Running Across the Finish Line Into Middle Age

San Diego Rock n Roll Half Marathon

2011-06-09T15:12:00.000-07:00

My alarm went off at 3:30am. We had to meet as a group in the lobby of our hotel at 4am for breakfast and our shuttle to the startline was to leave at 4:30. The shuttle bus dropped us off in the pre-sunrise dark where we waited for the race to begin at 6:15.

I was in corral 22. Your corral is based on what your estimated finish time is. They start at 1 and proceed until all 45,000 runners and walkers had begun.

Corral 22 crossed the start line at approximately 6:45 and I was off! What a great start. The reason they call it the rock n roll marathon is because there are live bands all along the course. The first band I past was doing Tom Petty's "American Girl" (my favorite Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers song!) which definitely got me motivated. The first 4 miles were great and I was making excellent time. We weaved all through Balboa Park; past the zoo (look out for the honey badger! He's nasty!), the museum of natural history, the awesome outdoor organ that someone was actually playing. It was great. At about mile 4 marker it all changed as we entered highway 163.

For the next 3 miles or so we ran on the freeway. It sucked. Most of it was either up hill or sideways. Everyone was bitching and complaining. I just kept thinking about my honorees and my family. That got me through it.

At about mile 7.5 we finally exited the freeway but by that time we were out of the shade and it was so fucking hot it was awful. We passed Fashion Valley Mall where I started looking for my dad and Dan. i knew they probably wouldn't be there, but it was one of the stops we had talked about so I thought I should keep a look out for them just in case. Little did I know they were having their own adventure with San Diego's version of a public transit system. They never did see me on the course. They managed to get to the finish line just in time to see me come around the corner.

I began to tire out around mile 9. Probably a combination of the heat and that awful up hill freeway. I lost a bunch of time in that last 4 miles, but I finished!

The race finished in a parking lot about 1/2 mile from SeaWorld. As I crossed the finish line and picked up my medal, I saw Dan Evans from Season 5 of Biggest Loser. He crossed finish line around the same time I did. I went over and talked to him. He was very nice.

All in all, it was one of the more solitary runs I have had. Most of my teammates ran the full marathon which had a bit of a different course and all our support was over on that side so I didn't have anyone I knew cheering. But that's not the reason I did it. I did it to race money for the leukemia & lymphoma society and to celebrate 10 years cancer free.

I am going to do the Boston half marathon in October and can't wait!

Thanks again to everyone who donated and supported me in any way!

Thank you!

2011-05-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

Today is my 43rd birthday. I want to thank all the doctors, nurses, researchers, and fundraisers for their tireless work on cancer. I would not be alive today writing this blog post were it not for you. I want to thank everyone who ever fundraised or worked for LLS, ACS and the many other cancer centric non-profits, for your dedication to finding cures for these horrible diseases. I want to thank my family and friends who sat next to me at every afternoon long chemo session or at my bedside during the worst of it. Words alone can not express how much you all mean to me.

Dad
Mom
Frank
Peter
Carrie
Rob
Julie
Louis
Tom
Lorena
Just to name a few.

Most of all, I want to thank the other patients and survivors out there who are suffering and fighting for their lives. We do this for you. You are my heroes. I thank you.

10 miles-boy are my feet sore!

2011-04-10T15:00:00.000-07:00

The training is going well. Saturday we ran 10 miles. The course took us from Copley Square, through downtown crossing, over to South Boston, around "Castle Island and back. Castle Island was cool, but South Boston as a whole? Not so much. This is the place that has been called "up and coming" since we moved to MA almost seven years ago. At what point do you throw in the "up and coming" towel and just admit that you are not all that?

Actually, parts of South Boston are very nice. Like most shore towns in MA, the neighborhoods right by the water are lovely, and the areas leading into it are run down or industrial like this:

Next week we jump to 12 miles for some god forsaken reason. What happened to 11? I hear this one will be in Brookine which will make my stuck up heart feel much better!

Thank you to all who have donated. Remember, there is still time to enter the raffle!

Enter my raffle and win fabulous prizes!

2011-03-09T07:16:00.000-08:00

As part of my fundraising efforts for the San Diego half marathon I have decided to hold a raffle. There are two ways to enter the raffle:

For each $25 donation, you will be entered into a raffle to win one of the following prizes:

$50 gift card to Beehive Restaurant in Boston’s South End

Official Bruins Hockey Puck autographed by #40 Tuuka Rask.

