Shortly after New Years Day, 2009, I was jogging with a friend. We weren't really chatting much. In weird way, jogging with someone that day allowed for a lot of intraspection. I began to ponder the question, why do I run. I had a lot of different answers, as the dirt and rocks past under my feet. One reason I run is for life. I run to stay young. I run for the challenge. I run to stay healthy. Basically, I run for myself. It occurred to me I run for selfish reasons. What about running for those that can’t? I don't recall the exact stream of conscience that led to this decision, perhaps it's best that way. I’ve decided is to run one complete mile for each victim of the September 11th terrorist attacks.
I remember that day vividly, as most do. I had just got to work. Michael Jordan was going to announce his return to the NBA that day, if memory serves. My wife was home with my twin boys, who were not quite three. A co-worker came in stating a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Everyone in the office decended on the breakroom, cramming around the TV. Most wouldn't leave for at least a few hours. I remember being terrified. Afraid for those people, dead and dying. Afraid for my country. Afraid for my family. All this was rather unfounded, looking back. My family was tucked in a quite part of Michigan, far from any target.
I don't know anyone directly, or indirectly affected. Eight years later, I'm divorced and remarried. The twins are now 10 and I'm looking forward to trying to have another child in the near future. But the tradegy of the day still haunts me. I have wanted to do something for those that died. It is my hope this serves that purpose.
I sincerely hope to not offend anyone with this tribute. Should you find any offense, please contact me so I can address the issue, both privately and publicly. My intention is honor each and every person who died that morning. I also have no desire to cause any more pain for the loved ones they left behind.
Now, I could simply go out and log 3000+ miles, but to me, that’s not enough. I have therefore established a few ground “rules” for this tribute. First, I must complete a full mile, the partial miles at the end of run will not count. Miles in the run interrupted won't count, with a small consession. Any pause for traffic is acceptable, although I adjust my speed while approaching intersections to avoid them. After each run, I'll note the date, miles ran a list, by name, those honored with those miles. I don't intend on announcing any "milestones", or having any order to this. I've compiled the list in a spreadsheet and randomized it. I'll probably post once a week, or about 4 runs at a time. This memorial began on my other blog,
here, so I have several honored already. Those will begin this blog.
I'm moving this out of my normal blog, to this one mainly because I'm disappointed in how the memorial was shaping up. It was turning into a foot note on whatever I was talking about. With this blog, I fully intend to do one thing, and only one thing: honor those who perished.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 6.3 miles
Monica Anne Lyons
Frances Haros
Daniel Lugo
Colleen Ann Barkow
David Fodor
CAPT John D. Yamnicky, Sr., USN, Retired
Sunday, February 22, 2009, 4.8 miles
John Difato
Vanavah Alexei Thompson
Gerard A. Barbara
Leroy Homer, Jr.
Saturday, February 21, 2009, 5.6 miles
Norma Lang Steuerle
Michael S. Baksh
Carlos Alberto Samaniego
Lizette Mendoza
Katherine Bantis
Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 3.1 miles
Alex F. Ciccone
Andrew J. Bailey
Thomas Hetzel
Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 5.6 miles
Robert L. Cruikshank
COL Ronald F. Golinski, USA, Retired
Lynn Edwards Angell
Israel Pabon, Jr.
Joshua Alan Rosenthal
Saturday, February 14, 2009, 9.3 miles
Ladkat K. Ganesh
Susan Gayle Santo
Michael Joseph Duffy
Michael J. Berkeley
Kevin J. Frawley
COL David M. Scales, USA
Kathleen Anne Faragher
Gary Eugene Bird
Robert D. Mattson
Sunday, February 15, 2009, 5 miles
Joseph M. Giaccone
Ana Mercedes Centeno
Paul Herman Vanvelzer
Michael McCarthy
Diane Marie Urban
Sunday, February 08, 2009, 11.7 miles
Thomas Joseph Shubert
Narender Nath
Deborah Ann Jacobs Welsh
Derek Ogilvie Sword
Charles Lawrence Chan
Michael George Arczynski
David Wiswall
Lillian Caceres
Richard L. Salinardi, Jr.
Frederick Thomas Varacchi
James R. Ostrowski
Saturday, January 24, 2009, 3.1 miles
Margaret Ann Alario
Timothy Michael O'Brien
Dennis McHugh
Sunday, January 25, 2009, 6.2 miles
Lester V. Marino
Matthew Gilbert Vianna
Kenneth E. Lewis
Yoichi Sugiyama
Amelia V. Fields
Edward L. Allegretto
Tuesday, January 27, 2009, 4.1 miles
Robert L. Horohoe, Jr.
Allison Horstmann Jones
Manuel D. Patrocino
Jupiter Yambem
Thursday, January 29, 2009, 3.1 miles
Christopher E. Allingham
Janet M. Alonso
Saturday, January 31, 2009, 6.1 miles
Thomas Sullivan
Anthony Alvarado
Raymond Joseph Metz III
Jeffrey David Wiener
Sunday, February 1, 2009, 3.1 miles
Robert Noonan
Maria A. Behr
James Arthur Greenleaf, Jr.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009, 4.7 miles
Erwin L. Erker
Ann McGovern
Christopher Charles Amoroso
Lee Allan Adler
Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 4.8 miles
Michael A. Uliano
Kenneth Frederick Rice III
Sherry Ann Bordeaux
Ervin Vincent Gailliard
Thursday, February 5, 2009, 2.5 miles
James Sands, Jr.
Patricia Florence Di Chiaro
Saturday, February 7, 2009, 7.2 miles
Robert Joseph Gschaar
Mark Ryan McGinly
Dominique Lisa Pandolfo
Robert Chin
Davis Sezna
Joseph Daniel Maio
Marianne Macfarlane
Sunday, January 17, 2009, 3.1 miles
Joseph Lovero
Thomas E. Sinton III
Andrew Desperito
Tuesday, January 20, 2009, 5.1 miles
Steven George Weinstein
James Andrew Giberson
Thomas Gardner
Scott Michael Johnson
Mohammad Ali Sadeque
Thursday, January 22, 2009, 3.1 miles
Brooke David Rosenbaum
Gertrude M. Alagero
Martin Michael Wortley
Saturday, January 17, 2009, 6.5 miles
Dean Phillip Eberling
Francis Jude Feely
Robert Minara
Marc A. Murolo
Walter Philip Travers
William J. Mahoney
Friday, January 16, 2009, 2 miles
Stephen Paul Lefkowitz
Joseph Oswald Pick
Thursday, January 15, 3.2 2009, 3.1 miles
Margaret M. Seeliger
James A. Haran
Michael P. Lunden
Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 3.2 miles
Oscar Francis Nesbitt
David W. Laychak
Robert E. Parks, Jr.
Sunday, January 11, 2009, 3.6 miles
Rosanne P. Lang
Vincent Abate
Saturday, January 10, 2009, 4.7 miles
Carole Eggert
Robert D. McMahon
Brent James Woodall
Jon A. Perconti
Thursday, January 8, 2009, 3.1 miles
Michael C. Howell
Robert Evans
Victor Paz-Gutierrez
Tuesday, January 6, 2009, 3.1 miles
Kenneth Kumpel
Claude Daniel Richards
Palmina Delligatti
Sunday, January 4, 2009, 3.1 miles
William Chalcoff
Gary Edward Lasko
Shell Tester
