You’re not the judge. You’re the witness. 105

The ones who had ears to hear Jesus typically were the hurting, the broken, the desperate. 110

Jesus loved the humility of those who understood they needed help. 114

Where we go terribly off course is when we lead a conversation with doctrine rather than Jesus Himself. 115

The conservative movement here in the West often tries to embrace the moral code of Christianity without the self-sacrificial teachings of Jesus. 148

We in the West have often adopted what I call the “fortress mentality,” which says it’s okay to oppose other people out of self-preservation. If Jesus had done that, we’d be in trouble. 150

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Marathon/Ultramarathon Archive Update 2013

Just like to keep my list up-to-date once a year. Still shooting for 100 Marathons & Ultras before age 32 and all 50 states perhaps sometime before 40.
Marathons
  1. Wichita Marathon October 2003
  2. Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon April 2004
  3. Dallas White Rock Marathon December 2004
  4. Chicago Marathon October 2005
  5. New York City Marathon November 2006
  6. Oklahoma Marathon (Tulsa) November 2006
  7. Salt Lake City Marathon April 2007
  8. Andy Payne Memorial Marathon (OKC) May 2007
  9. Heart of America Marathon (Columbia, Missouri) September 2007
  10. Marine Corps Marathon (Washington D.C.) October 2007
  11. St. Jude Marathon (Memphis, Tennessee) December 2007
  12. Olathe Marathon (KS) March 2008
  13. Mountain Home Marathon (Arkansas) November 2008
  14. Thunder Road Marathon (Charlotte, NC) December 2008
  15. Rockin' K Marathon April 2009
  16. Salt Lake City Marathon April 2009
  17. Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon April 2009
  18. Los Angeles Marathon May 2009
  19. Kansas City Marathon October 2009
  20. Eisenhower (Abilene, KS) Marathon April 2010
  21. Fargo Marathon May 2010
  22. Rock Creek Night Marathon July 2010 Trail Marathon PR of 5:10
  23. Kansas City Marathon PR 3:27 October 2010
  24. Eisenhower Marathon April 2011
  25. Oz Marathon (Olathe, KS) April 2011
  26. Lincoln (NE) Marathon May 2011
  27. Hawk Marathon (trails, Clinton Lake, Lawnrence, KS) May 2011
  28. Grizzly Marathon (Choteau, MT) July 2011
  29. Kansas City Marathon October 2011
  30. Des Moines, IA Marathon October 2011 (back-to-back)
  31. Eisenhower Marathon April 2012
  32. Garmin Marathon (Olathe) April 2012
  33. Andy Payne Memorial (OKC) May 2012
  34. Old Farts Trail Marathon (Michigan) August 2012
  35. Drake Well Marathon (Pennslyvania) August 2012
  36. Self-Transcendence Marathon (New York) August 2012
  37. Bob Ardrey Marathon (Salina, KS) September 2012
  38. Kansas City Marathon October 2012
  39. Eisenhower Marathon April 2013
  40. Garmin Marathon April 2013
  41. Lincoln Marathon May 2013
  42. Country Roads Marathon May 2013
  43. Cove Island State Park (Connecticut) Marathon August 2013
43 marathons in 19 states as of 9/19/13

