The Night I Met Bo Johnson

The Night I Met Bo Johsnon

I was too late. Within a couple of weeks, he had passed. September 28^th, 2012.

Have you ever met someone who completely transcends their age? Have you ever had a conversation with a child who is dying of cancer, yet has a better grasp and perspective on life than any adult you have ever met? Have you ever met anyone who has made it his/her life’s work to better other people’s lives…even though they themselves will no longer be alive within a few months?

Neither have I….because I never met Bo Johnson.

There are times in life when you just know you are supposed to do something. I felt this connection to Bo, but I had never even met him. Then I realized that everyone felt the same way I did. People from across the country had heard of Bo and his story. The entire Door County area was decked out in orange, supporting his fight with leukemia.

The integrity with which this young man lived his life was astounding to me.

I watched the public ceremony via the internet. I cried several times listening to his mother Annika tell stories about Bo. I cried watching his young classmates pay tribute to him via songs and stories. Like many cancer victims, Bo wanted people to celebrate his life and continue his motto of paying it forward. Always doing more for others, placing himself second.

I am not going to talk about the details of my failed attempt to run 100 miles at Door County. The significant factor of the run was the amount of attention and buzz we generated for Bo’s Foundation. Everyone was talking about Bo, and it was one of the most incredible days of my life.

During my trip to Door County, I met several people who knew Bo. First, I met Heather. She was Bo’s babysitter since he was five years old. She followed me throughout the night of the first 50 miles. Honestly, I felt like I had an Angel on my shoulder all night. Her selflessness and passion for Bo was unmistakable. She was real. She took care of me like I was one of Bo’s best friends.

Just before leaving at 9pm on my epic journey, Heather whispered to me, ‘Bo will make himself known. Something with the number 28will be significant. Trust me.’

As I made my way to Juddville – mile 80 for me, 28 on the course, I was completely cooked. My vision was blurry, I had thrown up multiple times, had diarrhea, and could not take in any calories. I entered the aid station and found Heather. The medic quickly sat down next to me and tried to get my pulse. It was faint at best. Blood pressure? Nope. That wasn’t reading either. I was severely dehydrated and in a bad way.

I started crying. I felt like a failure. I had let everyone down. Heather knelt down beside me and told me something I will never forget. ‘I told you Bo would make 28 special. You are at mile 28 on the course. He feels you have done enough for him. Bo would love you and what you did today.’

I couldn’t stop crying. I couldn’t stop shaking. I didn’t realize how much I was invested emotionally until that moment.  I had felt his strength all night – and now it was gone.

I had this feeling though, that he was sitting next to me, smiling. After running 80 miles through his backyard, I know I met him. He was running next to me for several miles through Sister Bay. I remember the moment. I was alone, about a mile from Johnson’s restaurant when I said out loud, ‘I am here for you brother. Give me some strength to continue this thing.’ – I was overcome with chills…and I started hammering. We were both smiling.

That is what I will remember for the rest of my life, the night I met Bo Johnson.

As I waited for my Dad to finish the 50, I had the honor of meeting Bo’s best friend. He looked up at me and I asked him how he was doing, to which he replied, ‘this week has been pretty tough.’ I shook his hand and told him it was a pleasure to meet him. I told him I was sorry to hear about Bo’s passing, and that I would be thinking about his friend quite a bit. Both of our eyes became glassy. I wanted to hug that boy and take away all his pain. I hope Bo’s words carry that young man through the tough times.

Thank you to everyone who helped me through the night. I will forever be grateful. Thank you to my wife who once again held down the fort at home while I was gone. I love you.

YOLO….

Twin Peaks Ultra

Twin Peaks Ultra 10-13-2012

Although I have never stepped foot on a mountain, I have always been fascinated by them. How do people run mountains when I have trouble running hills in Wisconsin? What does it feel like to summit a 6000 foot mountain and then run back down?

