As I sat at work on Friday, I could't stop thinking about the fact that I was about to test my body like I've never tested it before. Was I really about to run 20 miles in 1 day? Yeah, I really was. Again, I look back in the past to 21 year old me. I even look back at 16 year old me. Would either of them have said that to themselves? Not a chance. 16 year old me would have been camping with good old Troop 905 with his best friends Aaron and Doug. 16 year old Aaron may have run 20 miles, but 16 year old Doug would have laughed if you asked him that question. 21 year old me was too busy trying to figure out college, eventually quitting, and joining the Navy instead. That version of me would have laughed at the thought, too. 43 year old me? 43 year old me just says, "wow, I'm really going to do this. And I'm not going to stop."
As the day progressed, there was a post going around Facebook about a local 12 year old boy who had taken his own life due to being bullied. That was something else that spent a great deal of time on my mind. I just could not stop thinking about that post. Why have things today changed so much that a 12 year old boy felt the need to do this? I don't know, and I'll never understand it. Did this sort of thing happen as much when we were growing up, or do we now just notice it more because we have access to everything 24/7? I don't know the answer to that, and I'm not really sure I want to know. What I do know is that this sort of tragedy should not have happened. It just shouldn't have happend.
I can admit that I got picked on growing up. I was, and still am to this day, a nerd. I don't say that to get down on myself. I say it with humor in my voice. I have more fun being an adult nerd than I did being a teenage nerd, though. There were times when classmates would knock my books out of my arms. There were times when I would get roughed up a little bit in gym class. There was even a time when someone decided it would be funny to give me a wedgie, one that actually ripped my underwear. I'm not sure what made that person and everyone else think it was so funny, but all I can remember saying, in anger, was "dude, we're ****ing 18 years old! When does this sh*t stop?" Yeah. We were seniors at that time. But, I graduated a few month later, and I never had to deal with those types of things again. Did I feel like I was bullied? You know, I don't think I would have called it that. At least, maybe not now. The only reason is because my definition of being bullied back then is completely different to how children are being bullied now.
To me, in my mind, it seems that some of today's kids seems to be hell bent on wanting to put all their wrong doings (or anything else for that matter) on the internet to see how many "hits" they can generate, or to see if what they've done will go "viral." They film another kid getting beat up or getting picked on instead of maybe trying to help or stop it. Some adults are no different. I truly feel that when it comes to the internet, so many people want to be the next big thing. They want to be the next viral sensation. They want their 15 minutes of fame. But why? What's the point? Do you really think that telling someone "my video got a hundred thousand views on You Tube" will really do anything for a college application or a job resume? No. It won't. But, they'll still do it, and other people will still watch those types of videos. But, these are my thoughts and this is only what I think. Maybe it's all stemming from my anger. It is still what I think (which doesn't mean I'm right.)
Unfortunately I also feel that there are more people who will laugh at and giggle at those videos than there are those that show outrage towards them. Today, when people are outraged, they just comment and say why they are outraged. A comment won't do anything to stop what has already happened from happening again. It seems like an endless cycle.
So, again, there I was on Friday with a thought. I was running 20 miles on Saturday. But, it wasn't for my marathon training. It was for that little 12 year old boy. A 12 year old boy that I've never met. A 12 year old boy that hurt so much inside that he is now no longer with us. A 12 year old boy that the world will never get to see how much potential he had, or how much he could have accomplished. A 12 year old boy that could have one day raised the Stanley Cup. A 12 year old boy that could have become President. I may be dedicating 26 miles for 26 different reasons come May 1st, but on Saturday, March 26th, I had 20 miles just for Evan.
All 20 miles were Evan's and Evan's alone. They weren't mine. They weren't yours. They were his. I know I don't know him or his family, and I'm sure I never will, but I want kids like him to know that no matter how bad it may get, or how bad it may seem, just talk to us. We will listen. And to the adults out there that fail to see or understand any of this, you have to listen, too. You must. It's our job as an adult, as a parent, as a cousin, a brother, an uncle, a friend. We can make this world a better place for these children, and for us. We truly can. But, we can only do that one way: together.
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| Coach Suzanne's JASR group: arms linked to stand together against bullying. |
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| The 80's called...they want their gym shorts back. |
The race itself was a 30k, or 18.6 miles. The plan was to add 1.4 mile cool down after I crossed the finish line to get in my 20. I was still sticking with the 10:00 min mile pace since that seemed to be what's been working best for the longer distances, and we had a pretty strong group. We did lose some runners as they were strong enough to pick up their pace and go faster, but I stuck to my guns and stuck with the plan. I had my gels, and I had plenty of fluids on me. As it turned out, I even had some friends working one of the water stations. That was a pleasant surprise!
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| Thanks to Ed and Jennifer Hogan; Chad Schirnhofer and his little girl Hogan, and to the rest of the St. Malachy team. |
I ran fora total of 3 hours and 20 minutes, and I felt good. I felt damn good. I didn't tire once. I didn't even feel tired! I felt as though if the marathon were this past Saturday I had another 6.2 miles in me. I can neither deny nor confirm that I went all Rick Flair on the final miles with my coach, wooing loudly. Wooooooo! (Note: this is OK in a race (I think,) but NOT OK at a Pirates or Penguins game. Ever.) 20 miles. WOW!
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| Coach let me hold the pace sign! |
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| Coach Suzanne and I after I finished my cool down miles to get my 20 for the day. |
Until later this week, keep on running, and let's run together.
Sinceriously Yours,
Chuck Hull.... The Running Jedi
#20milesforEvan #26miles26dediations #runpgh #gameonpgh
PS: Don't forget, there is still time to donate to my fundraiser this year. Please donate. We are at $700.00 raised. My goal is $1501. We are almost halfway there. I would love to get there in the next three weeks. I know we can get there. All it takes is lunch for one day. That's it. Click the link to donate. Remember: if we meet the goal, I'm raffling off a Mario Lemieux Jersey to one lucky person. ($1500 is the minimum to raise in order to receive the Jersey, and I want to give that to one of you, just like last year.)
https://www.crowdrise.com/LemieuxPittsburgh2016/fundraiser/chuckhull
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