For each $50 donation, you will be entered into the Grand Prize raffle drawing:

Enjoy a dinner party for you and 7 guests in your home prepared by Kevin Hudson.

As some of you may or may not know, in a previous life, I was a professional chef at one of San Francisco’s finest restaurants, The Hayes Street Grill. For the lucky winner of this raffle, I will come to your home and prepare a 4-course, gourmet meal for up to 8 guests. Together, we will sit down and determine the menu selections and then you will sit back and enjoy the evening with your dinner companions. Does not include alcohol.

To enter, please go to my fundraising page and donate:

http://pages.teamintraining.org/ma/rnr11/khudsoni1c

As an added incentive, for every $100 donation, you will receive two entries into each raffle. More chances to win! The drawing will take place on April 15. I hope you will participate and good luck!

Go Team!

2011-02-16T10:55:00.001-08:00

To celebrate 10 years cancer free, I have signed up to run the San Diego RNR Half Marathon with Team in Training and fundraise for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Below is my story. After reading it, please click on over to my fundraising page here and sponsor me for this cause that is close to my heart. For those who lived through it with me, you have heard it all before.

In the spring of 2001, I went to the doctor to see what was wrong with me. I hadn't been feeling quite right for awhile and just thought I had a sinus infection. My doctor agreed with me and put me on antibiotics.

A week later, I had an allergic reaction to the medication and was told to stop taking it. I felt a bit better and so I just went on with my life. About a month later, my tonsils started to swell up and my ears became plugged up like they do when you have swelling in your sinuses. I went back to the doctor who then decided I had tonsillitis. I was put on another set of antibiotics which I also had an allergic reaction to. I was tested for a number of things; from diabetes to syphilis (?!?). A needle biopsy was taken of the swollen lymph nodes in my neck. The results came back "inconclusive." They decided once again on tonsillitis and the remedy would be a tonsillectomy.

By this time, my tonsils were swollen to the point where I could not eat. The space between them was the size of an ink pen. They expected to do a tracheotomy during the surgery so I would not suffocate. 3 days before my scheduled surgery, one of my tonsils abscessed postponing the surgery and probably saving my life. The lead ENT took one look at me and asked why no one had taken a piece of the tonsil itself for a biopsy. Jackpot!

On September 12, 2001, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma-6 months after my diagnosis of a "sinus infection." The gallium scan showed I had tumors covering my sinus cavity, in my tonsils, all across my chest and in most of my lymph nodes. I was given a 30% chance of survival. I refused to accept those odds.

I was admitted to the hospital the next morning and immediately started on a combination of chemotherapy and a drug called Rituxan. I will from this point forward refer to Rituxan as my miracle drug. Within 24 hours, the swelling in my tonsils went down, allowing me to hear and breath again. I went through 18 weeks of treatment and more than one trip to the emergency room. There were many times I thought I wouldn't make it out of that emergency room but I refused to give in. When the doctors took another gallium scan at about week 13, there was not a trace of the cancer left in my body. The doctors were so astounded by my success that I became a case study for the CA tumor board. I am happy to say I have been cancer free for almost 10 years.

While going through treatment, I began volunteering with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society where I met the most amazing people. Some fellow cancer survivors (some not so lucky to survive) and the many people who spend their days fighting to find a cure. I am happy to once again be training with TNT and to be a small part of helping the people who need it most.

Please consider donating to my fundraising efforts. You can donate by clicking here which will take you to my fundraising page. Thank you. Go Team!

Taco Salad for Dinner-Thanks Suzanne!

2010-09-18T16:16:00.000-07:00

So, we've been on this diet for a little over a week now. I have to say I feel good. Don't know if I have really lost any significant weight yet, but I do feel better in my skin.

Tonight I made a taco salad from one of Suzanne's books. How is this a diet food you ask? Well, again, her thing is properly combining foods when you eat them. For example, the taco salad consisted of the meat (seasoned with cumin, cayenne, paprika, onion, garlic, tomato paste and chili powder), lettuce, chopped tomato, shredded cheddar and sour cream. No carbs, all proteins/fats and vegetables. It was delicious and filling. Tomorrow we will have some sort of fish I think.

She's a kook, but she may have something here...

Let's Somersize!