I decided early on this season that 2012 would be the year that I truly try and find my limits. The early test of running 135 straight miles set the tone for the season. I still had some setbacks, including a dreadful performance at Cellcom and another failure at Kettle Moraine 100. I truly believe, you fall down 9 times, you get up 10 times. Nothing can deter me from chasing my dreams.

Twin Peaks Ultra was a stretch goal for me. A 50 mile run through the Santa Ana Mountains in which many consider the third toughest 50 in the country. I sometimes open my mouth and think about the consequences later, but I am a dreamer!

In the final day of our family vacation to Anaheim and Disneyland, I started my first ever mountain run. The first 10.5 miles were up the initial peak. I felt incredible. As the Indian Truck Trail wound itself in and around, switch backing up the mountain, I felt myself smiling. How lucky am I right now? I have the use of my legs and lungs. I am literally running up a mountain!! I hit the 10.5 mile mark, cresting the first peak and noticed that I was looking down on some cloud cover. Seriously?!

As the sun slowly rose from the east, the mountains to the west were lighting up, section by section. It was amazingly gorgeous to watch. The views were astounding…and I didn’t even realize I was running.

The next aid station was 4.5 miles away – so I hit a sharp turn and headed down the mountain. Again a first for me – the switch backs were tight and the single track trail was full of small rocks. I was careful not to fall in this section because the drop-offs were steep. It didn’t take long to descend and hit the canyon floor. The canyon was incredible. I could see a stream to my left and the single track was fairly easy to run through. I crossed the stream twice as I snaked through the canyon.

The aid station at 15 miles marked the end of the fun I was having. I immediately felt the fatigue in my quads. I didn’t know I was running that hard. 3 hours in. I was ready to start the Santiago Peak climb; 6000 feet up the highest peak in the Santa Ana’s.  I began hiking and taking in some more calories.

The climb quickly went from a truck trail to single track and began getting more rugged. This was for real. This was some serious climbing. I hiked, ran short sections, and repeated. About half way up the mountain, I was again in awe of the views. The surrounding mountains were huge, cascading spikes that looked small in size from where I stood. The vegetation was interesting as I went from the forest floor, to barren landscape, back to the tree line and above.

I stopped at the next aid station and the gentlemen informed me it was 3 miles to the peak. Holy crap!

At this point, I started thinking about 2012 and what it meant to me. I had sacrificed so much of my time helping others this season. PTK brought a ton of attention to myTEAM, as did Worth the Hurt. As an individual, I grew a lot and I felt like myTEAM did too. The focus on our Veteran community really brought together some incredible people. Josh G, Aaron H., Josh P. and countless others. These are quality people and the integrity they brought along to mTT was priceless.

I continued to climb up Santiago. I was doing calculations in my head. Yes, the 50 would take me about 15 hours, which is not uncommon for this course. I knew I could finish the 50. The mountain was no longer intimidating…but I started feeling guilty about missing out my family’s last night in California. I decided then that I would drop to the 50k.

My confidence grew as I reached Santiago Peak. The view at the top of this 6000 feet beast was nothing short of miraculous. I could see San Diego and the Pacific Ocean. I could see Lake Elsinore. I sat down and ate a peanut butter sandwich and had some fluids. It was time to head back down the mountain to the finish and get back to my family. 50k for my first time in the mountains was good enough for me.

I felt like I was screaming down Santiago…but I really wasn’t. I crossed the line at 8 hours 25 minutes, good enough for 7^th within the 50k finishers. I had never been happier about how I felt during a trail race. I was also extremely happy to head back to Anaheim and enjoy a really nice dinner with the family to close out our finest family vacation.

PTK for me has come to an end. A brand I helped create has taken on a life of its own. It is in good hands with Christian. I know he will make it bigger and better in the years to come. I will enjoy being involved and adding my input. I also know that PTK created a lasting friendship with Christian, Aaron H, Josh G, Josh P, Roy P, Sam B., and so many other talented and selfless folks.

PTK also allowed me to spread my wings a bit and brought me full circle. When I started working with mTT, I really wanted to work with children. Through PTK, Worth the Hurt, and other connections forged this year, I have been blessed with the opportunity to start Snowdrop Foundation Wisconsin (more to come on this later) with my good friend Sam Benjamin.

