The Never Die Easy Tour II
While I was falling apart at the Detroit Marathon, another guy was also running and doing something truly amazing for a wonderful cause.
Rick Neal is one of the folks I met from the Taper Madness running forum, although I knew him from Hal Higdon’s board as well. Detroit was Rick’s third marathon, not in his lifetime, but the third this month! Rick is raising money for Riley Children’s Hospital in honor of his friend Robert who passed away last year. Part of his “tour” is to run 4 marathons in 4 weeks, raising money for the hospital through pledges and donations.
Rick is doing the last of the 4 marathons this weekend at the Grand Rapids Marathon. If you heading to the race, give a cheer for Rick. If you would like to read about Robert’s story and about Rick’s racing, have a look at his webiste. Rick hasn’t put his Detroit report up at the website yet, but you can see it here on the Taper Madness running forum.
October 29th, 2005 00:50
I’m blown away by this. Reading things like these parents’ online journal of their son’s illness … well, it just puts life into perspective rather quickly, doesn’t it?
I needed to read that today, Jon … thanks.
October 29th, 2005 18:45
wow. w.o.w. i’m sitting here with tears streaming down my face, chocking back this lump in my throat after reading that. what an amazing story. there was a couple of morning dj’s in Austin who befriended a little girl through Lance Armstrong. Kelly had cancer, and was fighting. WHen she got chemo and lost her hair, they brought her into the station and let her shave their heads. Posted pics. THe day after she died, they replayed all the times she’d been on the radio with them, and I sobbed for 4 hours, waving people past my cube, tightening my headphones so I could listen. She was stronger than I could imagine any 8 year old ever being. The Kelly Davidson Foundation is building a huge center for kids at a local hospital - all kinds of games, libraries, everything a kid could want. Anyways, (long winded here) that’s what made Robert’s story trigger the memories of Kelly. Flooded back… thank you for that.