Mikey

My friend Mike McKenna died today. Mike was my first running mentor--a 2:49 marathoner who guided me through my first race, a 5 miler. A calming "you might want to back off a bit here" as I sprinted down a hill, and, "keep working hard here" as I walked slowly the corresponding uphill--typified his coaching. But Mike was a lot more than a runner who maximized every bit of his talent through hard work and stoic toughness. He was a wonderful colleague, a great husband and father, and a beautiful and sweet human being who leaves behind a world that he made better through his having lived it. I'll miss him, and I'm really sad about his passing. He had a terrible cancer that he fought valiently for 2 years. I feel for his lovely family--wife Sharon and kids Erin and Sam and for his many friends, of which I'm proud to say I am one. May his God bless him and may the gods bless him.