Life is a journey you only get to take once. Smell the roses the first time through and never pass up an opportunity to do more for others. I have been touched by so many incredible people this year. Thank you all for making this year one of the best of my entire life.

One more race to go for 2012. Door County 100…for Bo – then some much needed rest and family time.

To my family – a man stands alone unless he is surrounded by those who truly care and love for him. You are my pillars for which I stand on. Thank you for allowing me to be a dreamer and chase those dreams. I love you guys.

Running with The Lion

Running with The Lion

The Lion has run 22 Fox Cities Marathons (FCM) in a row. He is one of only a handful who have run every FCM.  If a lion’s home is its den, then The Lion’s home is the Fox Cities Marathon.  I have had the honor of running the marathon with John Ebel in 2011 and now 2012. Last year, John was hit hard by MS and unable to train properly for the marathon. His FCM streak was in jeopardy so Christian Jensen and I were asked to push John in a racing chair. That experience was so inspiring, I really didn’t know what to expect in 2012.

As John and I communicated with each other leading up to the race, he kept telling me his intention was to run the entire distance. We decided to push the empty chair along with us just in case John needed it.

There are moments in one’s life when you know you are surrounded by greatness. I have had this feeling more in the past year than any other point in my life. During PTK135, I had my father, Roy Pirrung, and an army of armed forces Veterans surrounding me. Throughout the season, I have felt blessed to be around such men.

I met John at the Pace Setters tent prior to the run. There was something in his eyes this year. I could see the fire that was missing from 2011. I knew we were in for a great ride…

We cruised along at John’s pace, feeling great. We hit Kimberly and walked through an aid station. My Dad passed by us and wished John the best. My Dad was trying to qualify for Boston and he was looking awesome. We continued on and just before we made it Kaukauna, John’s son Matt caught up to us. He was running his first marathon. I noticed a special hop in John’s step the next two miles as he ran with his son. As I ran behind them, I thought of my own Dad. It is so amazing to have a strong bond with your Father. Sharing the road, sharing the experience, sharing the love of running, and ultimately having that common bond that will last a lifetime. I feel blessed to have that in my life and I could see John’s pride willing him to keep running with his son at his side.

We lost Matt as we made our way through the hills of Kaukauna. John was running strong. The halfway point provided a fun opportunity. Combined Locks had a roadside flag display. Christian mentioned we should grab one and carry it the rest of way. Perfect! I pulled one out of the ground, surprised that the pole was about six feet long! Well, there was no turning back – Old Glory was going for a run, PTK style!

The 13 to 21 mile section of a marathon is where the wheels typically come off the bus. I was expecting John to slow considerably…but it never happened. I could literally see the confidence spread across his body as we laid waste to each passing mile marker. Words of encouragement flowed from Christian and I as John buried himself. ‘Get some John!’  ‘Yeah, baby! You know you know have it in you!’ John would pass an aid station, load up on fluids, walk for a minute or two…then the feet started turning over again.

Yes. I was surrounded by greatness again. John Ebel, a man who has been fighting MS for 15 years is RUNNING 26.2 miles on his power. He didn’t need us that day. All he needed was to draw upon 30 years of marathon running experience. I like to say once you accomplish some ‘epic shit’, it stays with you, like a get out of jail free card. You take that sucker out when you need it. You draw upon it. You relish in it. You believe in yourself more than the normal person because you have been through wars in the past. Let’s be honest. How many of us could do what John just did? The man is inspiring. No, that doesn’t do it justice. John Ebel drips with passion, tenacity, strength, courage, leadership, mental toughness, and inspiration. You want to be inspired? Spend a day with a man I have had the honor of running two marathons with.  

As we hit mile 25, John ran his first sub 10 minute mile of the entire day. I smiled to myself. We were hammering to the finish. We crossed the finish line and met one of John’s good friends, Dean Peterson there.  More greatness surrounded us.

