scratching and crawling my way out of a really deep hole, Brooklyn Half Race Report

Running Was easy this year because this is the hard thing that I did. 

image description of the photo to the left.There's two pictures of me... One is of me wearing my medal from the Brooklyn half marathon in 2016. I was morbidly obese. In the other picture I am approaching the finish line of the 2022 Brooklyn half marathon. 65 lbs lighter.

In the past 6 years I've changed from pvc ankle foot orthotics to carbon fiber. I've also had five surgeries on my hands to improve the function.

Guillain-Barre syndrome might have knocked me into a hole but I can choose not to stay there.

2022 Brooklyn Half 3:31:31

2016 Brooklyn Half 4:40ish

In 2016 I came back from being paralyzed 2 years earlier and finished the Brooklyn half marathon in 4 hours and 41 minutes.Earlier this week I finished that same race and 3 hours and 31 minutes. I honestly don't think that progress is such a big deal. To me it was inevitable. 

It was about 8 years ago this week that I moved into a regular hospital from the intensive care unit.. I met with a shrink a few times and we talked about what was important to me.. I wanted to be a good role model for my kids and she helped me work out a new way to do that.... I continually now want to show them that sometimes you have to crawl out of a big hole.

image description of above: A two-frame cartoon. In the first frame it shows a person on top of a mountain screaming I did it. In the second frame there's a person crawling out of a ditch saying I did it and there's a stick figure of a person falling into the ditch as well. Above the first frame it says the strength we're tought to admire Above the second frame it says the strength we should also admire.