Smile Run

It's been a year and a half since John broke his ankle.  It's been a long, trying journey back to full healing.  He still has issues with it, maybe he always will, but that remains to be seen.  John is on the two year healing plan and he often has to remind himself that his break was severe and the doctor was very honest about how long this would take to heal and that there may be lingering symptoms.  That is a humbling reality for a guy who has been very active all of his life and John is slowly adjusting to his new abilities.  However, the story isn't over yet, and John truly does not know just how limited he will be in the end.  He's vertical and pretty mobile, but his limits need some testing for us to know just where he stands.  John has taken a few trots and has played with kids a bit, but there has been no full out exertion of his leg's ability.  There is a healthy amount of fear in truly pushing the limits of his leg.  None of us have forgotten the pain of that break and none of us wants to revisit something like that.  Still, there has to be some testing of limits.  After much thought, prayer, and research, John chose to participate in a 5K run.  He chose one with a course that was of good terrain and he vowed to listen to his body.  The goal was to finish.  That's all.  It wasn't about his time.  It wasn't about winning or beating anyone.  It was about finishing.  And if that meant that he had to walk the whole thing, then so be it.  But he wanted to see what he could do and how it felt to move with all of that metal in his leg. 

So he signed up, and on race day, we went out to the park to see him through.  The weather was perfect and John chose a great organization.  The run was actually a fundraiser for an organization formed in memory of a young boy who died of asthma.  There were several activities for the children to enjoy while we waited for John to complete the run and plenty of friendly people to chat with as well.  

The huge bubble makers were a big hit and John tried his hand at it after his run

Corn Hole was a great pass time as were free treats like popcorn and cooling snow cones.

We took Charlotte and Hudson with us and they drew a lot of attention.  American Leopard Hounds aren't very common and many people were interested in learning about the breed.  :-)  

John guessed it would take him about 30 minutes to complete the route--he was pretty close.  He crossed in just about 37 minutes.  John admitted to walking some, but was pleased with how his ankle performed and even more so with how it felt.  The test run was a success.  By no means can we declare John at the finish line of healing, but he is one great big step closer, and for that we are thankful.  God has brought him so far and given him so much ability back--not only is he walking, but he can actually say that he can run. :-)  I do believe that this run will be annual for John--he'll want to be sure to keep (and improve if possible) his mobility.  I can't think of a better cause to participate in--both for the fundraiser, and for John.  There are lots of reasons to smile when you can run.  :-)