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T h e A d v e n t u r e s o f C h i c a g o J o

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Twenty-six Point Two

2005-10-12� � 9:14 p.m.
This past Sunday I ran the LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon. I spent many weeks and many miles preparing for this day, and I was pretty ready for the challenge.

In the spirit of all of the ads around the city that tout us 40,000 people as heroes for merely undertaking this challenge, I dedicated each mile of my 26.2 miles to various people who have done something to get me to this day.

Thank you all.

Mile #1 -- Benito

How can I not dedicate the first mile that I run to the man who�s number one in my heart?

I kid, I kid. He actually is, but I�m not that hokey to name that as the reason that he�s number one.

In all actuality, I ask, How can I not dedicate the first mile that I run to the man who got me started?

Two Marches ago he pressured me (nicely) into signing up for my first race. I ran and walked the heck outta those five miles, and I even got sidelined for a bit when I ran head-on into a pole. I finished it, though, and that was where things should have begun. My summer 2003 running didn�t go so well; but he started back up with the easy-does-it pressure when the 2004 season came around, and I was a lot more into it then.

I�ve since run several races with and without him, but his encouragement is always there. Our occasional neighborhood runs have been some of my favorites, as he pushes me to do more than I thought I could.

It�s one of the gazillion reasons I love him: he pushes me in all aspects to do more than I thought I could.

Running has brought a lot to my life -- the only quiet time I have in my head, deeper breaths throughout the day, and some pep to my walk and talk that I�m a real runner. I really enjoy it. Without Benito�s initial push to get out there and do it, I�d really be missing out.

Thank you, Benito.

Mile #2 -- Melinda

I don�t talk with my friend nearly as often as much as I think about her, but some of her sticks with me in everyday life.

She once told me the story of her tattoo, and it�s one of the most wonderful stories I�d ever heard. Melinda and I are very similar in many ways, including that we�ve almost always been good at everything we try. I�m not being smug or snotty here, but it�s generally true. Straight A�s, on all the sports teams, essentially running any organization we become involved in, etc.

Her freshman year of college, she signed up for Japanese instead of the typical French or Spanish classes. For the first time in her life, she encountered something that she couldn�t just do. She�d study like mad, sought tutoring, and worked her ass off, yet she couldn�t and didn�t get it.

One afternoon she accompanied a friend getting a tattoo, and on the wall she recognized a lone symbol: Good luck. That afternoon she got that tattoo on her to remind her that it�s okay to not be the best at everything.

It�s okay to fail. It happens. But when it does, you�ve gotta not let it get you down. The end.

Mile #3 -- Mom

Let�s looks at a few things from very early in my life. She�s the reason I drank from a cup with a straw at three months old, was potty trained at 9 months old, walked around then, and was recognizing letters by time I could talk. Instead of sticking to the norm, she�s always let me do my own thing without restraint.

Kids aren�t supposed to drink from a straw when they�re that young, but I showed interest, she let me try it out, and then she didn�t let me regress.

That �go out and do it� attitude has brought me far.

Mile #4 -- Dad

My dad taught me to approach life as a way to entertain myself. Life�s too short to go around moping and complaining. When you approach life with humor and let the little crap just roll right off you, it�s truly liberating.

I�m still waiting for the day that I get to use a phrase from one of my favorite dad moments:

He was sitting in a meeting and his office rival was challenging him about something. In front of the entire upper management he said, �My mother always told me not to say anything when I have nothing nice to say... And, you, sir, leave me absolutely speechless!�

Feel free to steal that line. One day it�ll make you laugh until your eyes water as you tell it to your adult children.

Mile #5 -- Crystal

She�s been around since the fifth grade, and she�s someone who will continue to be around. Simply, if we still love each other after all of the twists and turns our adolescence and early adulthood has brought, we�re always gonna feel the love.

