Goggins returns to physical conditioning as soon as he returns from Utah, preparing for the next Moab 240 and for his upcoming training as a wildland firefighter in Montana. Weeks before duty begins, however, his knee swells to twice its normal size, and an MRI reveals multiple tears and other injuries. He begins working with a sports doctor, Casey, in Missoula and shows up for firefighter training knowing he cannot work on uneven terrain. Five hours into an all-night dig, Goggins dislocates his patella.

He is disappointed but tries to learn from the setback and move forward. He tells Casey he wants to resume running in time to train for Moab. He knows his plan is “far-fetched as fuck” (206), but it keeps him from focusing on the negative. Rehab is intense, and despite needing his knee drained five days before the race, he starts Moab with an improved stride.

His new stride, however, taxes his left ankle to the point of near dislocation, and his tendon nearly ruptures. Casey intervenes, but the ordeal requires over three hours at an aid station and layers of athletic tape. Later, fighting the pain of a rash, blisters, and his injured ankle, he ducks into a campsite bathroom to sit.