When I looked at the date today I realized: 14 years ago I was actively treating at Shick Shadel hospital! In fact, scrolling back through the posts I see that on December 29 2021 I did my first of the Duffys. Yikes!
How have you been doing? I realize that my last post in November 2019 is squarely in the before-times, that's a big part why it feels like it has been so long since I've posted. Two years ago in our current times is forever.
I hope you're handling everything ok. I have thought multiple times about how happy I am that, given the stress of lockdowns and social isolation, that I don't drink. Thank God I don't drink.
I've been holding up fairly well. I moved back to Washington just before COVID really hit, so I felt lucky when we were told to work from home that I had a home close to my family that I could lockdown in.
As I wrote about in my last post, running has become my big project. In 2019 I started sharing videos of my taces on YouTube, and slowly I gained a few subscribers. Whenever I prep for a race, I seek out videos on YouTube of the course, it is a good way to see what kinds of terrain or experiences I might have. It was fun for me to put my video production background to use and share my races for those in the future doing similar homework. In the spring of 2020 I finally made and shared a documentary of my Moab 240 experience, the race I mentioned in my last post.
A couple months after I posted this video, the YouTube algorithm started suggesting it to people around the world. Suddenly my views spiked and people were watching and really enjoying my content. Things have settled down since, but the Moab video now has over 269,000 views and when I run races now, I meet people who recognize me from YouTube. It is wild.
Even though most races were canceled in 2020, I continued to train. I had big plans for when the world reopened and I wanted to be ready.
In the spring of 2021 I reached out to Schick Shadel to tell them of some of those big plans, I thought if they started to accept visitors again maybe I could come down and share my story. I told them about how in May of 2021 I would be running 250 miles across Arizona in a foot race that was bring held for the first time. Sounds cool, right?
It was cool. It was an amazing experience. I met incredible people and I was further convinced these kinds of long ultras are what I'm after. I love going for 4 days, pushing myself, finishing what seems impossible to many. But I finished, my video documenting the race has been watched by many runners and I feel blessed that my experience serves to inspire others.
So to wrap up the Schick Shadel subplot, my story did resonate with the guys I met, and they ended up using my story in print, radio, and TV ads!
So all is well here. In the last year I have been blessed to have friends ask me about my experience ending alcohol use. I have been interviewed in podcasts where I can share my story, and it is an honor to talk about my path through Schick Shadel hospital to no longer using-- not even wanting-- any alcohol.
Oh! Another little story from the recent past, this is relevant too. My partner Leah and I went out to dinner, some place we hadn't been. We ordered two drinks from the "Mocktails" section of the menu. The server asked "do you want Vodka in those?" Leah and I looked at each other confusedly, because we ordered from the section of the menu devoted to not including alcohol. I said no, but when the drinks arrived and I took my first sip, I spit it out! Leah's was gross too (I didn't try it), because we're sure they did put vodka in there. I barely remember what Vodka tasted like, but I knew what was in my mouth was poison. I didn't vomit, thankfully, but my aversion to that drink was strong. We got up and left.
I can't believe it has been so long since I was at Schick Shadel hospital. 14 years is a long time. I'm so happy the treatment continues to work on me. Still going strong!
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