Dedicating A Run To A Friend

By Bart

I lost a friend a few weeks ago, prior to the Cradle To The Grave 30 k.  My friend put a bullet in his ear after almost a decade of a series of unfortunate events; divorce, passed over for a deserving promotion, asshole for a son, then laid off after 15 years with the firm he literally saved millions of dollars for due to his design expertise and foresight. I decided to dedicate my 30 k run to my friend.  I thought of him every inch of the run and towards the end, I thought that no matter the pain I was enduring, it was nothing compared to the pain he endured, and that eventually drove him to taking his own life.  Not the right answer to the problem, but it was his choice.  In what seemed like a short period of time, I had run 18 miles, and it was the best run/race I have had in the past two years  There is something edifying about going out and beyond yourself by turning your thoughts and concerns towards others.