NJM = Wet and Wonderful

Marathons aren’t supposed to be WET and wonderful but that’s exactly what the New Jersey Marathon was this weekend. We all had an amazing time and the highlight of the weekend was my wife finishing her very first marathon happy and healthy with a big smile on her face. We got to share it with our kids which always makes these things even more special. My wife and I raised roughly $5,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and that was just a drop in the bucket compared to the total dollars that were raised by the over 350 TEAM IN TRAINING athletes all racing to find a cure. Once again, I had the honor of delivering the pre-race pasta dinner motivational talk for about 500 people and from what I am told, it went well. I feel so connected to people when I have that opportunity.

The race itself was pretty wet as we had rain the entire day. I give my kids credit for being such good fans and supporters in the crummy weather. The hotel was gorgeous and our balcony actually overlooked the beach and the start, finish, and midway point of the race. We did get to enjoy some down time the day before the race and spent some time on the beach and a cool jetty just behind the hotel.

My wife and kids have been at so many of my races and finish lines over the years, I can’t even begin to tell you how good it felt to be able to race, and still be there to see my wife finish so happy and strong in her first race. We even crossed paths and saw each other a few times during the race so I knew she looked good and felt OK. 

Our race shirts were decorated with the names of family members, friends, and loved ones who either lost their fight or are living strong… including David Anderson, John’s dad, who lost his fight but whose legacy rings loud and clear in all of the work John is doing for the cause.   

I THINK I will take a few days off from training; unless I drive myself insane in the process…. but I will try. However, tonight I am off to another TEAM IN TRAINING recruitment meeting where we will try to grow the TNT family and continue to make a difference.

Thanks for everyone’s support.