I Don’t Do Marathons, We Do
2011 New York City Marathon with Friend John
John, a good family friend made when living in suburban New York City, invited me to do the 2011 New York City Marathon with him. I initially deflected his invite citing I am not a distance runner. 100-yard sprints on our town’s High School turf field were more my speed. Yet, in checking the date of that year’s NYC Marathon, turns out it was on my 50th birthday, the very day. Inspired by that coincidence, I said yes to John’s invitation, and we registered for what would be my first marathon. During training, my first symptoms of undiagnosed Parkinson’s showed up, uninvited. Rather than grow stronger during training, I became weaker. My fastest training run was my first. On race day, I hit the wall at the twenty-mile mark and struggled the rest of the way. Thank God my son Joe, a teenager at the time, jumped on the course toward the end to shoulder me along towards the finish. A few months later, I couldn’t run further than a mile or two. My gait became uncoordinated and shut down ending the neighborhood jogs my daughter and I enjoyed doing together.
I thought I might never do a marathon again.
2018 and 2019 Chicago Lake Front Marathons with Daughter Anna
Redemption arrived eight years later and one year into my Parkinson’s diagnosis. Terry and I had recently moved back to Chicago after living in Michigan and New York for 28 years. Working downtown for Loyola University Chicago, my lunch time walks along Lake Michigan inspired an idea I shared with Terry: “While I can’t run marathons, maybe I can walk them.” Later that summer, I walked 26.2 miles along the Chicago Lake Front on a hot humid day discovering I can walk full marathons with Parkinson’s. The following Summer our daughter Anna joined me for a second Chicago Lake Front Marathon. What a joy doing together. I am grateful Anna stepped up to do her first of three marathons with and in support of her father.
I don’t do marathons, we do.
2020 Winnetka Golf Course Marathon with New Friend Bill
Several years ago, mutual friends in the Parkinson’s community encouraged me to meet Bill who I learned does amazing things living with Parkinson’s. In our initial phone conversation, Bill and I discovered we live a few miles from each other in suburban Chicago. Bill invited me to his home that coming Saturday for coffee on his outdoor porch where we could safely meet during the covid virus. I had plans to walk six rounds on the local golf course that Saturday to get my marathon fix in before the course was scheduled to open to golfers the following week. Instead of coffee on his porch, I invited Bill to walk a round or two with me. Bill replied, as only a person who has walked across America with Parkinson’s would, “how about I walk the whole thing with you?” Joined by family and friends throughout our walk, Bill and I got to know one another as well as two new friends can, enjoying our nine-hour, 26.2 mile walk and talk in the park together. Since then, we have enjoyed many adventures together with and for Parkinson’s. Thanks to mutual friends, Bill and I made a new friend in one another within our community by walking a marathon together.
I don’t do marathons, we do.
2020 Home-Grown, Half Ironman with Friend Chris
Attracted by his amazing feat of completing seven Ironman’s with Parkinson’s, I first met Chris hearing his inspirational message at a Northwestern Medicine sponsored support group for people with Parkinson’s. Chris invited us to train with him. Train for what I thought. From our first sprint workout together, I quickly learned Chris lives his Parkinson’s with a can-do attitude and spirit. More than train together, Chris’ invitation is to be a friend. We are, cheering each other on in life including a home grown Half Ironman Chris and I enjoyed doing together in and along the shores of Lake Michigan.
I don’t do half ironmans, we do.
2021 New York City Marathon with Daughter Anna
On the weekend of my 60th birthday, our daughter Anna and I did the 2021 New York City Marathon together. It marked a ten-year hiatus since my last organized marathon, the NYC Marathon of 2011 - the year my undiagnosed Parkinson’s first appeared. Anna’s commitment to join me with a resounding ‘yes” was particularly bold since the very next day she started her first job out of college there in New York City where she had moved to earlier in the week.
We found the day’s marathon journey exhilarating and exhausting. We cheered one another on stride for stride. We fist pumped at every mile marker. We encouraged each other with “we got this” when our feet hurt and leg muscles stiffened. Along the way, Anna reminded me to swing my arms for the locomotion it provides mitigating my Parkinson’s gait issues. We walked most of the marathon and selectively jogged high energy areas including when a friendly NYC cop jumped on the course with us shouldering me along from walk to jog. The whole day reminded us how big a heart New Yorkers have encouraging us every step of the way. We punctuated our finish with a hug for the ages.
An amazing thing happened on mile 25 towards the end of the marathon. We met Joe. Joe is a middle-aged man who was laboring to finish in honor of a work colleague who had passed from cancer. While encouraging each other towards the finish line Joe, Anna and I learned some about each other in our journeys. After the race, Joe located us on LinkedIn expressing gratitude for meeting us and his desire to give to our Michael J Fox Foundation Team Fox cause for Parkinson’s. Turns out Joe gave a sizable gift towards Anna’s fundraising commitment enabling Anna to reach her goal to the dollar for Team Fox, her Dad and the Parkinson’s community. Anna’s devotion and our marathon encounter with Joe reminds us good things happen when we invite others to care.
