By Way Of Introduction

32 years ago, I ran Boston Marathon...this after stopping my 20-year 3-pack-a-day smoking habit on the previous June 15. Having never run before, my first run the next day, June 16, was less than a block. By Thanksgiving, I was completing (Westchester N.Y. Road-Runners) 10K races in under 40 minutes. On April 16, I completed the Boston. Certificate reads 3 hours, 07 minutes. Passed over 6,500 runners that day. Soon thereafter, in consideration of my wife's fear that running would kill me, I quit. My wife passed away from Breast Cancer 9 years ago. It was THEN that I had my heart attack.

Now, at 75 years old, I still do not run. I do, however, WALK + / - 20 miles a day at a 4.3 mph clip. Four weeks ago, I walked from Bellingham to the Blaine Peach Arch (Canadian border below Vancouver, B.C.), a 50 mile route. Reached the Peace Arch (25 miles) exactly 5 hours 59 minutes 32 seconds...28 seconds too soon to meet my projected time. Oh, yes, I also pushed my Baby Stroller - loaded with 80# of "gear" - there and back. Used my GPS for accuracy, as I do for every walk session.

I am in training for my cross-USA walk (Peach Arch - Key West, Florida), with 8 mile morning walk to work and 10 - 15 mile evening walk back home. I will push my stroller all the way to Key West, and will do it all unaided. I plan to walk 30 miles a day.

I keep asking myself why I'm doing this and have difficulty bringing the answer into focus...probably because I know I can. So many, including my four brothers, have already left this world and I am overwhelmed that I am privileged to keep on going...so much so that every moment has become precious...and not a single moment should be wasted.

I will try to summarize in future postings, how I arrived at this point and how my future moments will be fulfilled.