Life Goals

This was made by the unicyclist that carried Jed's pack for a while. He also spent some time with Jed, and did this "interview" with him. Jed as you will see, has a way of being easy and making jokes about nearly everything. I got a laugh anyway Jed. 

Well, in a book you can't watch the video that goes with this blog, so here's a picture of Sky, the unicyclist that carried Jed's pack for a number of miles to give Jed a break.  Thanks kiddo!

Bunny, forgive me for taking your post to put in here. I was going to try to write about the event that brought you back home for a while to get medical treatment, but somehow, I had a really hard time wanting to write about it. I think I will be able to do it later, when a little more time has gone by. Till then I will let you tell your own story as you have done here. I love you bunny. mom
(the photo her is one of the family who helped Jed on this day)

Why do moths fly into the campfire?

Saturday at 10:55pm
Anyone who's sat around a campfire in the summer for any amount of time has undoubtedly seen moths dive bomb into the fire. Why do people do the same? You know the outcome of the moth when it comes close to the fire. You are viewing this from an outside perspective. As oil flow into the gulf is that not a huge fire that the whole of society is flying into? Something that will undoubtedly burn us all in the end. The climber that dies on the side of a mountain unable to see their deteriorating state. Surely, if they could truely see what was happening they would turn back. Last Thursday I left Bazine, Ks. heading for Ness City and beyond for the day. I knew the day before something was wrong with my ankle, but as with all the other pains on this trip I say it's ok. By mile 3 on Thursday I knew that this wasn't going to be a good day. By mile 9, I was on the verge of crying. Partly from pain and partly because I knew that this type of injury had the potential to stop me. By the time I made it 12 miles to Ness City I was done for the day. I went to the city park to camp for the night and ran across a family biking across the country. I made it down the stairs at the park and sat down on a picnic table beside them. They asked me if I was ok. I was barely able to walk down the stairs and I'm sure that the pain was written all over my face. I told them that I was Ok. This is what I've always told people. They offered to the next town that had things that could help me take better care of myself. I at first turned them down, but in the morning I knew my ankles wouldn't get me there. It was apparent even to me. My ankles had taken me from doing 30 miles daily to barely being able to walk down stairs. Fast forward to today. My ankles really haven't gotten better. It still feels like someone is stabbing my left ankle with a knife. Today I looked into buying a bike that I could finish this trail in. Not the way I want to finish in, but the way I think that my body will allow me to finish it in. A 2,000 mile down payment on a dream to have it repossessed by bad ankles. There are no regrets though. I can see what the family at the park saw. A good man with a broken body.

more critters !

Ah bunny, this is typical of you. How many turtles have you helped across the road on this trip? You've rescued many of these little guys who wouldn't have made it without getting hit by a car. They may not know their lives were spared for another day, but God sees and records the smallest of these kindnesses. Just another reason why I love and respect you.

Back to your story

I guess I will back track a little. It's been a while since I have written. Sometimes I wonder why I am writing this, and then I remember it's really for you. Somehow, I know this is more than another one of your adventures. It's

as though it could be a turning point in your life. That can be very frightening to me. I feel it, yet want this trip to be just another one of your "walk abouts". I know in a way only a mother can know that there is much more to this journey than a personal challenge...much more than raising money for a cause dear to your heart.

I posted this photo to illustrate how you

can have your Jed sense of humor no matter where you are, or under what conditions. With a title of "Showdown with a Calf" , you made light of running along this incredible lonely stretch of highway. Knowing the terrain you ran through in Kansas, with the blazing heat that we have had this summer, I can't imagine laughing about anything, though the little guy does look forlorn.

Actually I was thinking.....he saw you...he instinctively knew that you were trying to escape Kansas.....he knew what his future as a Kansas cow would be...and in that instant, he made a break for the breach in the fence, and was wordlessly standing there begging you to take him with you.......

Either that, or he just came out of the pasture to wonder (if cows do such things) what the heck some ditzy guy was doing running along in all that heat in such a hurry to go to the endless horizon.

MOO-O-O-O-O..........

Highs and Lows

This will be a short post. Much like Jed's run, I have felt both extremes of emotion the last two days. Yesterday I was at work when I heard from Jed. He had checked his posts to his charity's page, and found a five hundred dollar donation from the one and only Dick Vitale, famous ESPN basketball sports announcer. You could have peeled Jed off the sky he was so happy. I think so happy in fact, that he was able to ignore the growing pain in his ankle. It had been bothering him all day, but he had 30 miles to go and was not going to let it do him in. You have to understand that in Western Kansas, you just don't stop along the way. It could cost you plenty to stop when you only have enough water to make it to that next town. He is carrying a lot more water now, to make it through the intense heat of July in Kansas. A lot more water is a lot more weight.......
Today after 12 miles, the pain was so intense he had to stop. I got a message from him. He found a pool in town, and he was trying to cool the pain in the water. With such limited resources, he is unable to stay in a motel, so must make do with what he has. Funds must be conserved as he has a long way yet to go. I could feel the discouragement in his voice. I am going to call a few people I know and ask them to include him in their prayers, putting him on their prayer lists at church if they are able. The white hot pain in his ankle has taken yesterday's joy and pulled the rug out from under it. I hope anyone reading this post would say a prayer for Jed that this will be a temporary set back for him. He has given his all. I love you bunny. I will pray for you, and keep a prayer in my heart continually for your recovery and health.

Just thought I would post some of the beautiful accommodations you've enjoyed during your travels. Abandoned houses and barns. All the amenities!!!

Well this looks familiar. Bleeding blisters. I rather had to chuckle at the "Jedness" of the post you ran with this picture.

Blister care......1. pop it. 2. drain it. 3. duct tape it.

4. carry on.

You made light of it, but I rememeber when I danced and had these same looking blisters. No easy task to put your shoes back on after you have taken them off. That was the hardest part. It took a while after you began to adjust to the pain. Pretty sure you walked and ran through a lot of the pain, though you'll probably never really say. I know many (most really) would have just quit. You have learned when to stop for a while, and when to go on.