Some people have religion, I have running

I've had a love-hate relationship with running. I played sports from the moment I could walk. I fed off the competitive spirit of it all, the camaraderie and the rush. In preparation for sports, I was supposed to run & train. However, I never liked to run. It was a means to an end. But it was a sacrafice I wasn't always willing to make. I played many sports through the years but ended up being a lacrosse-obsessed individual. Playing pee-wees, junior high, high school and then eventually college. I played for Hobart College. At the time, Hobart won the D3 national championship 13 time in a row. I was talented and the world was my oyster. Unfortunately my lack of committment to running and training got in the way of my performance. My dad would always tell me that I was at my peak performance the last 2/3s of the season when I finally worked myself into shape. If you would only run 30 minutes a day & work on your stick stills 30 minutes a day, you will be the best around, he'd say. But I never did. And my college career was a mediocre one. I never let myself forget that. It would (and still) eats away at me. All those years I invested in the sport, for what. A flat tire during the penultimate years of my career. I made a vow to myself that the only way I can overcome my dissapointment of my final chapter of my lacrosse career would be to embark in the ultimate personal sports challenge. To run a marathon.

So when I left college in 1995, I moved to NY. I vowed to run a marathon. Err correction. Every year I vowed to run a marathon, normally said calously on NYC marathon day through the bottom of a vodka and tonic in a smokey bar on 1st Avenue. Every twentysomething kid in that bar thinks that same thought. I should do this. If only I had the courage to this. If only I had the drive to do this. But finally 10 years later I stopped pointificating and I finally did it. I spontaneously went to the Team in Training Leukemia & Lymphoma Society informational session and listened. Part inspiration, part pressure to fullfill my committment to the loose promise I made years before led me to sign up. No turning back now. I can do this. I think.

As John Bingham once said, "The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." I love that line. It nicely encapsilates the pride I had by signing up for the marathon. Who knew if I actually would ever complete the damn thing, but I would take it one day at a time. Fortunately, I did complete the marathon and have gone on to run another one and more then a half-dozen half-marathons since. I will spare the gory details of how I got there (I need things to talk about in future blogs, right?). But I will leave you with my note to friends and family I proudly wrote the day after the marathon in November 2005.

The courage to start. That's what it was all about for me. And a valuable lesson that I apply to everything I do in my life.
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Hi everyone,

One last e-mail update and special thanks for all of your support of my NY Marathon experience.

At last, I finished the race and my official time was 4:24. I finished 14,195 out of 38,000 runners so all and all I was fairly pleased.Overall, it was a great day, albeit a long one. I woke up at 4 am, the bus left at 6 am & the Verrazono Bridge closed around 7:30 am or so. So we spent a good 3 hours or so at Fort Wandswoth in Staten Island before the race started. It was quite the atmosphere - a Woodstock for runners. Just replace tie-dyes with New Balance shoes and Nike swooshes, and body odor with Ben Gay (actually, come to think of it, there was plenty of body odor & Ben Gay!).

I ran with 3 other friends (Conor, Mike & Danielle) who I trained with as part of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training (TNT). We stayed together until miles 17-20. We had our ups & downs but we stuck together & all got through it. They, along with my TNT coaches (especially Ramon Bermo & Michael Conley) and mentor (Lisa Caccavo) were tremendous in helping me reach my goals.My highlights were:

- The Start. The energy & excitement amid a sea of runners at the start on the Verrazano Bridge. It was the beginning of a 5 borough adventure through New York.

- 1st Avenue. It was a steady climb up 1st Avenue from miles 16-20. The sun was beating down our faces, with thousands of people screaming and yelling your name. Now I know how the gladiators felt as they entered the Coliseum.- Breaking Down The Wall. They say the first 20 miles is all about hope, while the last 6 miles are all about truth. I am proud to say that I finished strong and didn't walk once. By the 22nd and 23rd mile every step was difficult and I didn’t think the next mile marker would come, but I kept running Forrest Gump style.

- Seeing You. I saw my family at miles 8, 18 & 24. Also, I saw Jill & Tom Agnello on mile 16, John Paulson on mile 20, Gloria Loew on mile 20, Brett & Nadine McGonegal at mile 23 & Ole Pedersen at mile 25. While this may seem insignificant, seeing familiar faces made such a difference, especially during the later miles. I also had great advice & encouragement from several of my coaches and other TNT participants who ran with me at different points on the course.

- The Finish. People have been asking me how I felt. When I got to the finish, I didn't laugh, I didn't cry. I wasn’t emotional. I was told me to keep moving, so that's what I did. I was too tired to do anything else. But as I play back the whole experience in my head, I have vivid memories that will last a lifetime. Goosebumps & smiles.

- Your Support (Both Mentally & Financially). Thanks for everyone's encouragement & financial contribution. Thanks to your help, you enabled me to raise $9,075 which contributes to more then $200K that was raised by the NY Chapter of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training.

And a special thanks to Tamsin, for being so patient, supportive, loving through the whole process. I couldn't have done it with out her. And of course, Dr. Gloria Loew, who has been battling leukemia for 3 years now & was my inspiration to run and raise money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

Thanks again.
Andy