Boston Bound Baby!

Boston Bound Baby! Pic by S&L Photography

Doing shorter two-a-day workouts while working 9 hours most days does not leave much time for my blog. With the taper beginning next week I hope to get caught up on some of my thoughts on what I am about to do: be the first amputee from my state to run the Boston Marathon.

Every single one of my insurance concerns have faded. I have everything I need to run Boston with a state-of-the-art prosthesis that is more than the sum of the components. I have an odd feeling at times with it. Whereas I will never feel like I have two anatomical feet again, I do feel like I have one anatomical and one residual limb and the latter transcends the prosthesis to have a natural feel all of its own. It makes me think I am running with a foot and with a residual limb, not a stump wrapped in a hard shell.

It is the very feeling I thought I might have before I began this journey. Had it not been for my friend Scott Rigsby and the committed-to-excellence people at ProCare I would not be running Boston on April 15. As I have said before, it has taken a small army to created the person you see above. How is it not a little miraculous that all the pieces had to come together to make this moment in time happen?

Elsewhere I wrote: "I seem to be going from moments of sheer disbelief to overwhelming acceptance that this is going to happen." If someone told me I'd be leaving for the moon tomorrow it will seem no less incredible to me than the fact I will be on that starting line in Hopkinton. 

I ran 22.22 miles for my last long run, and will do a MP (marathon pace) run this weekend. My long run was by the best I've had in the entire training cycle. From the first few steps I felt good; everything was working from head (often the most troublesome part) to my new prosthesis.

Later in the run my right hop (I misspelled "hip" there but decided to leave it!) flexor began to complain but otherwise I felt really good, so good that I wanted to pick up the pace some. However, not wanting to chance hurting myself so close to the race, I maintained pace with a slightly faster last mile. This run was the confidence booster I needed, knowing the Boston course is tougher than most.

Several times during the last 8 miles the thought came to mind: this is the last long run in preparation for THE BOSTON MARATHON BABY! It just seems so impossible yet comes toward me like a distant storm. The thunder I hear is my own heartbeat.

*******

Bingo for a Cure Event

I hope as you follow along with us for the next few weeks that you will considered helping in the best way possible. Defeat fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) here. We are making great progress toward our goal but with a little over two weeks to go we need your help. 

Ashley is going to be at the race along with an FOP family in the area. Can't we make this day even brighter for them? Yes!

And that will be a mighty wind at our back, and nothing - not even FOP - will stop us ever again.