When this whole process started, I said I wanted to do the Tri Challenge for me, for my patients and for my family. A perfect example of how the decision has led to changes in my life and changes for my family happened on the Fourth of July.
The Fox Firecracker 5K is run in Kaukana, WI every year on July 4th. None of us have ever participated in it even though it has been going on for years. My wife and I decided that the whole family should do it. Amazingly, everyone agreed.
It was an early start as we had about a 30 minute drive to get to the race. The kids were already tired from swimming and tubing for 8 hours the previous day. Once we arrived the excitement built. Skydivers, the University of Wisconsin Marching Band and the kids-only run got everyone energized for the race. My nine-year old, Owen, looked the most tired but he was ready to go and wanted to run all by himself. Ava, age 4, was sitting comfortably in the stroller waiting to be pushed the 3.1 miles by my wife, Missy, who is finally starting to feel better while running after knee surgery in February. Greta, 12, is not a big fan of running, but was excited to walk with her best friends. This was her first run/walk.
The gun went off and we all started. We went at our own pace and everyone finished with a smile on their face. After the race we talked about how hilly the course was, how it was cool to see the band along the run, how many sprinklers we ran through and the goofy outfits we saw people wearing. Owen has now run as many races as his 46-year-old father! We celebrated with apple pie, pizza and chocolate chips cookies. As they say, a good time was had by all.
I’m so proud of my family for supporting me and being part of this journey. They have inspired me to stay fit and healthy and I look forward to having many more events like this in the future.
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