Sneaking in miles...

Since my latest injury, and slow but productive recovery, I feel as though I have only been able to sneak in my weekly miles. I look forward to another attempt to run 100 miles in less than 10 days from now! I am a little bit nervous about the condition my body will be in. I know that my base miles are built up enough to run a 50 miler with this rest and recovery period I have been on, but to double that is almost nerve racking! I know in my head and in my heart that I will push my body to its limits and give another solid attempt at the 100 mile mark, but I pray the sun, stars, wind, and moon align to help me complete this challenge (& any other signs of good luck and well-being) :). With all apprehensions aside, as I pack and prepare over the this next week I am anxious and excited to relentlessly run for hours on end in the California sunshine with my head, heart, legs, and support crew! I will give you updates as the day draws nearer and the link with live updates throughout the race.

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Good News & In Need of a Support Crew

I received some good news on Friday afternoon form my doctor telling me that I could take off my dang walking boot, suck it up, push through the pain, and run! Thankfully all injuries in my ankle are not too serious, or at least I will not further damage anything if I continue to run. So, I decided to lace up that night and run through the pain. Most importantly I wanted to see how painful it would be and how far I could go on it until I hit a breaking point, so I decided to run to my friend’s house in Davenport J, literally. I loaded up my camelback, grabbed my phone, food, and credit card (not knowing if I might need something else along the way). The first several miles were considerably painful, but mostly due to the lack of stretching and flexing of my foot, ankle, and calf throughout the week. On my travels through Durant and towards Walcott the pain began to subside and I was able to run with relative ease. I finally ran past Walcott, but only to lose two of my red flashers along the way. I thought about turning back for safety reasons, but thankfully I packed another head light and put it on. I am pretty sure I looked something like an alien ship hovering close to the ground, but I knew people could see me! The rain began to fall, as my spirits began to fall around mile 18~ thinking I might be pushing a little too hard at this point. Knowing that I probably would not do too much further damage I just slowed my pace and continued on. Finally seeing the glow of the stop lights ahead I gained strength in my head, heart, and legs. At this point I only had a mile and half to go! I finally made it to my destination around 1 a.m. only to be cold, in a moderate amount of pain, and smiling ~ gotta love running!

On another note, I am in desperate need of some sort of support crew for the 100 miler that I am still going to attempt at the end of the month in California (5/27-5/30- we will fly out that Friday night). I really only need 1 person, but more are welcome and I will assist with any monetary expenses that will occur (as much as I can). Your duties as a support crew would include following my hourly schedule and ensuring that I get the proper nutritional supplements along with keeping me hydrated. You would also have to enjoy the California sun and some cold drinks with me when it is completed. If you are at all interested or think you might be able to help me out, please email me at Gabriel.boorn@hotmail.com or call me at 563-210-0872. Thank you!!

"Man imposes his own limitations, don't set any"

-Anthony Bailey