This is Dedicated to the One I Love

I made a commitment a long time ago to run at least one marathon for each of my kids. Jana got CIM 1999 in Sacramento my first which was a real thrill to know I could do it, Dana got Boston 2000 which was the coldest thing I've ever done but the awe of running Boston was WOW!!, Jonathan got Boston 2001 which was my biggest boost cuz I took my whole family with me, Maggie ran a bit of it with me (against the rules) and a South Korean won it instead of a Kenyon so it was just downright amazing all the way around, and then for the last 8 years I've contemplated what marathon I would run for Maggie. London and Paris ran through my mind several times and those were big favorites among my family who all asked if I'd take them with me. I was in no hurry to decide, but really eight years is a long time to come to a decision. Last year Maggie decided she wasn't going to wait for me to run a marathon for her, she'd do it herself....and she did. St. George Marathon. With two bad knees and the coldest, rainiest, windiest St. George on record, AND the first race she'd EVER run before (barring high school track), she ran it and finished it with a smile on her face and a Forrest Gump running story to tell at the finish line. AMAZING!! I had planned to meet Maggie on the course last year and run in the last 6 miles with her and when I think about the moment when we found each other last year and ran to each other in that slow motion moment from a movie and hugged each other and then ran the rest of the way in together, it still makes my eyes fill up and squeezes my heart, so I knew that St. George had to be Maggie's marathon....that plus Adam nagging me to do it. It was definitely not my best marathon....it was much harder to train for, and in my old age I had to fight bursitis of my hip and hemorrhoids of all embarrassment; either of which is enough to knock you out. But to St. George I went. I got to run for a few seconds with both Jon and Adam who got stuck towards the back of the pack through their own mishaps and had to weave their way up to catch me. That was cool. Jon passed me once that I didn't see but we crossed paths again when he had to stop for a potty break and he came out just as I was going by. I caught sight of him just ahead of me on a steep downhill section and gave it my all to catch up to him. I felt like in one of those spy movies when two guys jump out of a plane and before they pull their parachutes, they make like a bullet and try to catch each other. I did that and sped right to him but was only able to say Hi and exchange a few words before he was far ahead of me again. That was at about the halfway mark. The whole race I was fighting an upset stomach so that at each of the aid stations, I was only able to take in about three sips of water. I kept thinking, I've gotta take a GU pack or I'm not going to have any energy at the end but my stomach kept saying "WHAT". But I felt good in the fact that I was taking on the hills with no problems and even passing people on the hills thanks to Jon's coaching technique on how to tackle a hill and the downhills weren't bothering me and when I got to the place I remember catching up with Maggie last year, I thought....hey really I'm almost there....at least that's what I told Maggie last year. I had tried forcing some GU down from the halfway mark to here but just couldn't get more than about a half a pack down and then I got to the 4 miles left mark and I could feel that it was going to be a struggle. When I got close to the two mile mark I knew I was in for trouble. I tried calling Dana and Adrianne waiting at the finish line on my cell phone....(you can seen the camera caught me in the process of this in Picture #5) but couldn't get through and when I got to the last 2 miles I couldn't feel what my legs were doing any more. I looked at my watch and at 3:50 I knew I couldn't make my goal of keeping my time in a three-hour range but I knew I could still hopefully make my goal of running a Boston qualifying time....so with the argument going on between my mind and body, my body won out and I chose to walk and run the last two miles....I couldn't believe I'd do that cuz in past marathons when I've seen people walk in those last few miles, I've always thought, how can they give up when you're so close....BUT YOU CAN when you can't feel your legs. When I started walking, this guy next to me started walking too and I told him "I can't feel my legs" and he said "I wish I couldn't feel my legs". So I struggled between walking and running. This one lady had her two girls running next to her encouraging her along cuz she was really struggling too and I thought I wish I had that cuz she did pass me up, but then further along, she crashed and nothing they said could help her and I passed her by. Coming around the last corner, I was about to walk to the end myself but this young teenage boy on the sidelines came up to me and said, "DON'T YOU DARE QUIT...YOU RUN!!" I politely thanked him and ran to the end....or hobbled in. Dana and the kids were at the shoot yelling for me but I didn't hear them. I did see Adrianne on the other side though. But Dana said she yelled and yelled and finally said. "TAKE YOUR HEADPHONES OUT OF YOUR EARS!!" So I crossed the finish at 4:09.... didn't keep it in three hours but did qualify for Boston......So here's to you Maggie! Do I have to run one for Dave now too??