Matthew Staver for The New York Times

Most of us don’t turn to the sports pages to learn about medicine, but today you should. There you’ll find the story of Diane Van Deren, 49, who has become one of the world’s great ultramarathon runners following surgery to remove part of her brain.

In 1997, Ms. Van Deren had a lobectomy, surgery to remove a part of her temporal lobe that was implicated in a series of frightening grand mal seizures. The surgery cured her epilepsy, but with a cost: she has lost part of her memory and organizational skills. She also has lost sense of time and place, making her a formidable force in a lonely sport that requires participants to endure runs of 100 miles or more.

Since brain surgery, she just runs, uninhibited by the drudgery of time and distance, undeterred by an inability to remember exactly where she is going or how to get back.

This is an amazing tale of science and the human spirit, and gives a glimpse into the challenges and difficult choices people with epilepsy must make to live normal lives. Read the full story, “Brain Surgery Frees a Runner, but Also Raises New Barriers,” and then please join the discussion below.