2010-09-14T15:57:00.001-07:00

We decided to give Suzanne a try. It's a pretty easy diet really. Her concept is you can eat pretty much what you want as long as you combine or don't combine certain foods. For example, you can eat carbs with vegetables or you can eat protein with vegetables but you can't eat protein and carbs together. It has to do with how your body breaks down the different types of foods. You can eat fruit, but only by itself and on an empty stomach (45 minutes before a meal or 2 hours after). She has a list of what she calls "funky foods" that you are supposed to stay away from (white flour, processed sugars, vegetables high in sugar like carrots). At least until you reach your goal weight and then you can treat yourself I guess. The one thing we are refusing to do is cut out caffeine. She wants you to stick to decaf and I won't do it!

She eats like a pig. I'm serious, you should see the amount of food she has on her "sample menu." It's ridiculous. She does have some pretty great recipes. Tonight I am making a Beef and fragrant vegetables stir fry. Last night I made her recipe for chicken piccata. Oh yeah, she LOVES butter as much as Paula Deen and allows it in her diet. Hey, whatever works. I love the fact that I can eat fruit to my hearts content as a snack.

Nine Years and Counting

2010-09-12T12:37:00.000-07:00

The Twin Towers fell on September 11th, I was diagnosed with cancer on September 12th. That was a bad week...

Today is the nine year anniversary of my diagnosis of Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. I am a lucky man because I have not had a single recurrence since I ended chemo on December 28, 2001. The doctors say I am "cured" although they can't technically say that with cancer as there is no "cure for cancer."

I've had a pretty good life over the past nine years.

1. I changed careers
2. Met Dan
3. Moved to Boston
4. Ran the Boston Marathon

You get the picture. In one year, I will have been cancer free for 10 years. That's big. What to do to commemorate? I have decided to run the 2011 New York City Marathon. I have 14 months to get myself ready for it. Where to start...

I need to get myself in training condition which means I have to loose 30 lbs. That sounds like a good place to start!

10 Days to Londons!

2008-05-04T16:49:00.000-07:00

15 Days of 39

2008-05-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

12 days to London!

The Countdown Is On!

2008-05-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

16 Days of 39 left...Woohoo! We leave for London on the 14th and will be there for my 40th. Can't wait!

21 to Finish

2008-04-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

We made it over Heartbreak Hill. We now only had 5 miles to go. We turned up Chestnut Hill Ave. and crossed over into Brookline. Our cheering section was to be at Kenmore Square, Mile 25. We knew we just had to get to them and then their energy would push us across the finish line.

Mile 22-My feet hurt.

Mile 23-My feet hurt.

We get to mile 24 and smack! Tee loses a toenail. We stopped at the Red Cross tent so they could bandage her up. What should have taken about a minute and a half took 10 minutes. They mean well, but man, did they take a long time to put on a band aid.
We managed to get going again and pull through Coolidge Corner and Saint Marys. As we crossed over the bridge into Kenmore Square, I saw my friends. Liz, Dave, Mel, Andrew, Yvonne were there with Pom Poms; shouting and cheering us on. It felt wonderful.

On the other side of Kenmore Square were my co-workers. Dan, Erica, Shkeya, Jen, Amy, Matt and Emily. How inspiring it was to see them out supporting us. This would make me get through to the finish line.

As we came up the underpass on Comm. Ave just before the turn, some drunk guy yelled at us to pick up the pace. "Move it!" He yelled. What we yelled back wasn't very nice but the bastard deserved it. As we came around the turn onto Hereford St., there was Kelly. "Run Forest! Run!" She yelled. And we did! Around the corner, onto Boylston and the home stretch. We could see the finish line in the distance.

Tee and I crossed the finish line as we had the start line; together all the way. We made a pact not to ever run another marathon and if we started feeling like we wanted to, we were to call the other person so they could talk us off the edge.

Here I am, one week later, and all I can think is, "when do I get to run the New York Marathon...?"

Miles 14-21

2008-04-25T06:42:00.000-07:00

We felt great at the half marathon point. the crowd was still as big as ever and the weather was wonderful. All of a sudden I began to get the chills which led to feeling like I was going to pass out. It kept getting worse and worse. How was I going to finish this course? It last for 4 miles. If it had not been for Tee and her encouragement I would have given up. Seriously, I would have gone to the next first aid tent and quit. It was that bad. She kept me moving by talking about everything but the run. At mile 17 someone gave me a banana and I felt much better. Weird.

Anyway, we came down route 16 and turned onto Commonwealth Ave (route 30). This is the beginning of 3 miles of hills which ends with Heartbreak Hill. I agree with Lance Armstrong who said it was the toughest thing he has had to do. Well, except maybe that cancer thing, right Lance?