We�ve taken such different courses since we both left our small Texas hometown at 15 and 16-years-old, yet our friendship remains. She�s run her own life�s marathons over the fifteen years we�ve known each other, and I�ve always been on the sidelines (at least metaphorically) with a sign and an air horn.

So to Crystal, �Toooooooooooooot!� (Both the metaphorical air horn and your own horn!)

Mile #6 -- Helms-a-lee (a.k.a., my friend Happy)

Speaking of sidelines and signs and feeling the love, at about mile 20 she stood there in the cold with a glittery, pink sign with my name on it, cheering me on.

And knowing that she drove into town, woke up early, and strained her eyes and neck to look out for me during a 30-minute window of time to deliver four seconds of a hug and a high-five before I continue on another 6 miles, really means a lot.

Mile #7 -- Bobby

I wasn�t going to mention his name, but his ex who reads my site knows good and well where he lives, where he goes, and what he does, thanks to some underhanded moves. (Virginia is none-too-pleased, by the way...)

This friend of about ten years ran the marathon with me.

It was quite a surprise when he mentioned that he was heading up here for it, but I welcomed the post-race company while I bitched and moaned about how much my knees hurt.

Thanks for showing up!

Mile #8 -- Jenna

Talk about a come-back story. My sister had a few rough years. If she ever divulged to you what went on during those dark days, you�d be wide-eyed with shock by looking at her now.

Holy hell. She should be on Lifetime (the fru-fru station that�s all women, all the time) talking about picking your own ass up and improving your life.

She�s now a rockin� momma with an amazing sense of humor, two of the happiest and most friggin� beautiful children in the entire world, an incredible man who�s spent a third of his life loving her, and friends and family who adore her.

So there. If she can turn her life around, I can run 26 friggin� miles over the course of several hours.

Mile #9 -- Branden and Alizabeth

If I added their weights together, they�d still only be half the size of me. How is it that such small people can bring me so much joy?

It certainly helps that they�re beautiful (I like cuter kids more than the non-cute ones), but their constant smiles don�t hurt either. Really, these are the happiest kids ever. But what�s not to be happy about? Everyone adores them, dotes on them, and recognizes that they�re two of the most fantastic kids around.

I want to do things like shop in the mini-me section of Old Navy for things with butterflies and trucks on them. I want to buy the biggest kiddy pool at Wal-Mart (the one with the slide). I want to poke my fingers into a fat baby thigh and laugh about how this is the only age where having those sorts of rolls is looked at favorably.

And although as a whole I don�t care for children very much (except the cute ones), they make me wonder if I�d want one (yes, only one) of my own one day.

Um, we�ll see.

Until then, I�ll enjoy the heck out of these two.

Mile #10 -- Brion

I�ve spent hours and hours talking with my friend Brion over my years in Austin. If there�s one thing that I�ve taken from that time I was supposed to have spent working, it�s to challenge everything -- especially the way you�ve always thought.

It seems too simple to boil it down to that one statement, but that�s the bulk of it.

I always appreciate Brion, even if I don�t ever call or write like I should.

Mile #11 -- Oz

When I started training to run, Oz started too. We gave each other little atta-boys and atta-girls, knowing that we were going through the same stuff together.

We got to run a few races together, matching each other�s pace and pushing each other along to do better than we�d done before. He really was and is a great motivator and knew when I was being a lazy ass when I requested a walk break and when I actually needed one.

And to think a mere few months ago that we struggled through a 10-mile race...

The eleventh mile is one more than what we�ve ever done together, so I dedicated this one to him.

Mile #12 -- Abel

This man has got such perspective. He�s amazing. From knowing what�s what and where it falls along in importance in his life, geez Louise.

This entry on his car dying on the side of the road comes to mind pretty often, and I can�t help but laugh. Instead of being pissed that he�d have to pay out the shell to buy a new car or fix that one, call a tow truck to come and rescue him, and be late to work that morning, he soon noted how nice it was to ride in a new car that he liked.

