Tough days part 1

The last few days have been quite a roller coaster. I ran out of ibuprofen the morning after my last post. My feet began to feel as if I was a sumo wrestler practicing ballet on them. I could not make the 20 miles I had originally intented to Cajon Pass, stopping in a valley about four miles out. Being low on water I knew I must push out early the next morning and make the pass inspite of any painful plans my feet had in store for me.
The night was filled with constant waking from throbbing pain in my right foot. An owl also decided I was too close to his nest or hunting grounds because at some time during the night his screech and flapping wings not ten feet from my head awoke me. The owl began a series of several more warning swoops a few with his talons in full assault position. I grasped around for my knife as the owl stopped to watch my reaction from a nearby tree. As the owl took off again I realized how poor the choice of a knife as protection against a bird was. Discarding the knife for a trekking pole I flicked my headlamp to high, flashing direct hits in the owls eyes. The light frightened him enough to make him retreat to another tree a little further away. He kept a careful eye on me for about half an hour as I sporadically flashed the light on him to deter any thoughts of another attack.
The morning brought dread of the four mile hobble to the pass. I crawled around slowly breaking camp for two hours hoping for a miracle healing or at least a passerby with a truckload of ibuprofen or something stronger. With everything packed in place I stared at the the extra 30 pounds I needed to bring along wishing for a horse. I finally grit my teeth shimmied on the beast and tried my best to ignore the constant and miserable pain I was about to put myself through.
As painful steps began to add up I sat on a rock and thoughts like I can't do this started to win out in my brain. I watched the cars on the interstate in the distance and thought of how comfort each passenger enjoyed as they rolled along to their destinations. I did the math and figured it would take them 5 minutes to cover the distance my next two hours would be occupied with.
This pity party had to stop it was getting me nowhere. What self respecting thruhiker sits around and wishes they were in a car on i 15. I told myself I can a will do this. My adrenaline began flow as I filled with determination. Pushing through the pain, I battled myself several more times over the next 4 miles.  The power of the human mind is incredible. When the pain hit its worst if I kept the thoughts of stopping at bay I would be rewarded with a few tenths of a mile of pain free hobbling.

Typing on a phone is hard. The rest to be continued tonight.