Outrunning Parkinson's: Michael Westphal
Today I am grateful for the weekend and a break from a busy job. I am also grateful for working arms and legs.
I try not to take those working arms and legs for granted. I try not to take life for granted. Those two diseases in my life-alcoholism and cancer-take many lives each day. I am humbled to be here. Humbled and energized.
I was also humbled and energized by the words of Michael Westphal. We went to the pasta dinner the night before our marathon last weekend and Michael Westphal was the speaker. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2006. He has more recently returned to running. He had success as a competitive runner, but hadn't run for over 20 years.
He has found that running helps reduce his Parkinson's symptoms. Watch an 11-minute video here and see his finish at the local marathon he ran last June, in a Boston-qualifying time of 3:33. He needs to closely monitor his medications and he is certainly feeling the various impacts of his disease, but he is running. Running and feeling better.
Inspiring indeed. And to hear and see him in person, with visible Parkinson's symptoms, was further inspiring. He spoke to us for less than 20 minutes, got a few laughs, many head nods, and two standing ovations.
I also appreciated what he had to say about "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." For most of us, this has nothing to do with what place we finish in, what awards we earn or don't earn. For me the thrill of victory is simply being able to be there at the start line. To make it to the finish just ramps up that thrill, regardless of the time it took. The agony of defeat isn't really something I am familiar with. Losing the desire to run. Losing the ability to run. That would be agony.
Michael Westphal ran the Mount Desert Island Marathon on Sunday too. We didn't see him though. He finished well over an hour ahead of us. Run on Michael!
I try not to take those working arms and legs for granted. I try not to take life for granted. Those two diseases in my life-alcoholism and cancer-take many lives each day. I am humbled to be here. Humbled and energized.
I was also humbled and energized by the words of Michael Westphal. We went to the pasta dinner the night before our marathon last weekend and Michael Westphal was the speaker. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2006. He has more recently returned to running. He had success as a competitive runner, but hadn't run for over 20 years.
He has found that running helps reduce his Parkinson's symptoms. Watch an 11-minute video here and see his finish at the local marathon he ran last June, in a Boston-qualifying time of 3:33. He needs to closely monitor his medications and he is certainly feeling the various impacts of his disease, but he is running. Running and feeling better.
Inspiring indeed. And to hear and see him in person, with visible Parkinson's symptoms, was further inspiring. He spoke to us for less than 20 minutes, got a few laughs, many head nods, and two standing ovations.
I also appreciated what he had to say about "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." For most of us, this has nothing to do with what place we finish in, what awards we earn or don't earn. For me the thrill of victory is simply being able to be there at the start line. To make it to the finish just ramps up that thrill, regardless of the time it took. The agony of defeat isn't really something I am familiar with. Losing the desire to run. Losing the ability to run. That would be agony.
Michael Westphal ran the Mount Desert Island Marathon on Sunday too. We didn't see him though. He finished well over an hour ahead of us. Run on Michael!
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