When I get aggravated that I missed the train by three seconds an have to wait another fifteen minutes, I think about his new car and remember that some stuff just isn�t a big deal. Shoot, the second train is usually less crowded.

So thank you, Abel. Perspective is key.

(And let�s not forget that he�s am awesome runner too!)

Mile #13 -- Davey

In each race, I usually choose someone that should have no business passing me, and I don�t let them.

Truth be told, if Davey passed me in a race, I�d crank it up. There�s no way he should ever beat me.

So when this guy I�ve always known as a smoker and drinker tells me that he�s running a half marathon, I can�t believe it.

But sure enough, he�s taken the slow and steady route, and he�s worked his mileage up considerably. He really did run the half marathon.

If nothing else, I know when I huff and puff down the lakefront path, he�s huffing and puffing even more. (I kid, I kid, Davey!)

Anyway, kudos to Dave. He gets this mile since it�s at the halfway point.

Mile #14 -- Karen

I haven�t talked with her since moving to Chicago a few years back, but we used to talk about running when we were officemates back at IBM. She and her now-husband started running to get into shape, and she always encouraged me to try it out.

She didn�t know the tricks that Benito now knows, so she wasn�t so successful at getting me out there consistently. However, I do think about her when I do my daily runs.

She was right. If you just go out there and try it several times, eventually it does get easier.

Mile #15 -- Mr. Bond

Yes, he gets this silly pseudonym.

One of my Chicago friends was really good about holding me accountable for my running all summer long. He�d excitedly ask what I did the night before, giving my high-fives over IM and encouraging me to do more the next day.

His checking up on me kept me in line, and he knew it. I couldn�t lie to him, and I didn�t want to let him down either.

In return, he says that I�ve motivated him to run more too. Maybe next spring we�ll get to place some bets on those races and actually be competitive.

Here�s to hoping!

Mile #16 -- The Baker Family

With a big enough heart and enough friends, you can accomplish anything. Each summer Crowhihs and I hold a fundraiser (the C&C4ACS, if I recall) for the American Cancer Society through the Baker family�s fundraising group.

This husband, wife, son, and daughter team raise thousands of dollars each year, and they certainly set their goals high. If there were more people like them, pesky things like cancer would truly be a thing of the past.

So a big yay and thank you to the Baker family for being flat-out good people who do good things.

Mile #17 -- Kate

I�m all about people taking action to make themselves happy. Kate�s done it, and she�s certainly living the good life.

A few years back she was at a crappy school with crappy people who did crappy things for crappy reasons. She quickly realized it was an all-around crappy situation, and she high-tailed it outta Dodge with her sights set high.

Now she�s absolutely fabulous and living in the hustle and bustle of NYC! (And she�s single for you wonderful guys out there looking for a great catch!)

GO KATE! Mile #17 was all about you!

Mile #18 -- DangerSpouse

I offer a big ol� thanks to Danger for getting me a subscription to Runner�s World magazine when I first started getting into running.

It was a kind gesture on his part, and it adds greatly to the tools I use in becoming better, faster, and stronger in this sport. Each month I smile and think about him when I get my new magazine in the mail.

Many thanks to Danger who feeds my brain each month with the latest and greatest know-hows in the running world.

Mile #19 -- Robin

There�s this funny story my parents like to tell about the time I brought this 6-foot tall Indian guy to the oh-so-white Huffman, Texas for the weekend. Robin being a girl or a guy�s name, they weren�t expecting who showed up. He fit in well though, and his weekend in Huffman is one I�ll not forget.

There�s a lot I won�t forget about Robin. He�s a good person to know.

Mile #20 -- Kyle

If there�s one thing that I�ve learned from my baby brother, it�s to set your mind on something and take action to make it happen. We are all responsible for making what we want happen, and taking the baby steps will move ourselves in the right direction.

Hard work. Dedication. Focus.

