Allentown, Pa.
Why I am running the St. Luke’s Half Marathon?
First, for my health. This summer I will turn 59 years old. I started running when I was 12 years old because I saw at a young age how important good health is. My father was diagnosed with atherosclerosis at the age of 39. Smoking, a rich diet and lack of exercise had begun to destroy his arteries. For the next 15 years my father’s health declined. Eventually our kitchen looked like a pharmacy as doctors prescribed an array of medication — up to 42 pills a day — to fight his heart disease.
As I sat in the waiting room of the hospital one day I picked up a copy of Prevention magazine. J. I. Rodale was preaching a different way to good health with exercise, nutrition and other good habits. When I got home from the hospital I got dressed for what turned out to be the first run in what I hope is a lifetime of fitness. I put on cut off jeans, a white cotton t-shirt and Converse All Star sneakers-state of the art running outfit at the time. I ran for one mile because I read that one of the astronauts ran one mile every morning to stay in shape. I also read about vitamins and my mother started to buy us all the vitamins and minerals we read about in Prevention every month. My parents would take the advice if it was another pill or vitamin but disregarded the exercise and diet advice.
My father passed away at the age of 54 after a life of much suffering and inconvenience. My mother is now suffering the same fate from obesity. Every year on June 20, the day in 2007 I outlived my father, I celebrate another year he did not enjoy. I call it my gravy day as a reminder of the payoff of exercise and a healthy life style.
Second, I am running as an example to my family. This will be my third half marathon. My family watched me run the first half in 2010, shortly after my wife JoAnne started running and that fall my daughter Jessica told me she would run with me in 2011. This year my son Joseph joins Jessica and me as we all run the 13.1 miles. JoAnne ran her first 5k last fall and continues to run today.
My third and final reason for running is the pure enjoyment it. Not every run is perfect. Life rarely is. There are little aches and pains, it might be cold or hot or raining or snowing but every day I look forward to my run which takes place on many of the roads and paths of the St. Luke’s Half Marathon. I hear the water of the creek gurgling over the rocks, maybe I get a glimpse of some deer or turkeys making their daily rounds. I see other runners. I do not know all their names but I see them so often we greet each other as friends. I see my training group in the distance and eventually merge into it like a choreographed dance practiced for many years. During our hour or two run we will see other groups on their runs — all of us friends in the sport. Although some may be training for a personal best or an age group place most of us are happy to show up, have a good time and complete another run.
As I line up this year and wait for the starting gun I have much to be thankful for. I am healthy, have influenced my family to live a healthy life and I will be running for a few hours with a couple of thousand of my closest friends.