My emotions were all over the place. I was crying as I hugged John and Dean. I saw my parents looking at us, and they both had tears in their eyes. My wife and children looked on, amazed at what John had just accomplished. We all were. If 2011 was inspiring, then I am not sure if a word exists that gives 2012 a proper description.

As for my Dad – he missed Boston by 6 minutes, but placed first in his age group! Next year, I am going to pace my Dad in a marathon and help get him to Boston. He deserves it. You see, my Dad is just like John in many respects. I know now, that is the reason I relate to John so much. He reminds me of my Dad…and I would do anything for both of these men. To run with The Lions, you have to earn your spot. Surrounding myself with great people inspires the hell out of me.

To the Ebels: I thank you for allowing me to be a part of your journey through life. I feel honored and blessed to have met you. I look forward to whatever comes next. Congratulations John!! You are incredible.

The North Face Endurance Challenge – 50 mile

The North Face Endurance Challenge 50 mile:

I have a love / hate relationship with trail running. I love it, but it hates me. Maybe it doesn’t hate me, but it challenges me physically and mentally more than any other endurance feat I have tried my hand at. For that, I love it! When someone tells me I am not cut out to do something, or I am not good at something, or maybe I should stick with road running….I take that as a challenge.

This season, I tackled the Ice Age 50 trail run and now I can add The North Face 50 to that list. I finished this 50 miler 53 minutes faster than Ice Age, which I was extremely happy with, but I am not like everyone else. I don’t always race to set new PR’s.

Arriving in Delafield Friday night with Laura and Mr. Miles, I felt very relaxed. I didn’t put any pressure on myself for this race. I just told myself, ‘go out and run. Enjoy yourself and the journey’. 

I had a lot on my mind throughout the run. I was thinking about what this season’s races meant to my family and also those that have inspired me to keep running. People like Josh Guernsney and John Ebel, who are out there living life with a true challenge staring them in the face. I don’t have any of these challenges. I have my health and absolutely nothing to complain about.

The first 20 miles were effortless and really fun. I let my mind wonder and put my legs on cruise control. I thought about Josh, who was doing the Lake Geneva Triathlon that morning with myTEAM Triumph. I heard his voice in my head, telling me I should speed up because he is planning on racing me next year! I have always enjoyed his sarcasm, and thinking of Josh made me smile.

I hit the mile 21 aid station feeling awesome. The out and back route to the Emma Carlin turnaround (mile 28) would prove more difficult than the first 20 miles. I felt like I was on a roller coaster of hills…that never ended! I thought about John Ebel during this section. The ups and downs he faces with his health every day. I hiked the big hills, ran the down hills. I closed my eyes and brought back a memory of the Fox Cities Marathon in 2011: myself, John, Christian, and Dean Peterson, sharing some words I will never repeat, and will never forget. Just thinking about that moment brings tears to my eyes.

I didn’t care how hard the course was. Running hills for 20 miles straight was nothing compared to what Josh and John deal with on a day to day basis. They inspire me. They keep the fire going.

I hit mile 40 wondering why it was so flipping hot out today. Why is it always hot when I run a race? I started laughing. Yes, I really did. Mile 44, I hit a hill that was more like a mountain, and I stopped laughing. My progress slowed to a crawl. I hit the top and felt exhausted, knowing the last six miles would be hard, out in the prairie, baking in the sun.

Coming around the last bend before entering the finishing arch, I saw my lovely wife and newborn son. Is there anything better than seeing your loved ones than after running for 9hours and 30 minutes? Well, yes there is. Try reuniting with your loved ones after you come out of a coma. Try dealing with short term memory loss from battling MS for 15 years, wondering what the hell is going on with your body.

Running is easy. Running brings patience to my soul and has enlightened my mind.  Running has transformed me…but sharing the journey of life with people like Josh and John motivates me.  It moves me. Because of them, I enjoy life more than I have before. I appreciate my loved ones more than I ever have before…and I will continue to run for others as long as I am able.

