The morning run in Central Park before that evening's main event had me surrounded for the very first time by other amputees. I arrived excited, a little nervous, and naively wearing my prosthesis.

In fact, when we're talking about people who swim a half-mile, ride 12.4 miles and run 3.1 miles all before breakfast, there's really nothing 'disabled' about them at all.

The torture we heap upon our bodies in the name of youthful exuberance, becomes chronic debilitation far earlier than we want.