General Jackassery

November 21, 2007

Hello Team,

I hope this letter finds you all in great health and happiness this Thanksgiving holiday. I realize that I have taken way too long to get this letter out to you, but it has actually taken this long for me to find the words to describe the experience that has been the last 6 months of my life.
As you know, six months ago I set out on a journey to do something that would honor my friend Brent. I decided I wanted to find a way to help others while helping myself at the same time. While I was trying to find the means to do this, I came across an organization called “Team-in-Training.”
My decision to join Team-in-Training was not an easy one. It’s hard enough to train for a marathon, but training for a marathon and trying to raise money added an entirely new dimension. I wasn’t sure this was something I could accomplish but I knew I had to try. So, with the help of my friend Craig and some long discussions with my wife Sarah, I made the decision to take on the challenge.
I spent months getting up early just about everyday of the week, including Saturdays and Sundays, to train. I ran, I biked, I played hockey, I hiked, and I did anything and everything I could think of to build strength and endurance for this. I wrote letters and did everything but beg for people to donate to this cause. I met people I’d never met before and I asked them for their help. I asked my doctors, coworkers, physical therapists, friends, family and perfect strangers I’d met on the plane. I worked my way through several injuries and did my best to make it to the start line in October, healthy and prepared.
My original goals were to raise a minimum of $3300 and to finish the marathon stronger than I had finished my first. In the end, I raised a total of $3950. When, I got to the start line of the marathon I wasn’t sure how I was going to do. It was a cool morning and everything felt reasonably good. I decided I would try to finish in 4 hours and 30 minutes. I took off and everything went really well for the first 20 miles. Yeah, I said 20 miles. Then as I did in my first marathon I started to have some problems with cramps and was forced to run/walk the last 6 miles of the run. I finished in 5 hours and 48 seconds. While it wasn’t what I’d hoped for, I finished and I improved by 36 minutes over my first marathon time. I was tired and my legs kept cramping for the next couple of hours after the marathon, but, I was happy.

Crossing the finish line at the Iwo Jima memorial was and will probably always be one of the most memorable moments of my life. It was like the end of a journey and finishing was such a relief. I’ve never considered myself good at accomplishing goals I’ve set for myself. This wasn’t perfect, but it was a good start. I did it!

This experience has been one that is truly beyond description. I think I actually grew more emotionally than physically. Your generosity has been a lesson to me that I need to be more generous with my time and my money. The frailty of human life has been a lesson that I need to cherish every moment that I’m here on earth and that I need to love my family and friends more. The support of this team of people that was assembled to help me achieve my goal has been a lesson that “we” can accomplish anything and we can beat cancer. The strength of the people who are fighting cancers of all types is a lesson that my suffering is miniscule. The sum of these lessons is that we are truly blessed to experience all things, good and bad, in life. These experiences shape us; they make us better, stronger and hopefully ever more passionate about the things we love. That is the lesson about life that Brent taught me. Brent loved life and he let everyone know it.
I know that my words are not the most eloquent, but I hope that when you read this letter you’ll understand what an experience this has been for me. There is no way I could have done it without the generosity, love, support and encouragement I received from my family, friends and even those of you who don’t even know me. Special thanks go out to my wife, Sarah, for supporting me through this whole endeavor; to my sister, who has treated me like a rock star this whole time and to Craig Herr for helping me find a way to raise the money. Thank you all so much for helping me honor Brent and everyone who has been touched by cancer.

Sincerely,

Todd L. Watts