I am looking forward to running the Fox Cities Marathon this weekend with John…

Hanadana – Product Review

Product review – Handana

I contacted Kate at Handana a couple weeks ago inquiring about her product. After finding it on twitter and reading about it, I was intrigued.

Kate and I shared some great communication about the product and also about supporting non-profits, which is something she truly believes in. She was kind enough to send me three Handanas! I kept one for myself so I could use it and review it. The other two will be used for charity purposes…more on that later!

I really struggle with seasonal allergies. To be honest, they seem to affect me year round. Whether I am cycling or running, my nose runs like a facet on high. It is disgusting. My running gloves, arm warmers, and cycling clothes turn into my Kleenex during a workout. Kate and Handana came up with this cool and simple product to avoid said issues. The idea behind Handana is to use it to wipe away the sweat and nasal showers on the fly. The material is super soft and it fits around your hand and thumb, kind of like a small hand wrap or glove. It feels like cotton, but is a dry wicking material, which we all love!

                       

I took one for a spin this morning on my 15 mile run. Besides having nasal showers, I sweat like a beast. I found the Handana to be an extremely useful and efficient means to wipe sweat and nasal drip. I hardly noticed it was on my hand, and I really liked its ease of use. Easy to use, easy to clean, and a godsend for those of us with allergies! What more could you ask for?

I like to be creative with my gear, so think about this. If you are running shirtless, you don’t have anything to wipe away the sweat. Handana solves that for you. How about this scenario? Use the Handana to hold a GU in the palm of your hand. No more frozen GU packets during winter training runs! Handana is almost like duct tape. It can solve many of our running problems! I am pretty sure that was not the intent of this wonderful product, but runners, especially us ultra folks have to get creative!

Handanas can be found on Amazon.com and they come in a variety of colors. They can be found on twitter (@myhandana), the web (myhandana.com) and also on facebook. Follow them, check them out and give it a try, you will be happy you did!

Thanks again to Handana for their generosity and support of non-profits. I will post a follow up contest on twitter and facebook for the other two Handanas! I have two colors, one for gents and one for ladies.

Brian    

 

 

Worth the Hurt 52.4 Ultramarathon – San Francisco California

Inspiration comes in many different forms. What moves one, may not move another. This past weekend I was blessed to be a part of something much bigger than myself. As an Angel with myTEAM Triumph, I was asked to be one of six athletes nationally to participate in the first ever, Worth the Hurt 52.4 ultramarathon . Each of us ran to raise awareness and funds for the charity that we are a part of.

Arriving in San Francisco (SF) on Friday, I had one afternoon to do some tourist type stuff. I went straight to Alcatraz, and it certainly didn’t disappoint! The most impressive aspect of Alcatraz was the view of SF from the island. It was breathtaking.  I got in some good sleep Friday night because I knew there wouldn’t be much sleep in the 48 hours post race.

Saturday morning, we met at the SF Marathon Expo for PR. This was the first time I had the opportunity to meet the other Worth the Hurt athletes. Immediately we started having a good time. Everyone was so down to earth and humble. It is pretty amazing when you get a group of people together who really understand that race results are secondary to the larger picture. If you have a gift, why not use it to make a difference in other people’s lives.

At the expo, we did the PR and photo shoot. We also did a two panel seminar series with a question and answer portion. I loved this. Hearing each athlete talk about what motivates them, their journey in life, and ultimately why the six of us were in the same room was really inspiring. Moderating the event was Tim Borland (Tim ran 63 marathons in 63 days to raise money for A-T a few years ago). Tim gave me advice via telephone/email while I was training for Promises to Keep. It was a pleasure meeting him in person. Let me tell you, the man is ALL class. I had some personal conversations with him and they didn’t revolve around running. We talked about family and making sacrifices to keep those around us happy. I really appreciated his insights.

There were two moments during the seminar that really moved me. The first one was hearing Kevin Kline talk about Chelsea, the 16 year old girl who died from cancer, and the reason Kevin started running and ultimately forming The Snowdrop Foundation. I was crying listening to the story. Everything really came into perspective during his speech.

