Alex Hutchinson’s book Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance (2025-05-19)

In Alex Hutchinson’s book Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance (the one many people casually call “Endurance ”), the emphasis is squarely on what limits—and eventually unlocks—ultra-distance performance:

  • pain tolerance
  • muscle fatigue
  • oxygen
  • heat
  • thirst
  • fuel
  • and above all the brain’s role in pacing and motivation.

Current best-practice guidance about early, controlled movement after common running injuries (e.g., ankle sprains) comes from sports-medicine research and clinical reviews. These sources show that:

  • Early functional rehabilitation —after a brief (often 3-10 day) period of protection—speeds healing, reduces pain, and gets athletes back to activity sooner than prolonged immobilization or strict bed rest. PubMedAAFP
  • Extended, complete immobilization is now discouraged – it delays tissue remodeling and can lead to muscle atrophy, joint stiffness, and slower neuromuscular recovery. PubMed CentralPhysiopedia

Christopher McDougall’s Born to Run also digresses w/ modern rehab philosophy.