“Recipe for greatness? To bear up under loss, to fight the bitterness of defeat and the weakness of grief, to be victorious over anger, to smile when tears are close, to resist evil men and base instincts, to hate hate and love love, to go on when it would seem good to die, to seek ever after the glory and the dream, to look up with unquenchable faith in something evermore about to be, that is what any man can do, and be great.” Zane Grey
We all face various challenges and trials throughout our lives, and it is a daily choice to get up and press on regardless of your circumstances. This past April I experienced a rather difficult setback when I broke the 5th metatarsal in my right foot while running on the Highline Trail just below the Mogollon Rim in central Arizona. My friend Ryan and I were racing in the Zane Grey 50-miler and I was only 7 miles in when it happened. Not even two hours prior I had been chatting excitedly at the starting line with several runners who were attempting their first ultramarathon and enjoying the typical pre-race buzz. With no speech or national anthem, we all set off somewhat disoriented into the misty fog after the RD yelled "GO!" at 5:30 AM.
The course started with a gentle climb through lots of thick, red mud that quickly slowed the field down. Within a few miles my bright orange Hoka Speedgoats (the same shoes I wore in the Rim to River 100 miler) were so loaded down with the stuff that they felt as heavy as bricks, but thankfully I was able to clean them in the icy waters of the Christopher Creek crossing. From there I encountered a dizzying array of switchbacks, rocks, climbing, rocks, mud, and rocks (did I mention those?) but Ryan and I were able to accelerate and were hanging comfortably in the top 20 close to the leaders. Running on narrow single tracks in the mountains is fun but also means there will be periods of solitude, and with the mention of mountain lions in the pre-race information packet I was doing my best to keep Ryan in my sights. I was about 50 yards behind him traversing a super technical section when it happened: I accidentally rolled my right foot over a large, jagged rock and heard a loud "POP" as I flew off the trail. Unsure if the noise came from me or a broken tree limb, I dusted myself off, stood back up, and tried to keep running, but the pain radiating from my foot was far too much to bear. I quickly slowed to a limp, then eventually sat down on a pile of rocks to further assess the damage. It was extremely disheartening watching the rest of the field pass me by, although many runners were very supportive. One stopped to give me some ibuprofen, and another was even kind enough to fetch me a tree branch from the woods that I would ultimately use as a crutch to get down off the mountain. The next 1.5 miles were filled with quiet suffering, limping, and tears as I grieved the loss of my race while traversing my way to the first (and what would be my last) aid station of the day. As I wrestled with my emotions and stubborn thoughts of pressing on, what helped me more than anything was finally just letting go and shifting the narrative in my head from "I'm racing! to "I'm enjoying a peaceful walk in the woods today." By 8AM I was in the truck of an aid station volunteer named PJ from Kentucky heading back to the start line, and my race was officially over.
Back at my cabin I peeled off my filthy clothes and shoes, showered, and limped over to the couch before calling my wife and father to let them know what happened. I was still rather emotional and a follow up text from Sarah with Psalm 73:26 ("My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.") caused me to burst into tears again. I did not believe God sent me to Arizona to sit around in my cabin feeling sorry myself, so I drove to the nearby 260 trailhead aid station to volunteer and help others. I was greeted there with high fives and open arms (ultrarunners are the best) but upon hearing about my injury, the aid station captain, Kevin, asked me if he could have a look. As a former ski patrol medic, he was able to quickly diagnose the fracture and advised that I should head to the nearest emergency room ASAP. Ouch! Talk about a letdown. After a snowy drive I ended up at the ER in Payson, where a nurse/fellow Spartan racer named Selina helped me to my car after I was given crutches and a make-shift cast for my foot. From there I got back to the cabin and was reunited with Ryan, who also unfortunately had to pull out of the race early. With rain, hail, and at times, snow, it turned out to be a rough day for all the participants. We commiserated over dinner at the Creekside Steakhouse and Tavern where we had a great conversation before departing the following day. The weather on the return trip to Phoenix was gorgeous (naturally lol) and we enjoyed the beauty of the Arizona mountains along with the Desert Botanical Garden before heading to the airport.
Back home in Arlington the daunting reality of life in a walking boot for 6-8 weeks with an energetic toddler quickly set in. Parenting is hard enough as it is; doing it with a broken bone in your foot is definitely not recommended. I was having a hard time on the plane ride home trying to figure out just how Sarah and I were going to go about our normal daily activities with me on the injured reserve list, but praise God for his perfect timing! Sarah’s parents had just bought a house in our neighborhood and were scheduled to move in (from NC) the week after my injury occurred, so I knew we would have extra help close by if needed. I was also able to secure a knee rover on Amazon prime that was delivered to our house the very day I arrived home. Within a few days I got the hang of it, and my daughter started lovingly referring to it as "dada's stroller" whenever we would go for our walks around the neighborhood. On May 11th I was scheduled to run the National Police Week 5K in Arlington, so I decked out my knee rover in blue streamers and a retro bike horn, and made my way out to the starting line at the Pentagon with help from my father. The boot obviously slowed me down quite a bit, but it also allowed me to connect more deeply with everyone around me through stories, laughter (the bike horn was a big hit), and tears. Although it was challenging, the cause was so much bigger than my little injury that I felt I had to be there. It was especially fun to see close friends at the race including one of my favorites with the Arlington County Police Department, and knee-scooting across the finish line with two U.S. Capitol Police officers pushing their children in strollers is an experience that I will never forget.
The months that followed my first DNF (that’s “did not finish” for those of you non-runners out there) at Zane Grey proved to be invaluable for my growth and development. Because of my injury, I was forced to shift my attention away from running and it turned out to be an unexpected blessing in disguise. With more time on my hands, I was able to focus more intently on my family, put more energy into work, and nurture deeper friendships. I also had the chance to fully embrace vacation mode. Our summer trips to the beaches of Delaware, the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia, and the streets of New Orleans all provided a wonderful backdrop for relaxation and rejuvenation while we created new happy memories. Another highlight has been diving into some leisure reading. I finally got around to Katie Arnold’s "Running Home," which was a perfect companion for my downtime. I have also been soaking up insights from Sally & Eddie McRae’s “Choose Strong” podcast--highly recommended for motivation and inspiration!
It truly is amazing how slowing down and shifting priorities can bring so much clarity and connection along with meaningful changes in our lives. For starters, this period of rest and recovery really underscored the importance of cross-training for me, as I stayed active by purchasing a stationary bike and incorporating more strength training into my routine. Finding new ways to stay active and engaged was key for me on so many levels. In addition, my wife and I have recently reassessed our weekly routine along with my training schedule and I am excited to now be spending more time with my daughter in the mornings. After all, the most important thing we do is not what we accomplish, but how we love. And it has been incredibly heartwarming to see my daughter join me in exercising on occasion. One recent morning she just jumped right in - Daddy’s turn, Mommy’s turn, Abby’s turn on the ab wheel. She even associates my kettlebell, stationary bike, and shoes with me (“Daddy’s toys”), which is just an adorable parenting win in my opinion. I hope these moments inspire her to embrace healthy habits as she continues to grow.
So, what’s next? While I have slowly been getting back into running over the past month, I have also been adjusting my goals. I deferred the Grindstone 100K to 2025 but am excited to share that I have registered for both the Portland Marathon in October and the New York City Marathon in November! Special thanks to my employer, Magnet Forensics, and the Child Rescue Coalition (CRC) team for giving me the opportunity to run in support of their incredible mission. For more information, please visit https://give.childrescuecoalition.org/campaign/will-wright/c590930
Thanks to everyone for your love and support. Here’s to staying resilient and open to new paths!
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