Going the distance
Memorial Day 2011
Ed George ran his first
100k trail run.
40
WBM august 2011
New Hanover
Foot And
Ankle Center
Dr. Edwin Martin
5305-L Wrightsville Ave.
Wilmington
(910) 350-3338
www.newhanoverfoot
andankle.com
Extreme Distance For Ed George, it all started
innocently enough — just
grabbing a run on occasion
to log some stress-relieving
free time. But he fell in with
a group of guys that inspired him to try
going for distance. We’re not talking about
10ks or even marathons; the distance is way
beyond that. George started out training for
50ks. That’s 32 miles.
“I went from not doing any races to
training for 50ks with some friends,”
George explains, “But I didn’t do just one;
we would race again and again.” He ran a
handful of 50ks in 2009, then two more in
2010 before moving up to the next level.
(There’s a next level?)
On Memorial Day this year, George ran
his first 100k. “That was an amazing experience,”
he says. “It took lots of training and
time, and running in tough conditions, like
overnight, to get ready. But I loved putting
myself out there to see how far my body
would take me.”
He says the first half of the race is physical,
the last is mental. He finished in just
more than 23 hours, stopping only to grab
a quick snack and change his shoes (he
went through three pair), but never sitting
down to rest.
Typically, 100k trail run conditions can
be harsh, with varied weather conditions
a part of the experience. So George ran in
mud and rain, suffered massive blisters, lost
a few toenails and had trouble walking for
days afterward. He says it’s running through
the pain that poses the greatest challenge.
He plans to do it again after a little break,
when he has more time to train. And that’s
if he can get on the list — would you
believe these races sell out so quickly it can
be difficult to register?
Established in 2006 by
Dr. Edwin Martin, the
New Hanover Foot
and Ankle Center, P.A., provides
comprehensive lower
extremity care. The practice
specializes in foot and ankle
surgery, sports medicine,
arthroscopic surgery and
general podiatry.
“Our goal is to improve
our patients’ quality of life
and to encourage a healthy
lifestyle through pain relief
and restoration of function,”
says Dr. Martin.
As a life-long athlete,
Dr. Martin has a special
understanding of the
importance of sport-specific
recovery of foot and ankle
injuries.
Dr. Martin says, “What
sets us apart is the one-onone
attention and time we
devote to each individual.”