Sometimes I need to run

I ran when my dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's
I ran the day we had to put my Dad in a home because of Alzheimer's
I ran the day my dad died of Alzheimer's.

Running could put every therapist out of business

So this week we had to put my dad in a home, total low point. It not only reminded me why I am doing this but also in return helped me get thru the entire process. Because over the last week the running was the best thing for me. Now I get why he ran all those years, it was therapy before there was therapy. Or again, maybe with 6 kids at home he was just running from us, either way it helped him get thru anything he was facing and it did the same for me this week. In fact my fastest tempo run so far in training came hours before we brought him to the home, I basically took out my anger on the road and it felt awesome.


In moving some of his stuff into the home we discovered some pretty sweet artifacts. I thought this one was really cool. It's an article from our local paper in CT about two people in town planning to run New York. This was the mid 80s(just before his 7th New York) and the marathon thing was only for the crazies. Fast Eddy, as they used to call him, was one of those crazies. 3:25, not a bad time for a guy in his fifties who only started running in his late 30s, which happens to be the same age I started running, odd how things work out.

NYC Here I come

So I had the itch and I had scratch it. I am going run the NYC marathon in November. I hooked up with the NY Chapter of the Alzheimer's Association and will be running with the team.  It means a lot to me, it was the only Marathon my dad ever ran(although he did it a bunch of times). So my plan is to go get him a medal. He may not remember being a runner but he always will be one.


19 weeks out and I am well into my training, just banged out a 12miler today and felt pretty good. Scary thing is I am actually starting to enjoy running.  I'm approaching this one a bit differently, I ran Boston but I'm racing New York.

Boston 1 Me 1

Scored settled.

I can't believe that I can say that running 26.2 miles was fun, but it actually was. The race didn't go as I had planned but that ended up being for the better. I was on track to break 3:40 when at about mile 15 my ankle started acting up. So I had to make a decision, go for 3:40 and risk another blow out or dialed it back. I ended up backing off my pace and as a result I had no problem with the last 11 miles. This was way better because I was able to really enjoy it and I did. The only problem was that I never saw the family who were screaming for me as I turned towards Boylston. I ended up with a 3:49 but couldn't have been happier. After finding Kate I hooked up with the rest of the family, my kids who had some killer signs made, my sister and her two kids, my mom and of course my dad. My dad tried to shake my hand but instead I gave him a hug. And for about a minute he returned to his old self, he knew what I had done and mentioned his past marathons. He was also smiling which he doesn't do as much as he used to. Soon after he returned to his quiet self, but for that one moment on Monday April 18th the Ed Daley that everyone knew had been back and that made all the 5am runs and the 20 mile training runs worth it. Dad and I can finally share something else, we are both marathoners.

And while I can't wait to start playing hockey again next week I am not ready to leave the running thing behind. There are more marathons in my future, but not any in my immediate future, just some IPAs.

Here goes nothing.

Nothing much to say the night before. Pretty excited and just hoping the ankle can make it, even sprinkled a little holy water on it at church today. My team coach gave me a 3:33-3:34 goal based on New Bedford half and training runs. I would love to break 3:40 which seems very doable as long as everything goes as planned. I could really dial it back and play it safe with the ankle but what's the fun in that. I want to race this thing not just run it. Thanks to everyone for the support of the cause, together we have raised about $5500 for Alzeimers research and as a team we raised over $150,000.

The race will be a breeze compared to what dads going thru. See you in Boston.

Finally, I get it.

"Mothers, there's a mad man running in the streets, and he's humming a tune, and he's snarling at dogs, and he still has four more miles to go. "

This is a classic "Nike ad from before I got into the ad business and even though I always thought it was a great I never really "got it" until the last few months. I understand what makes someone get up at 5am in the dead of winter and worry about their pace when no one is watching. Over these months of training I have covered over 1000 miles* with one goal in mind, have the tendon in my ankle last 26.2 miles so I can meet my dad at the finish line. Thats why this ad hits home, my ankle blew at mile 22 and I feel like I am that mad man who still has four(well actually 4.2) more miles to go.

I can't wait until Monday. I've got unfinished business in Boston.

*Legal disclaimer: Some of those runs were without my Nikeplus and therefore have not been registerd.

A question for the B.A.A.

So today my five year old son, Declan, asked me if I would like it if he became Darth Vader and used his Jedi Force to "Force" me to the finish line of the marathon. And while I am not sure I want to see Dec go to the dark side, I am intrigued by the idea of flying by every Kenyan while exsurting very little effort. I do however wonder what the B.A.A. ruling would be.

Had I known this was an option I probably would'nt have spent the last four months logging all those miles.