I Will Say Yes

  I believe in the impossible. Thanks to running. Running has taught me that the impossible starts with one step followed by another step and then another until you run your first mile or ten or 26. When you run a marathon, especially your first, you have no choice but to believe. You have to believe. You have to say yes, even if you’re unsure, because there’s no way to do this thing, even for one moment, if you say no. The impossible starts with saying “yes” and taking your first step. And while at first this “yes,” was about … Continue reading

15 Things I Have Learned about the Impossible

I walked to the starting line in semi darkness along with thousands of other runners, pouring into the streets of Philadelphia from their hotels. It was 6:00 am, Sunday November 20, 2011.  I had run hundreds of miles in preparation for that day.  I ran in rain, I ran in heat waves, I ran with friends and I ran alone.  I had learned a lot about my body and its limits, both the real and the self-imposed and during my training period, I had learned the difference between the two.   I was not in ideal shape for this run.  … Continue reading

I Am A Runner

Early on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, I slip out of the house before my children awaken.  I head down to the quaint seaside town of Spring Lake, New Jersey, not for a beach day, but to participate in the  Spring Lake Five, a five mile road race, which, in the past 35 years, has transitioned from a small town happening to a nationally recognized event.  The race was founded in 1977, as the running craze was gaining momentum on the heels of Frank Shorter's Olympic marathon win in 1972. My father was part of that 1970's running explosion, … Continue reading