The second moment came after I finished speaking. I was gathering my things when a very quiet woman approached me. She introduced herself and said she was active military. She thanked me for what we were doing with the Promises to Keep campaign. I thanked her for her service and then introduced her to Christian. She then told us that she wanted to travel to Wisconsin to do a race with myTEAM. I was moved. We inspired someone from California to travel to Wisconsin to do a race with us. Seriously? It gave me chills.

We arrived at the WTH tent for the race at 10:30pm. With the athletes and their teams gathering, there was electricity in the air. We were all pumped to be there. We did some video interviews for Celliant, a great new product out of Santa Monica CA. They have this awesome material they use for socks, shirts, arm warmers, etc. I used the socks during the 52.4 and they were magic. Loved them! I didn’t get any blisters and the product delivered as promised.

We gathered for the pre-run briefing. Tim Borland gave a few last minute words of inspiration, they played the national anthem on an I-Home speaker (funny moment), and we were off! Our little group consisted of myself, Christian, Andrew (West Point grad, former 101^st), and Rebecca. We took it slow early on as two of our four had never run 50 before.  As we ran around AT&T park, everyone started separating, finding their own pace. It was nice to have two locals on our team because the course was not marked the best. Thankfully we had a map too! We got to the Haite/Ashbury neighborhood and ran through large crowds of bar hoppers before ascending some serious hills. Let me correct that. These were not hills like we have in Wisconsin. They looked like the stairs leading to heaven. My legs were fresh from the taper, so I was loving it!

We managed to make our way to Golden Gate park. This was the half marathon point for our first loop. The park was really dark, scary, and rolling. We met a few skunks, heard some very odd sounds, and ran into some seriously scary people. Once leaving the park, we headed to the Great Highway section. I really liked this stretch. You could hear the ocean, see some huge sand dunes off the distance, and we were able to interact with some other runners in this out and back section.

We eventually made our way to the Presidio. This section had the most serious climb on the entire course. It was mile 19 or so for us. The weather changed dramatically along this section, which has the famous Baker Beach below the cliff. Fog and light ran engulfed us as we ascended the monster ‘hill’.  At the top was an aid station, so we took in some calories. Once we descended, we only had a 10k left to the start of our second marathon.

As we hit Crissy Field, we ran into Team Blue. They were doing their own thing, running the marathon twice and raising awareness for our Wounded Warriors and the widows of soldiers. They were carrying a flag. We join them, talked about our Promises to Keep campaign, and the Sargent asked if I would carry the flag. Chills spread across my body as I passed the stroller to Andrew and took the flag. I had tears in my eyes, shoes on my feet, and God and country on my shoulder. I then passed the flag to Andrew and dropped back to let him enjoy some time with his military brothers and sisters. Our pace was a bit faster than theirs, so we said our goodbyes. Honestly, this moment was incredibly special. I always talk about pieces of puzzles and how the journey of life takes you places…well, I knew I was supposed to be there in that moment.

We hammered to the finish of the first marathon. We had about 40 minutes to regroup before the official marathon started.

Peter from myTEAM California joined us for the second marathon. I quickly found that the four of us were having trouble meshing a pace that we all felt comfortable with. Around mile 4, we went past Crissy Field again. This time, there was a group of about 30 people, standing still, each holding the American flag. Next to each person, there were pictures of fallen military heroes and lost loved ones. I was pushing the stroller with our PTK banner in it. I looked each person in the eye as I slowly passed and mouthed ‘thank you’ and nodded my head toward them. Here I was, Brian from Appleton, pushing a stroller symbolizing our wounded warriors, running next to Andrew – a West Point grad and former 101^st Airborne officer who served in Iraq and Afghanistan….flanked by 30 American flags, the Golden Gate bridge in the short distance – and I completely lost it. I had massive chills overcome my body. I was crying. I was full of emotion. My legs suddenly felt like I was on mile 5, not 31. I never felt like this before. I knew I couldn’t hold myself back any longer…it was time hammer. We passed the stroller to Christian and Peter and we then got separated just as we started going over the Golden Gate bridge. I kept seeing the faces on the pictures next to all those flags. I kept hearing this woman’s voice who had been holding one of the flags. She said ‘Thank you for what you are doing!’

