Hello friend!

I quit social media and I know it's probably been awhile since we last spoke, so I'm sure you're wondering what blue this came out of?  To be brief on what this is all about:  After 41 years of looking at cardiovascular fitness as a chore and a bore, the pandemic changed me. In the last 3 years, I finished 2 half marathons, 2 marathons, and several 5/10k races with my family.  My wife, Lyria, is my biggest fan, even with my never ending complaints of early mornings and sore feet.  Between her and my beautiful daughters (Aria and Iselle), I've realized that our health and well being are the real priority, so on October 13, 2024, I will run the Chicago Marathon!   

This will be my second marathon of 2024, and yes, I agree, I might be off my rocker.  The Chicago Marathon is one of the 6 majors in the world, and will be my first ever major.  For perspective, it's roughly 10x larger than the Austin Marathon with almost 50k runners.  In order to participate, I must raise $1,750 to support a local IL charity, and I'm fundraising for the Advocate Charitable Foundation.  The money raised will be directed towards improving access to mental health care for adolescents and teens throughout the state of Illinois.  This is as close to a personal mission for me as it could be.  I've been working to improve access in the Behavioral Health field for over 13 years.  It's an underfunded, underserved sector of healthcare, and mental health and well being for our youngest generations has never been more important.

For me, it's more difficult to ask other people for support than to run 26.2 miles in under 3hrs 45min (my goal), but know it's for a good cause and even a little goes a long way.  Please spread the word by sending this along to others...and fwiw...your contributions are 100% tax deductible!  Once my goal is reached, I'll schedule a proper Texas brisket barbecue for anyone in the neighborhood....in case my motivational speech didn't quite get you there!  :)

In gratitude, 
Daniel