Im not that sentimental... But happy 1 year anniversay

Im not a sentimental guy.... but when I looked at the calendar and realized that it was coming up on 1 year since I ran my first ultra marathon, I got a little mushy.

Mannnnnn- that was 1 year ago? Boy how the time flies.

I had done the 6 hour BPAC race in amherst New York to raise money for a scholarship fund commemorating friend of mine who had passed away just 2 months earlier. I was not in great running shape. I had run a marathon 3 years prior and had beaten old running shoes (vibram five fingers with holes in the bottom). To top it all off I had one of my best friends weddings the night prior.

Old shoes. Booze. Not great running shape. You do the math.

But the unexpected happened. The weather was beautiful, the people were friendly, and I was off. 10 miles into the run, I heard a women yelling for me. It was the mother of girl who went to prom with my deceased friend. I hadn't seen her in years- but I was wearing a shirt with my friends face on it to honor him. She jogged with me and we recounted the wonderful moments we had had with our friend. She pledged to donate to his scholarship fund and then quickly added, "your looking great, you better move on ahead."

So I did. For 22.4 more miles.

The race ended- but the pure bliss I experienced didn't. The sense of achievement was unreal. Although I was sore and hungry, the back of my brain was saying, "when are we going to do that again."

The weeks that followed that race were rough. I suffered a foot injury and stupidly ran the buffalo marathon- only worsening the condition. A week of rest, a slow acclimation back to the trails and I was back to my old self. I even went on a "we both thought it wasn't but it probably was" running date when I recovered. We still run to this day- minus either of us being injured. And now we do call them running dates.


So I have to say sorry to my Mom and Dad for making them worry on my 4 hour long jaunts. Although my Mom always tells me I have to stop, she has been there for some of my biggest and longest races. She prays for me daily and I try to reassure her that I'm not totally crazy- but probably over 50 %.

My Dad drove all the way to Syracuse to watch me run a 50k only to find out that I had finished a solid 55 minutes before I thought I would. He made it up to me by taking me out to the Dinosaur BBQ. He has even started jogging on the treadmill and talks about entering a 5k this summer. I totally support him, and every time I see him finish a run we both have to smile at each other.

I couldn't have done it without you guys, the love you have shown me has given me the confidence and determination to accomplish any task I put my mind to.

To my sister and older of the younger brothers Alex- we have enjoyed some great conversations on jogs and I feel as though it has been great bonding for our family. I hope that more of those moments are in our future.

To my littlest brother Luke- we've got some time to fit in a bro to bro jog in. Its coming, don't you worry.


So stay safe this spring, enjoy the warmer air, and always run your own race.