Cross Runner's Heart

Me and my Dad It's Father's Day.  Time to remember our dads and father figures.  My Dad can be described in many ways; hard working, faithful, witty, kindhearted... and he certainly had a positive impact on me.  Surely you can think of at least one father figure that has made a difference in your life.  I didn't always obey my father, but yet he was one of my biggest supporters.  He is soft spoken, but when he does speak up, there is often something very powerful said.  Ok, maybe he has not always been soft spoken.  I can remember many of my cross country races where I could hear him with a loud cheer from nearly a half mile away.  He encouraged many, often cheering just as loud for my competitors.  That's just who he is.  More importantly, he has shown through example how to be humble and kind.  He mentored positive relationships within the family and with God.  He is not perfect (can't let his head get too big if he h...

On Tuesday June 9th at 12:02pm our son Noah Lawrence was born!  As many of you know, this day was preceded by a flood of uncertainty.  There were emotions such as  "Afraid To Love" , which we overcame.  We knew the challenges of  HLHS  but we had also learned Noah had a more severe subtype of this condition, HLHS with aortic atresia and mitral stenosis.  On top of these obstacles, our family (like yours) was dealing with the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some prayers were answered as we stayed the course as best as possible.  The day before Noah was to be born, the  University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital  changed it's very strict visitor policy to allow both parents to be present during the entirety of the hospital stay.  There was a huge feeling of gratefulness with this decision as I'm able to be intricately involved in my son's medical care.  It's been about six years since I've done hospital rounds a...

Have you ever felt "jittery" at the starting line of a race? Perhaps you have felt anxious or maybe just down right nervous about a challenge or next chapter in your life. As a high school freshman track runner, who was attempting to qualify for the state 3200 meter run, a teammate had asked me, "Are you nervous?" "No, I'm anxious", I replied.  This felt like the more confident answer.  I had to be confident because at that point it was going to be the most competitive field of runners I had ever faced.  We had a returning state champion in the race and I was the youngest runner by far.  With heavy rain, the track was water-logged but I ran without fear. With ambition, I keyed off of the top runner in the state as we blitzed through eight laps with wet racing spikes.  Unfortunately, my performance did not end with a bid to state, but an important lesson was learned that day.  I had ran the race with true heart and had given it my all.  Fourth place...

     Why University of Michigan?  Well, just so you all know, I will always be a Buckeye at heart.  Yes, I did grow up in North West Ohio where there are some deep-rooted Ohio State Buckeye fans .  We were not far from the boundary line of the "state up north."  In a way, I am the "black sheep" of my family.  It seems everyone who headed to college, went to The Ohio State University.  Many of my family members also continued an agricultural pathway while attending Ohio State.   Me? --->  1) I went to a smaller NCAA Division I school in Ohio.  2) I studied something pretty different than most in the family.     So how did the University of Michigan first impact me?   Growing up, a common saying in my community was "my two favorite teams are Ohio State  and  anyone who beats Michigan."  With that mentality, I was out to beat any of the Michigan runners when I represented Ohio at t...

     There is no one I would rather share my life with than Jana. We come from different backgrounds but share many similarities in our upbringing. We blend many gifts that God has given us and turn them into strengths. While our journey has had unexpected challenges, I feel grounded in our wedding vows and by being equally yoked as believers in Christ.      Our dating began at a library of all places. Two academically minded individuals with many ambitions. I was just embarking on a long road of studying medicine and Jana was in her second year of college. I'm so glad we were able to be so connected despite being so far away in the early years. The farthest? Early on in our relationship, Jana decided to study at the University of Sydney in Australia for a semester while I was back in Youngstown, Ohio. I would be getting ready for bed when she was eating lunch--it was logistically challenging to find time to talk but we made it work the best we ...