Training with the Alzheimer’s team and Coach Chip, who is a true marathoner, made my journey to the finish line quite simple. You see, in addition to the motivation from my friends and the inspiration from the memory of my late mother, I was deeply inspired by Coach Chip, who while serving his country, was severely injured in the gulf war and endured many surgeries including reconstructive. As a former Marine and a patriot at heart I could only say thank you Coach Chip and draw even more inspiration from his example of courage. From Coach Chip and some of my other marathon friends I also got numerous valuable tips on proper hydration, diet, exercise, rest and attitude.

Seamless were the events leading up to the race including registration and the team pasta dinner the night before. Incredible to me was the utter success of the marathon organizers and attendant volunteers at bringing this thing together without a hitch in the midst of over 200,000 spectators while attending to 30,000 plus marathoners. On this glorious day I simply asked God to let me finish the race but yet he did more. He gave me and all the other runners a gorgeous sunny day, perfect 60s degrees temperature and unbelievable attitude and courage to run on this great day.

All of this support then made the final stretch easy requiring only a little mental push from myself as I was neither fatigued nor injured as some of the many marathoners who unfortunately did not finish the race. By now I had a goal in mind, to beat Oprah’s time of 4:29:15 posted in 1994. And, yet with thoughts of mom the tears came streaming down my face when I began the final mile of the race. It suddenly became a race for my life and for the lives of my family and friends as I believed climbing this mountaintop I was indeed raising the bar for me and those that I love to be better at whatever we set out to do for humanity. Climbing the hill past Iwo Jima then was a piece of cake the inspiration by now more powerful than jet fuel propelling me past hundreds of runners towards the finish line.

And, while I beat Oprah’s time by posting a 4:24:41, decent for a first timer, my time soon became irrelevant against the fact that I had simply finished the race and finished it strong. Such is the legacy I long to leave my three children and all who seek to win in life. Finish strong for mankind!