Just a few years back he was this roly-poly little boy who could hit a baseball like you wouldn�t believe. Today he�s this monster of a ball-playing machine who eats, sleeps, and breathes the sport he loves so much.

He�s so dang centered on this goal, and it�s been fun to watch him grow into it so well.

Maybe one day I�ll find something I love so much that I�ll want to follow his lead and do the same.

Until then, way to go Kyle! You got mile #20.

Mile #21 -- Mr. and Mrs. Jacobs

This high school math and science married duo said to me, �Now don�t do something crazy like run a marathon.� And then they explained ATP and toxins and why running marathons is a bad idea.

I�ll only so it this once. I promise.

Thanks for the warning.

Mile #22 -- The Hoffman Family

Since my family moved to Texas years and years back, leaving the extended family far behind, these became my so-called cousins. From the early years of dance lessons and days spent at the park, there are now six kids between us and we�re full-fledged adults.

When I graduated college they threw a big ol� party for me in Austin, reminding me that the family you create is just as important as the one you get stuck with when you�re born. They�ve always cheered me on, even when my path varied so much from the one everyone else chose.

Mile #23 -- Crowhihs

We met online a few years when we both were a bit grumpy, and we clicked nicely. There have been sufficiently happier times since then, and we still click.

I�ve always trusted Crow to tell me the honest-to-goodness truth. She�s got a bullshit meter like you wouldn�t believe.

When I hit mile 23 and things started to REALLY hurt, I imagined her with this sign I saw along the way:

You�re all crazy!

I laughed, thought of Crow�s honesty mixed with her great sense of humor, and kept on going.

Mile #24 -- Ato

Ato is a wonderful, wonderful woman who exudes femininity and strength and all things fantastic. I miss her like crazy.

When I tossed this poop chute of a man out of my house a few years back, she was right there every step of the way, telling me that I was all of these wonderful things. Eventually I got around to believing her, and it�s been unstoppable ego since then.

Yes, I�m kidding.

But really, she gave me the boost I needed. I certainly hope that I�ve done the same for her too. I really carry all of the nice things she�s ever said with me everyday.

Mile #25 -- Amber

Holy moly! This woman is like no other!

Athletics: She climbs mountains. She also ran a marathon. She hikes and hikes and hikes.

Brains: She graduated college summa cum laude. She got herself a fancy MBA for free. She�s sharp-witted (and smart-assed) like you wouldn�t believe.

Heart: She ran a big homeless shelter last year. She now helps homeless people find jobs and become self-sufficient. She sends the most awesome letters with construction paper, stickers, and magic markers that make me feel special.

(Oh, oh, oh! She also got MARRIED today! Whee!!!)

So, really. She�s so amazing, and I�m so lucky she�s kept my grumpy ass as a friend. She gets mile 25 because it was really friggin� hard, and thinking of her strength really got me through it.

Mile #26 -- Catie

The Friday before the marathon, I got a GO JO instant message from Catie. I told her about my idea of dedicating a mile to different people, and she seemed really surprised when I said that she was getting mile 26.

For the past month we�ve had this mini workout contest going on, and the girl is kicking my ass. Yes, while I train for a marathon, she�s kicking MY ass.

She�s made some good habits lately, and I�m really proud of her. Her optimism keeps me going, and she�s a wonderful person to know.

Keep on trucking, Catie. Mile 26 was killer.

Mile 26.0 to 26.2 -- This one was for me

I reveled in it, rejoiced for it, turned and waved for the cameras before I started to cry from exhaustion and pain, and ran as fast as my friggin� legs could carry me for that finish line. Those two and a half to three minutes (yes, let�s be realistic here...) were mine-all-mine, and I enjoyed them and thought about everyone and everything that got me there at that moment.

Thank you to you all. �



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Speaking in Tongues - 2008-02-07
I Have My Reasons - 2008-01-25
Got an Itch, Fix it, Shine it Up, Sing it Out - 2008-01-23

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