I Run for You - The Story

11 May 2009:
In 2008 I was 30 years old, as a motivated former Marine, I  stayed pretty darn fit. I was living in a condo surrounded by million dollar homes with even larger yachts in front, and I had a respectable job as a lower level manager at a software company. A few months prior the company was bought out and I made a little penny on some stock options. My apartment was quietly situated between the beach a mile to the east and downtown Fort Lauderdale (or Fort Liquordale as my friends and I called it) to the west. The location was ideal for both the regular beach run or bike ride and the increasingly less random night out. Everything was peachy but I knew I needed a change.  I was a living a lot of guys' dreams – but not mine. The money was good but I am an idealistic person and I wasn't passionate about what I was doing. As a manager of a team of fifteen talented engineers my lackluster enthusiasm for the job posed a serious inner conflict.  I needed a change.  Somehow, with visions of dollars signs and an itch for adventure, a year long stint as a contractor for the Marines in Iraq seemed a suitable temporary fix. After the novelty of flying in helicopters and military cargo planes and venturing "outside the wire" wore off, it was just another IT job – with a lot less social amenities. Runs were limited to treadmills as it was just too hot and running the perimeter of the camp just didn't seem like the thing to do. Suddenly a year of my life didn't seem to be worth any amount of money.  With my tail between my legs I headed home after just three weeks in country. Too proud and too in need of something more akin to my passions I didn't even think about going back to the old job I had left here. I had great ideas of starting various businesses from a beach fitness boot camp to a line of superhero wetsuits and never acted on any of them.  Instead I enjoyed my apartment, the beach, and the Fort Lauderdale nightlife till I couldn't afford the rent. I had gotten rid of some of my conflict but not all. Reality set in and I started looking for real work again. With our economy it wasn't exactly the best time for that. I kept working out and started running a lot. Despite still going out every weekend night, I was in arguably the best shape of my life. I read an event ad in Men's Heatlh for the Men's Health Urbanathlon (running race with urban obstacles) in New York taking place in September of 2008.  The field was limited to 1000 runners and had sold out quickly after it opened for registration.  I wrote a letter to the magazine with my disappointment abouth the small field size and the large national advertising the event was given. I played on my experience as a Marine to appeal for a spot. The letter worked and I was given the opportunity to register. I was even given a registration sponsorship by Dodge to be part of their Everyday Heroes team. Having been in Iraq  for  three weeks just a few months earlier – where I ran on a treadmill and watched a Marine slave away on an elliptical machine in front of me who could have just as easily come home like I did but chose not to – didn't leave me feeling too hero like.  That anonymous Marine had a prosthetic leg and dutifully stayed the course of his deployment. I wanted to give back for being graced with the honor of being on that team.  Men's Health aligned with the Challenged Athletes Foundation as its charitable benefactor for the race. The charity spoke out to me I and decided to raise funds for the CAF in the month before the event. Then one sunny Saturday that October, the best thing that could have ever happened to me happened to me. I broke my neck with one misplaced running dive into the ocean. My C4 had to be pretty much be removed. Yet I had at least one more of my seemingly many lives left (my friend Simion says I have 19) and my spinal cord was spared. It wasn't an immediate wake up call but a couple of months after the fact I pledged to never again take my time here or my current abilities, both physical and mental, for granted. I'm not banking on getting any more chances.   I'm able to live a productive and meaningful life – and because I can I must. I've given up drinking and now strive to put a meaningful purpose in all my activities – or seek other activities.  I'm not striving for perfection but am definitely seeking to improve where I can. In the same respect I'm able to live a full athletic life – and because I can, I absolutely must. This year I will run a 21 minute three mile. My best time so far was a 22:40 during my last year in the Marines. I've come within a couple of seconds of that mark since committing to this personal goal.
I promised to make my miles count. I've decided to continue my efforts to raise money for the Challenged Athletes Foundation.  The cause carries even more weight for me as I now know how easily any of us can come to loosing some or all of our physical abilities.  The CAF gives individuals the tools and opportunities to stay in the game and compete – because they can, they must.   I invite you to make a pledge  here. If you would like to donate to another charity of your choice, I invite you to do so.  Please let me know if you do and I'll try and keep track of how much we raise collectively.  Also, feel free to suggest any other honorable charities so I can provide direct links to their donation pages. I'll run for you. I'm running with them. And I'm running for me.