Last, Important, Best

I have made many acknowledgments thus far, but there are some really important people I have left out. There have been motivational friends online, organizations, volunteers at the race, and the cheering crowds that lined the streets of Chicago. A particular group has not been mentioned yet.

You see, when a person such as myself takes on the lifestyle change of endurance athletics (i.e. distance running, cycling, triathlons, iron man, etc.) there are many sacrifices to be made. Lots of time and effort go into it. Money can also be a factor. One sacrifice that often gets overlooked though is the family. Wives, husbands, parents and children are too often neglected so that, for the purpose of individual pride, glory, or athletic success, the individual can have the needed time and resources necessary to be successful. In this regard, I am no different.

This year alone I have gone through 3 pairs of shoes, 4 pairs of dry fit socks, gallons of water, gel packs, whey protein, shirts, shorts and much more. During my longer runs I would be away from the house for up to four hours, typically on a Saturday morning. I endured plantar faciitis in my left foot and gout in my right foot, and had to pay for the medical expenses for those. And what did my wife and kids get from all of this? A condensed trip to Chicago where they got a glimpse of me as I ran by a couple times.

Yes, I made a lot of sacrifices and made some drastic changes to the way I live, but my family, my wife especially, gave up much more than I. While I was out running, Tina was taking care of things at the house, our four kids, and trying to keep me on track and in order. I had the easy part here, I just had to run. She is the real trooper here, and her sacrifices are immeasurable to me.

I don’t find it ironic, but funny that she found a woman standing in the crowd on race day with a shirt that said it all. "I survived my husband's marathon training!"

Without the help of my wonderful, wonderful, loving, caring, completely awesome wife, I would have never been able to do what I did. Even during the race she was there to help. When my body started to get fatigued I started texting her about every mile, giving quick updates as I could while running/walking. She was providing me with motivation, love and support the whole way. She also had some of the things I needed and met me at a couple places along the route to make sure I was fed and getting the nutrition my body desperately needed. I’ll say it again, without her, this would have been far more difficult, or near impossible, for me to have done.

As for my kids, they were awesome too. They knew they wouldn’t get to see much of me while I ran, but they were as good as they could be for their mother. Even an autistic nine year old found it in himself, despite the vast crowds, to maintain order in the confusion. They too deserve a debt of gratitude I can never fully repay. As it turns out, Noah actually got a medal too. Thanks to the folks at OAR, I gave Noah the medal they presented me. After all, it was for him that I started this anyway - he did great, and so, he deserved a medal of his own.

My family has been wonderful through this entire thing and I know that as my journey continues, they will continue to hold me up, lift me up, and carry me when necessary. Thank you, and I love you!