This is Ben:
This is Ben 25+ miles in to the 2009
New York Marathon:
Wow.
So as you might have guessed by now, this amazing, fantastic, and pretty much all-around-rockstar guy named Ben ran the New York Marathon this morning. 26.2 miles through all 5 boroughs of New York City. Or, to put it another way: hardcore.
What you might not know is that Ben ran this marathon to support the Boomer Esiason Foundation, and that in doing so he single-handedly raised about $4,000 to help fight cystic fibrosis. Seriously, did I mention this dude is a total rockstar?
I get asked all the time about the transplant process and what it's like to be waiting on something like this. My answer? Honestly, it's an amazing feeling to be as surrounded by as many unbelievably awesome people as I am. To have people in my life who are willing to take their first time running a marathon (HUGE accomplishment, by the way) and use that event to help fundraise and spread the word about CF is, in a word, indescribable. And I know this might sound cheesy, but who can imagine not fighting to stay healthy (through the infections and the port removals and the blood clots and the H1N1 pandemic) when there's someone out there who is strong enough to run 26.2 miles, and kind enough to do it all in honor of finding a cure?
It all sort of leaves you breathless -- in the best possible way.
PS: Ben totally doesn't read this blog (he gets enough of my snarkiness in person), but I told him he'd be featured on it tonight and he just might be checking. So if you want to say thanks to someone who not only ran for CF, but did the whole race in under 5 hours (ahem, rockstar, ahem), feel free to do it here!
What you might not know is that Ben ran this marathon to support the Boomer Esiason Foundation, and that in doing so he single-handedly raised about $4,000 to help fight cystic fibrosis. Seriously, did I mention this dude is a total rockstar?
I get asked all the time about the transplant process and what it's like to be waiting on something like this. My answer? Honestly, it's an amazing feeling to be as surrounded by as many unbelievably awesome people as I am. To have people in my life who are willing to take their first time running a marathon (HUGE accomplishment, by the way) and use that event to help fundraise and spread the word about CF is, in a word, indescribable. And I know this might sound cheesy, but who can imagine not fighting to stay healthy (through the infections and the port removals and the blood clots and the H1N1 pandemic) when there's someone out there who is strong enough to run 26.2 miles, and kind enough to do it all in honor of finding a cure?
Someone kinda like, well, this guy:
It all sort of leaves you breathless -- in the best possible way.
PS: Ben totally doesn't read this blog (he gets enough of my snarkiness in person), but I told him he'd be featured on it tonight and he just might be checking. So if you want to say thanks to someone who not only ran for CF, but did the whole race in under 5 hours (ahem, rockstar, ahem), feel free to do it here!
YAY Ben!!
ReplyDeleteHow amazing!!!
Thanks Ben!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThat's absolutely AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThan you Ben!!!!!!!!! :)
You are an amazing person, Ben! Great spotlight, Piper, its so great to see the word getting out!
ReplyDeletePiper - you have at least one awesome, and obviously in-shape, and cute (come on, I'm just the first one to say what everybody else, except perhaps Ronnie, was thinking)friend, who obviously loves you very much and is pulling for you just like the rest of us!
ReplyDeleteBen - YAAAY for you for running the thing in the first place; I can't imagine running even half that long unless being chased by a slow-but-dangerous wild animal, as I likely would have been caught and eaten much earlier. 2x YAAAAY for running for such a great cause, and to raise awareness, and (I'm assuming at least in part) in honor of your own rockstar friend Piper! 3x YAAAY for being such a cool friend to Piper!
Great post! :o)
That's awesome!!
ReplyDeleteHuge thanks to all of you for these terrific comments - running the marathon was an amazing experience, all the more so because I was doing it for CF, and - I'm not exaggerating - there's no way I would have made it to the end without people like you cheering.
ReplyDeleteHey Piper,
ReplyDeleteThis is Seth at the Boomer Esiason Foundation. I haven't checked into your blog lately, but when I did this morning it was very cool seeing the Team Boomer mention.
Ben and the rest of our runners did fantastic. It was great having over 100 folks run for CF.
Please keep in touch with us! :-)
Seth