Ultra-marathons

  1. Flatrock September 50K 2007
  2. Psycho-Wyco Ice-Version 50K Februrary 2008
  3. Cross Timbers 50-Mile (Texas) February 2008
  4. Rockin' K 50-Mile April 2008
  5. Free State 100K April 2008
  6. Psycho-Wyco Fire-Version 50K July 2008
  7. Lunar Trek 40 Mile July 2008
    Leadville Trail 100 (DNF at 50 Mile) August 2008
  8. Flatrock 50K September 2008
  9. Heartland 100 Mile October 2008
  10. Rock Creek 50K October 2008
  11. Run for Missions 103.9 miles November 2008
  12. One Hill at a Time 50K December 2008
  13. Kansas Ultrarunners Society Members Only Flint Hills 50 mile March 2009
  14. Free State 40 Mile April 2009
  15. Lunar Trek 100K July 2009
    Leadville Trail 100 (DNF at 50Kish) August 2009
  16. Flatrock 50K September 2009
  17. Heartland 100 Mile October 2009
  18. Rock Creek 50K October 2009
  19. Run for Missions 104.2 miles November 2009
  20. One Hill at a Time 50K November 2009
  21. Rockin' K 50 mile April 2010
  22. Free State 100K April 2010
  23. Moonlight Madness 50 Miler July 2010
  24. Patriots' Run (53 miles) September 2010
  25. Flatrock 50K September 2010
  26. Heartland 100 October 2010 (PR 22:22)
  27. Run for Missions 104.2 miles November 2010
  28. Grasslands 50 mile (trail PR of 10:52) March 2011
  29. Rockin' K 50 mile April 2011
  30. Free State 100K (13:01) April 2011
  31. Lunar Trek 40 Miles July 2011
    Canadian Death Race 125K (DNF at about 45 miles) July 2011
  32. Flatrock 50K September 2011
  33. Heartland 100 October 2011
  34. Run for Missions 104.2 October 2011
  35. Cross Timbers Trail 50 (Lake Texoma, TX) February 2012
  36. Brew to Brew 44 miles (KC to Lawrence) April 2012
  37. Rockin' K 50 Mile Trail April 2012
  38. Lake Perry Rocks 50K May 2012
  39. Moonlight Madness 50 Miler (Tulsa) July 2012
  40. Psycho Summer 50K July 2012
  41. Flatrock 50K September 2012
    Heartland 100 (DNF at 75 miles) October 2012
  42. Run for Missions 104.2 November 2012
  43. Prairie Spirit 100 Mile Run (DNF at 71 miles)
  44. Rockin' K 50 Miler April 2013
  45. Flatrock 101K April 2013
  46. Patriots Run 9:11 Run (39 Miles) September 2013
    45 ultramarathons as of 9/19/13
88 Marathons & Ultramarathons as of 9/19/13

Jesse & Abby Penna's Artic Wedding (10/6/12)




Sunday, July 15, 2012

Psycho Summer 50K

Yesterday was the Psycho Summer 50K at the Wyandotte County Lake Park in Kansas City, KS. After attending the Royals game on Friday night with Sarah and baby and staying in a nearby hotel, the 50K starts at 8am on Saturday morning, which is great for sleep, but bad for heat! But I think that's part of the idea of "Psycho Summer"...

The temperature hit 100, or close to it in the afternoon. It was hot, but mostly shaded so it could have been worse. I didn't get sick or too dehydrated. I think there were a lot of other runners who the heat got the better of them and they had to drop down to 20 or droped out altogether. I was just happy to finish.

After completing the first loop the second two loops were mentally much easier because I knew the distances to aid stations and knew how to mentally attack each section. I ran with a pack of 3 most of the first loop but couldn't quite keep up the last two loops so mostly ran alone, which I enjoyed.
My official finish time was 7:59:16. I know that seems soooo slow with an average time of 15:28/mile but I must say this includes a lot of running and only walking the hills and most technical rock scramble sections. I completed the First Lap in 2:24:33, the second loop in 2:43:01, and the third and final loop in 2:51:40.


     
                   
Previous finishes: 2008 Winter Version and 2008 Summer Version.




TATUR'S Midnight Madness 50 Miler

Ran the Tulsa Area Trail and Ultra-Runners' "Midnight Madness" 50 miler last Friday night in Tulsa. This was my second time to do it. First time being in 2010. See 2010 Report.

I drove down with my good friends Tyler Ray and Kevin Johnson to Tulsa on Friday evening. The race starts at midnight....I was just starting to get tired and sleepy when I started running...partly because I had a crazy week and only 5 hours of sleep the night before! First lap was...hot! 90 degrees thereabout. No wind. Humidity. By the end of those 10.3 miles I was dragging.

At the end of the second loop, I felt better than at the end of the first. By the end of the third loop, it had gotten light and I soaked for five minutes in an ice bath to bring my core temperature down. At mile 35, Tyler joined me and he paced me for the last 16 miles. I soaked again in the swimming pool (with ice water up to my neck this time). The last 10.3 miles were tough but Tyler and then Kevin paced me into the finish line.

I never really had any low moments. No nausea. Minimal soreness. No ankle problems. I really felt fine with a fairly consistent pace throughout the 51.5 miles that the course actually measured.

This is a great race on a great course that I highly recommend.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Eliana Beth

My whole world changed for the better about a month and a half ago as Sarah and I added little Eliana Beth to our family. Born May 2nd, 2012. Didn't know I could love this much!