I don’t do marathons, we do.
2022 Vermont Marathon with Friend Scott
One Memorial Day Weekend, friend Scott laced up for a lifelong friend, the Michael J Fox Foundation and those of us touched by Parkinson’s. We did the Vermont Marathon together along the shores of beautiful Lake Champlain. Shortly after we finished, I received a text from marathon organizers with race results showing that I finished last in my age group. I laughed with delight, rejoicing in the better part. A few moments later, Scott received his text from race organizers. Scott also finished last in his age group. Oh, happy day, we finished!
I don’t do marathons, we do.
2023 Maui Marathon with Neighbor and Friend David
There is nothing quite like walking along the shores of the Pacific Ocean on the beautiful island of Maui, Hawaii with my neighbor and close friend David doing his first marathon on a replacement knee just put in the year before. The day was hotter and more humid than typical for late April there. The last half mile, David became disoriented in the heat. David leaned on me down the home stretch showing we with Parkinson’s can prop up our friends. Aloha!
I don’t do marathons, we do.
2023 Chicago Marathon with New Found Family
Featured on the Parkinson’s Foundation website was the inspiring story of Mary DeBartolo who was doing the Chicago Marathon in memory of her father, Albert DeBartolo, who had recently passed with Parkinson’s Disease. Given the overlapping coincidences of our DeBartolo surname, having Parkinson’s and living in Chicago, I sent Mary a gift of support and note of prayer for her father: “from one DeBartolo with Parkinson’s to another now in heaven, God rest your Dad.” Amazingly, Albert’s wife has the same surname as my wife, Terry. Mary, her father in spirit, my daughter Anna and me each did the 2023 Chicago Marathon united and inspired by our love for family.
I don’t do marathons, we do.
2023 Marine Corp Marathon with Niece Lauren
Our niece Lauren said she wanted to do a marathon with her Uncle Mike. I was thrilled to team up for Parkinson’s with Lauren who perseveres in life with her own debilitating health issues. We agreed to do the Marine Corp Marathon for its proximity to Lauren’s home and the patriotic spirit and inspiring sites it is well known to feature. Lauren trained diligently and shared her impressive training times with a tone of achievement. Our excitement grew as the marathon date drew closer. A few weeks before the marathon Lauren became increasingly concerned she wouldn’t be able to finish. I reassured her we can go as far as we like. We agreed to take one mile at a time and see how we go. Go we did. Lauren overcame her fears and realized a big accomplishment in finishing our marathon with joy and smiles together. We have the photo to prove it and our shared marathon experience and achievement to cherish for a lifetime.
I don’t do marathons, we do.
2024 Estes Park Marathon with Son Peter
On Father’s Day, our son Peter and I looked to do a marathon together and Peter’s first. Peter had recently moved to the Denver area and was enjoying his running club adventures with newly made friends. We chose a breathtaking marathon to do in Estes Park, Colorado, starting nearly two miles high in the Rocky Mountains. Thank God Pete could navigate our early morning car ride there up steep ascents and switchbacks in the pitch-black night so we could arrive in time for our 5am start. Our opening six miles had us descending from 9,400 feet accompanied by majestic peaks and a sunrise to inspire our every stride. What a thrill to do the marathon together with Peter inspired by our enduring love for one another and rocky mountain scenery. In the words of John Denver, “Rocky Mountain High” indeed.
I don’t do marathons, we do.
2024 Chicago Marathon with Sons’ Joe and Peter
In doing this year’s Chicago Marathon with our sons’ Joe and Peter, I got to see how love for a father brings siblings together. This would be Joe’s first marathon. Together with my nephew Robert, neighbor David and his son Ryan, we were inspired flag bearers raising awareness for the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Joe and Peter walk, jog and run at a pace several strides in front of me. From my vantage point behind, I got to see a cherished gift ahead: my sons, shoulder to shoulder in brotherly love, paving the way for their Dad persevering with Parkinson’s.
During the marathon I re-learned something I discovered the previous year when doing trail runs with Parkinson’s friends. Each mile we interrupted our straight ahead walking with two to three hundred yard sprints, something I can do without Parkinson’s averse affects. As we ran weaving around slower moving walkers and runners, I again found there is something about the cognitive nature of changing pace and path that mitigates my Parkinson’s induced gait issues. I call it “cognitive running.” Thanks to Peter and Joe, we found this unique and effective way to do marathons together.
I don’t do marathons, we do.