Remembering Mick, a friend and great supporter of mine!
One
week remains until the Las Vegas Marathon that I will be running "for
Mick." Over the past few months, I have tried to prepare myself as I
would for any other race, but to race the marathon is truly a new
experience for me. I have coached several athletes to great success in
this 26.2 mile event, but never myself. What I have learned from my
athletes is that the marathon is as much "mental" as it is physical. It
is a very long race if one does not have one's head on straight.
Most
do not know the obstacles that I have been dealing with while trying to
prepare myself for this race. My last true test in a race was the
Boulder Half Ironman which ended in the Boulder Community Hospital.
Training for this race, doing 99% of my runs by myself, has also made it
difficult to feel confident, especially since I have been battling a
cold for the past 3 weeks that has trashed any kind of consistency in my
training. Emotionally, I have been "off keel" as my grandmother is in
her final round in her fight against cancer. The cancer has spread, and
she is on the downhill slope. With all of this going on, I have been
lacking the confidence needed to attack such a race as the one that lies
ahead of me.
Then,
earlier tonight, I was informed that Mick “TreeKiller” Rule passed away. At the age of 54 he was an older friend, but one of my longest and
greatest supporters. I can look at my history on Facebook or old
messages and find countless instances of him wishing me the best or
congratulating me on a race. Mick and I first met when I was asked to
join a bunch of kids from Kiowa, CO, to race a 200 mile relay across
Colorado. After great success, we then raced in the Green Mountain Relay
where we won the 200 mile race by many hours. Mick was a driver, a
runner, a coach, but most of all he was the ENERGY. Over twice our age
and he was rolling, couldn’t wait to get out of the van and race and
didn’t sleep if someone was running, because he wanted to support them.
Mick is a husband and a father who will be missed by his family, but
most importantly to me is the fact that he has been one of the greatest
influences I have ever had.
All
that has happened and is happening this fall is a reminder that God is
in control. All the preparation and planning mean nothing without taking
into account God's will. I may not understand what happens or like it,
but I trust that Mick is in a better place, and that God is working in
the lives of his family and in my life as well. Mick has touched many
lives, and this coming weekend I make no promises about my projected
time or place in the marathon, only that I will be racing for Mick! I know he would have wished me luck and congratulated me regardless of my finish. Mick, you will be missed.
Mick Rule: May 29, 1958 – November 25, 2012.
Isaiah 40:28-31