My friend Perrin met us right at the beginning of it and gave us bananas and words of encouragement. We managed to get ourselves up and over those hills with the help of the crowd. It was a great feeling coming over Heartbreak Hill and realizing you are in the home stretch.

Mile 12-Wellesley College

2008-04-23T08:53:00.000-07:00

At mile 12 we hit Wellesley College. There is a slight incline as you head towards it. I could here this high pitched sound I couldn't quite make out. I looked at Tee and she said, "Oh, just wait until you see it." It turns out that sound was the Wellesley College contingent, likes of which you have never seen. There were hundreds of Wellesley girls screaming out to the runners. Some of them had signs that said things like "Kiss Me" or " I only date runners. They have the best Stamina." It was hilarious and awesome. What a site.

Right after that we hit the 13.1 mark. Half way there. That's where it all went to shit.

The First 10 Miles

2008-04-23T08:40:00.000-07:00

We crossed the start line at about 10:45. The weather was lovely and the crowd amazing. I had previously run the Napa Valley marathon. Much of that course was not accessible to spectators which made it a lonely run. Not Boston. Every kilometer of this course was taken up by people all of whom were shouting words of encouragement. It was incredible. We had written our names on our shirts and people were shouting out, "Go Kevin, great job! You can do it!" "Go Tee!" It really makes a difference. Every time you feel like you just can't go on someone calls out your name and it helps you go one step further.

The first 10 miles or so were pretty uneventful. Tee and I just chugged along getting to know each other (like one does on a blind date). I felt strangely confident in my running which made me a bit nervous. Often times my best runs are the ones where I start out feeling like crap and then get into a stride. I hoped I wasn't going to crash early!

Start Line-Hopkinton

2008-04-22T18:18:00.000-07:00

Jake drove Tee and I out to Hopkinton so we wouldn't have to ride the shuttle bus. Tee is a friend of Kelly and Jake's (now a friend of mine!) from SF who was fundraising and running as a member of Team AAC. Kelly set us up on a runners blind date being as how we run about the same pace and she figured we could run the marathon together. It was a match made in heaven. More on that later.

Traffic was good until about 4 miles from the Hopkinton exit and from there it was stop and go, a mixture of buses and cars like ours. It was bizarre. Runners who had been over hydrating for the race started coming out of the stopped buses and cars, walking over to the side of the freeway to urinate. I kid you not. Men and women both; none of which seemed to care if people watched them relieve themselves by the side of the road. How civilized! It was gross.

We got as far as the bottom of the off-ramp where the state troopers made all runners get out of cars and get on the shuttle buses for the rest of the trip. We were piled in these school buses like it was commute time subway trains. A couple of guys behind us started talking about the ban on headphones for this marathon. One guys said he was bummed he couldn't have his i-pod because he liked to listen to books on tape while he ran. Books. On. Tape. I said to Tee, "Gosh, I wish I had Harry Potter to listen to while I ran a marathon!" Idiot.

We got to the Athletes Village with about an hour and a half to spare. Just enough time to stand in line for the bathroom (port-o-lets). About an hour before our start time, the clouds parted, the sun came out and the weather was gorgeous.

About 10:15am they had us wind our way down to the start line. All 20,000 of us. It was quite a scene. Start time was at 10:30 but we didn't actually get over the start line until 10:45.

And so it begins...

Runner #23886

2008-04-20T13:01:00.001-07:00

Well, apparently I have committed myself to running the Boston Marathon tomorrow. I don't know what I was thinking. I will do my best to finish the thing in one piece.

As of today, I have raised $4,700 of my $5,000 goal. Thanks to you. Your donations and support have made this a reality and have helped me get through the training. I will think of you all as I run tomorrow. In closing, I would like to leave you with a hilarious picture from this afternoon of our beloved Felix sunning on the window sill.

Until tomorrow...

4 Days and $500 to Go!

2008-04-17T09:39:00.000-07:00

The marathon is only 4 days away and I am feeling pretty good about it. I know I will finish it.

I am thrilled to report I am only $500 away from my fundraising goal of $5,000. I am making a final push to everone; if you or anyone you know will donate, I can reach this goal. The funds raised from AAC’s Boston Marathon team make it possible to deliver services that profoundly affect the lives of our friends and neighbors affected by HIV/AIDS and help prevent new HIV infections.

I am going to pick up my bib number tomorrow at the marathon expo. Should be a huge scene.

Thanks to all for your support!

The Countdown Is On!