Camp 2012




Probably my favorite 2 weeks of the year are spent at Camp Quaker Haven the first two weeks of June every year.  As a camper and then a counselor/youth pastor and in other leadership capacities, 2012 was my 21st consecutive year at camp.

Pikes Peak Summit and Back

On Wednesday, May 30th, Rebecca Angell (Sarah's youngest sister) and I hiked the 13 mile trail from Manitou Springs, CO to the summit of Pikes Peak, a 14,110 foot mountain. We started at 4am with headlamps and summited about 10:30 am. We staggered around at the top and refilled with water, took a few pictures, and then started the long trek down. I found the downhill part much more physically and mentally exhausting, especially on my ankles and knees. The downhill part took over 5 hours and the whole thing took 12 hours, arriving back at the trailhead at 4pm, weary and exhausted, but thrilled to have just completed the 26 mile journey.

For Rebecca, it was her longest mileage covered on foot by far in her life. The following days I could barely walk with my calves especially locked up. I believe it was 5 days before I was able to run again.

Andy Payne Marathon


Just 15 days after my sprained ankle, and with it still a bit swollen and stiff and with only a couple of runs after 11 days off, I ran the Andy Payne Marathon at Lake Hefner, in Oklahoma City. The course is a double-out and back along the bike trail at Lake Hefner. I had run Andy Payne before, in 2007, I believe, and enjoyed the small race atmosphere. This time was no different.
With a pretty big half-marathon going on at the same time, the course was pretty full the first half but was a ghost town the second half. I ran with some guy from somewhere in the Dallas area from mile 3 to mile 25.5, but I can’t remember his name. I learned his whole life story.
The temperature was in the mid-70s at the 6:30 am start and climbed into the 80s by mid-morning. The whole day there was a strong wind from the south and it gusted to probably 30-40mph regularly. There was hardly a cloud in the sky the whole time and it was hot and miserable the whole way. This was very likely the hottest and worst conditions for any marathon I’ve run, though many ultras have been worse.
I was shooting for a sub 4 hour finish but it just wasn’t happening with the heat and humidity and sun and wind. I finished just a few minutes over 4 hours but wasn’t discouraged in the least. In fact, I was just relieved to be done and glad it was over and glad that I didn’t experience any nausea which often comes with the heat.
My ankle swelled a bit during the marathon but didn’t necessarily hurt any more than before the race.  Sarah and the baby joined me on the trip there (leaving at 3am) and back and rested in the shade while I ran. We were home in time for lunch at 1pm from OKC!

Lake Perry Rocks 50K

My 70th marathon/ultra-marathon was more eventful than I would have liked and also was a “first” in many ways. It was a 50K at Lake Perry which would make my 3rd 50K there, this time run by the Trail Nerds. It was a nice cool dry morning on a perfect course under nearly perfect conditions in every way.

I picked some of my favorite people to run with, Coleen Voeks and Deb Johnson, and we stuck together pretty much the whole way. We came through the exactly half way mark right at 3 hrs and we all feeling great. I was leading our pack most of the way between miles 15 and 25 and gaining a lot of ground and we were narrowing in on a negative split, sub 6 hour finish. But, that’s not how it went down in the end this time.
At mile 27-ish I rolled my ankle and fell into the shrubs. My foot was flat to the rock and the ankle hit the ground as I fell. The flash of pain was intense and I thought I was going to puke. I got up and tried to walk it off and after 5 minutes or so was back to a slow run, with my confidence coming back, though it still hurt a bit. Then I bit it again, this time much harder and much worse. The pain was just so intense. My face turned white. Deb shared some ibuprophen and the foot started to swell really fast…though I knew not to take my shoe off until after I crossed the finish line.  I got up and hobble step walked and sometimes ran really slowly on the safe flat debris-free areas, though there weren’t very many of those.
I crossed the finish line in 6:12, I believe, which is still a decent time for a 50K, especially with having to nearly crawl the last 4+ miles.
My ankle swelled up to nearly cantaloupe size after the race and stayed that way for a few days and continued to be sore and stiff for 10 days. On the 11th day I ran 2 miles pain free and started back in. 15 days after the sprain I ran a marathon (Andy Payne) pain free for the most part. 18 days after the sprain I hiked Pikes Peak. 5 weeks after the sprain it’s just slightly swollen and just slightly awkwardly stiff but I am still running on it, as long as it doesn’t really hurt too bad. I’m staying off the trails until it’s truly healed, though.