All Together Now




One, two, three, four
Can I run a little more?
five, six, seven eight nine ten miles I love you.

A, B, C, D
Can you run along with me?
E, F, G, H, I, J, I love you.

Boom, bam, boom,
Ooh my hip,
Boom, bam, boom,
There goes my knee,
Boom, bam, boom,
The finish line,
Boom, bam, boom,
Look at me!

All together now, All together now,
All together now, All together now,
All together now, All together now...

I'm a runner. All the signs are there... running shoes littering the garage, worn out 5K race t-shirts in the closet, the occasional aching knees, and the wish that maybe one day the passion to run a marathon will appear.

Sometimes after miles and miles on the road I've wondered why I run. Seriously, why do people purposely leave the comfort of their sofa to find themselves miles from home with only a pair of worn out sneakers to get them back? Perhaps part of the reason is the adventure, part is to lose a few pounds, part is for therapy, or maybe part is also for something much more important. Maybe it's a way to prepare yourself for that noble moment when you decide to sacrifice yourself for the benefit of others.

That special moment came to my nephew and niece earlier this year when they decided to help two girls for whom running is no longer an option. Sure they can run from home plate to first base and maybe from one side of a soccer field to another, but never in a 5K, never in a marathon. You see, while Pompe does not limit their beautiful minds, it does limit their ability to complete some physical activities. Their muscles just are not strong enough and even if they struggled, the pain at the end is not worth it. There are many more ways for them to shine.

Knowing all this, my nephew and niece set off with a goal to raise money for Pompe Disease. They picked a race, started to train, convinced a few family members to join, and set off on their Long and Winding Road to race day. For several months they followed their program, running day after day, while spreading the word about the event. On August 15th, five members of my family ran in the San Diego Half Marathon. For 13.1 miles they ran All Together Now in love for two girls who mean so much to them. The race was a great success with money coming in from California to Pennsylvania to Canada resulting in over $2400 for the AMDA.

So why do I run? For years as I pounded the pavement I was not sure, but now I know. I run for those who can't run because of this crazy disease. And, I run for the hope that maybe one day I too will be prepared to follow in the footsteps of five mighty ones before me who sacrificed themselves for the benefit of others.

We remain All Together Now... All For Two And Two For All!

With eternal thankfulness,
Uncle Matt

Credit to: The Beatles, "All Together Now"

Here's a few photos from the event.


The shirts







The runners showing off their race medals!



The runners and their support team.





Comments

  1. That is so great! I love the shirts!

    Thank you for running for those of us who cannot.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh, you know how I feel
    Hey, you know I been there
    But what you're keepin' to yourself
    Oh, you know it just ain't fair
    Are you gonna worry
    For the rest of your life

    It keeps you runnin', yeah it keeps you runnin'
    It keeps you runnin', yeah it keeps you runnin'

    Michael McDonald

    ReplyDelete
  3. Running on, running on empty
    Running on, running blind
    Running on, running into the sun
    But I'm running behind

    Everyone I know, everywhere I go
    People need some reason to believe
    I don't know about anyone but me
    If it takes all night, that'll be all right
    If I can get you to smile before I leave

    Jackson Browne

    ReplyDelete
  4. Newsman: Sir, why are you running?

    1st Reporter: Why are you running?

    2nd Reporter: Are you doing this for world peace?

    3rd Reporter: Are you doing this for women's right?

    Newsman: Or for the environment?

    Reporter: Or for animals?

    3rd Reporter: Or for nuclear arms?

    Forrest: (voice-over) They just couldn't believe that somebody would do all that running for no particular reason.

    2nd Reporter: Why are you doing this?

    Forrest: I just felt like running.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Achievement is the knowledge that you have studied and worked hard and done the best that is in you. Success is being praised by others, and that's nice, too, but not as important or satisfying. Always aim for achievement and forget about success.

    – Helen Hayes

    ReplyDelete
  6. Do they run in FBLA?

    Just saying.

    ReplyDelete
  7. All the members of a group support each of the individual members, and the individual members pledge to support the group........
    Basically it means All have ONE common GOAL, that all are working for, so they will work together to reach that goal. It's a great motto for teamwork and the ability to get things done if all on a team work for it.

    "Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno" is the Latin phrase that it originated from.

    It is also known as being the motto of Alexandre Dumas's Three Musketeers and is also the traditional motto of Switzerland.

    I like All for two and two for all just as much

    ReplyDelete
  8. In california do they run in the oopposite direction or on the other side of the road? I wasn't sure if it was a Northern Hemisphere - Southern Hemisphere type of thing.

    ReplyDelete
  9. why do people run?
    1. “I was brought up as a runner and have run my whole life”

    2. “My friends and/or family are runners and I did it to join them”

    3. “Over the past few years I’ve managed to really put on some weight and needed to get back in shape”

    4. “I believe that people were made to run”

    5. “I’m not the religious type, but there’s something spiritual about running in the outdoors and interacting with our world in a very simple yet inspiring way. To me, running is my religion since it brings me peace and happiness”


    6. “I would love to be a swimmer but I suck at it”

    7. “It’s a challenge”

    8. “I’m addicted to collecting the finisher’s medals”

    9. “I’m an adrenaline junkie and crossing the finish line is a thrill”

    10. “My friends pressured me into it”

    11. “I want to be a positive role model in my kids life”

    ReplyDelete

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