2008-04-14T07:18:00.000-07:00

I want to start this post by thanking you for supporting me during this training and fundraising endeavor. The marathon is one week from today. I have some anxiety about it but I know I can do it and here is why:

Thanks to your support, I have raised almost $3,400 and the team as a whole has raised $15,532.

On the course, I will think of you all and how much you mean to me and I will think of all the people who will benefit from the money Team AAC has raised. That is what will get me across the finish line.

Go Team AAC!

Reaching My Goal

2008-04-11T07:26:00.000-07:00

The marathon is officially ten days from today and I am nervous. I ran Wed. night and I think I did something to my IT band. Lots of ice and stretching from now on.
If it holds out, I should be ok for race day. I will just take it slow and easy. I need to keep reminding myself of that.

I am $1,700 away from my $5,000 fundraising goal. If you know of anyone who might be interested in donating please send them my way! I will be having a bake sale at The Devonshire next Saturday. Hopefully I can raise a couple hundred there.

Thank you to all who are supporting me through this. AIDS Action is a great organization that needs our help and I am proud to be a part of it!

Raffle

2008-04-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

Attention all Bostonians! Between now and Friday, April 11, everyone who donates $10 or more to my fundraiser will be entered into a raffle to win a $50 gift card to Sibling Rivalry and tickets for 4 to the Comedy Connection.

Click here to donate and win!

Thank you to Frank and Grossman Landscaping for sponsoring my run! I look forward to wearing that hat in the marathon!

Cheers!

2008-03-31T10:35:00.001-07:00

Sunday I ran 18 miles. I would like to celebrate with a cigarette and a martini, but will settle for gatorade and an ice bath.

It went pretty well; a hell of a lot better than last week, that's for sure. The marathon is three weeks from today and I should be ready. Fundraising is going well but I have a ways to go so if you know anyone who might donate, pass the info along!

14 Miles of Hell

2008-03-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

Saturday I ran part of the Marathon course. I ran from Natick center (mile 10) to Cleveland Circle (mile 22) and then ran to meet my friend Ginny in Brighton. I have to say, they should rename "Heartbreak Hill." I think they should call it "3 Miles of Hell." As a matter of fact, the whole 14 miles pretty much sucked. At least I know what I am getting myself into. Now I don't want to see it until race day.

This coming weekend will be my 18-20 miler. Should be fun!

The Story So Far...

2008-03-20T12:23:00.001-07:00

Many of you here in Boston have expressed interest in hearing about my experience with cancer. Below is my story. After reading it, please click on over to my fundraising page here and sponsor me for the Boston Marathon. For those who lived through it with me, you have heard it all before so you can stop reading now.

In the spring of 2001, I went to the doctor to see what was wrong with me. I hadn't been feeling quite right for awhile and just thought I had a sinus infection. My doctor agreed with me and put me on antibiotics for it.

A week later, I had an allergic reaction to the medication and was told to stop taking it. I felt a bit better and so I just went on with my life. About a month later, my tonsils started to swell up and my ears became plugged up like they do when you have swelling in your sinuses. I went back to the doctor who then decided I had tonsillitis. I was put on another set of antibiotics which I also had an allergic reaction to. I was tested for a number of things; from diabetes to syphilis (?!?). A needle biopsy was taken of the swollen lymph nodes in my neck. The results came back "inconclusive." They decided once again on tonsillitis and the remedy would be a tonsillectomy.

By this time, my tonsils were swollen to the point where I could not eat. The space between them was the size of an ink pen. They expected to do a tracheotomy during the surgery so I would not suffocate. 3 days before my scheduled surgery, one of my tonsils absest postponing the surgery and probably saving my life. The head ENT took one look at me and asked why no one had taken a piece of the tonsil itself for a biopsy. Jackpot!

On September 12, 2001, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma-6 months after my diagnosis of a "sinus infection." The gallium scan showed I had tumors covering my sinus cavity, in my tonsils, all across my chest and in most of my lymph nodes. I was given a 30% chance of survival. I refused to accept those odds.

I was admitted to the hospital the next morning and immediately started on a combination of chemotherapy and a drug called Rituxan. I will from this point forward refer to Rituxan as my miracle drug. Within 24 hours, the swelling in my tonsils went down, allowing me to hear and breath again. I went through 15 weeks of treatment and more than one trip to the emergency room. There were many times I thought I wouldn't make it out of that emergency room but I refused to give in. When the doctors took another gallium scan at about week 13, there was not a trace of the cancer left in my body. The doctors were so astounded that I became a case study for the CA tumor board. I am happy to say I have been cancer free for almost 7 years.