I suddenly felt a bunch of pressure lifted off my shoulders. The questions I had asked myself leading up to the event – Was I good enough to be included in this group of WTH athletes? Am I doing enough in my community? Can I do more? Yes. I belonged here. I was meant to be here. Like all the puzzle pieces that came together at PTK, they were falling in place in SF. I felt a massive surge of energy that lasted until about mile 22 (48). It was amazing. We met everyone for a reason. Our cause is just as worthy as the next. We are doing epic shit all over the country because we believe in our cause. We believe that our Captains deserve to experience the joy of finishing a road race. Being in SF, we were flying the flag for mTT, which will eventually lead to more Captains being able to join. All these thoughts were racing through my mind.

Sometimes your emotions can get the best of you. My emotions caused me to give everything I had on Sunday. I gave Christian a hug after he finished. I was crying, telling him I was sorry for separating from him. I told him I would never do that again. I couldn’t express myself properly at the time because I had so much emotion running through me. I think he saw that in my face and in my actions. It wasn’t about setting a PR or finishing high among the WTH athletes, I simply let my body do what it does best…put one foot in front of the other until someone tells me to stop. My body had a lot to give on Sunday.

I ran the 52.4 miles for the 158 WI soldiers. I ran it for our Captains. I ran it for Andrew. I ran it for everyone except myself, and that is why my body, mind, and soul were all on the same page.

Thank you to my wife, Laura for holding down the house while I was 2000 miles away. Without your support, there would be no Promises to Keep, and all of this would not be Worth the Hurt.

Congrats to those that finished WTH 52.4, including Christian, who did his first 50! Thank you for being such a great friend. I am looking forward to sharing more miles with you brother. Thank you to Rebecca, Peter, and Lyndsey for joining our team and believing in our cause. Thank you to Andrew for sharing the road with me. It was an honor.

To everyone involved with WTH – you have inspired me more than you will ever know. My door is always open should you find yourself racing in Wisconsin.

B      

San Francisco and Worth the Hurt

Worth the Hurt and The San Francisco Marathon

Next week is going to be one of most exhilarating weeks of my life. On Monday, I get to meet and run with Dean Karnazes. Are you serious? After reading his first book, Ultramarathon Man, I was inspired to start running ultras. Dean’s work in the community has been second to none. He is an inspiration to thousands.

I then travel to San Francisco to represent Worth the Hurt at The San Francisco Marathon. Bart Yasso will be at the expo and I will get to meet another running legend!  I read his book, My Life on the Run, and truly enjoyed his running stories. It will be a pleasure to meet Badwater Bart!

I am most looking forward to meeting the other Worth the Hurt athletes though. These athletes are my peers.  Please check out worththehurt.net and read about their various charities and athletic accomplishments. We are all doing EPIC things with endurance athletics with the hopes that people will identify with our passion(s) and give back to the community that we all serve.  Donations of any kind are appreciated and will go a long way towards helping those in need.

Next weekend, I will also meet the man who is the inspiration for Worth the Hurt – Tim Borland. He ran 63 marathons in 63 days to raise funds and awareness for AT. Tim was humble enough to provide training advice to me for my Promises to Keep run in March. For that, I am forever grateful.

Race day starts at midnight on the 29^th when myself and the other WTH athletes will run the marathon course backwards, then run the marathon with everyone else at 5am. I know we will all be inspired for different reasons. Christian Jensen and I will be pushing an empty stroller for the entire 52.4 miles. This is going to symbolize our fallen military heroes and those who have been disabled in the recent conflicts. Our Promises to Keep campaign continues…

I want to say thank you to the folks at the San Francisco Marathon for giving me such an incredible opportunity and platform to showcase myTEAM Triumph. You have all been so wonderful. It is a pleasure to deal with people who share the same passion for charity that I do. I can’t wait to meet all of you and enjoy 52.4 miles of awesome!