This is why I celebrate my 40th birthday by running the Boston Marathon. I won't break any records, but I will finish the thing. Please click over to my fundraising page and sponsor me and AIDS Action Committee. I thank you for your support!

Bring it on!

2008-03-02T16:01:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I last updated this. Training is going slowly and I am a little behind what with the flu that kicked my ass and then the three weeks of snowy weekends. But I was able to go out today and run a respectable 10miles. Not bad, not great. After March 11, I will be able to devote more of my time to really training hard for the marathon. I just want to be able to finish the damn thing, not break any records.
Taste of the South End is next week. If you live in the Boston area and want to experience a great event for a great organization, then click here to purchase your tickets.

PS: I will turn 40 in 2 1/2 months. This is how I feel about it:

However, my dear friend, Lorena, tells me that I should embrace it and my impending mid-life crisis. Bring it on.

Oh God Make it Stop.

2008-02-06T18:43:00.001-08:00

clWell, I finally got the new shoes and was all set to go running on Sunday for my half marathon run and what do I do? I go and get the flu. So, I spent 36 hours in bed feeling like this:

Lovely. I am on the mend now but slowly. I will try again on Sunday for the long run. Anyway, at least Hillary did well on Tuesday.

Go Hillary!!!

2008-01-29T15:44:00.000-08:00

Saturday's run went well. Although, I did not run the mileage I had originally planned, I still got in a 10 miler. I need new shoes...

This weekend will be a doozie of a run. 13 miles. That's a half marathon. Now I really need new shoes.

If I can make it there...

2008-01-25T14:55:00.000-08:00

Hi all,

I took last weekend off to go to New York City. No, we didn't see Liza, but whenever I think of NYC I think of Liza so I decided to include this picture of her. We had a great time and saw Madeleine Albright in Penn Station. Very exciting.

I am back on track with the training. Tomorrow will be another 10-12 miler. I hope my knees hold out! I will keep you updated. It's Dan's birthday this weekend (Happy Birthday Dan!) so I might not write until Sunday morning.

Not too bad this Sunday.

2008-01-13T15:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I am in much better shape today than I expected to be; I guess the training is working! Last week, when I ran the 10 miles, I could barely walk the following day. Today, I woke up and except for a little muscle aches, I was ready to go! I took today off from training just to give my muscles a break but will probably do some cross training tomorrow in the gym (Maybe swim or bike). We are supposed to get close to a foot of snow tomorrow so that will put the brakes on any outdoor activity I might want to do.

I am wracking my brain on how I am going to meet this $5,000 goal I have committed to am in need of fundraising ideas. Any suggestions? Let's have a contest to see who can come up with the best idea!

93 Days and Counting...

2008-01-12T12:24:00.000-08:00

It's Saturday and I just got in from running 11.7 miles along the beautiful Charles River.
Here is a picture of me before the run:

No, that is not the Charles River, that is the Atlantic.

Here is a picture of me after the 11.7 miles:

Just kidding, that's a piggy on a spit.

Seriously, the run went better than I expected it to go. I changed up a few things and added the all important IPOD. Nothing like a little Joan Jett and The Blackhearts to get you moving! However, now that I have been sitting here in front of the computer for a couple of hours setting up this blog, there isn't much in the way of moving going on. Boy, have I stiffened up!

Tomorrow should be fun getting out of bed...

Here I Go Again...

2008-01-12T11:46:00.000-08:00

Just a few years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer and wasn’t sure I would make it to see 34.
Here is a picture of my brother, Peter, and I around that time:

This year, I’m turning 40. Here is a picture of me now:

To celebrate this momentous occasion (at least, in my mind!), I am running the Boston Marathon with Team AAC and raising money for others who face a tough diagnosis.

While there are many people living longer with HIV/AIDS, many people cannot afford the medicines needed and have to make a choice between rent and those medicines. AIDS Action Committee (AAC) provides housing/legal assistance, social support, rent and utilities assistance, just to name a few. AAC is also involved in essential advocacy and policy efforts on current issues to increase funds for HIV/AIDS services. The programs and services provided by AAC are in need of funds, and I hope to be able to generate some through my efforts and your generosity.

It's faster and easier than ever to support this cause- you can make your donation online by simply clicking here. When determining your donation amount keep in mind the BIG commitment I have made.

I thank you all for your support. I will be updating this blog regularly with my progress. You can all enjoy the pain I am putting myself through without having to do it yourselves! So give big and often!

Donate