13 Miles for Your 13th Birthday
Before Miles was born we searched high and low for his name. Back then magazines coming in the mail was still very much a thing and I had a subscription to Runner’s World - being an avid runner. There was a feature every month called “Ask Miles” where runners could write in running/life related questions and “Miles” whoever that person really was, would answer them. Cue the naming inspiration for our sweet boy.
The name fit him perfectly - because he too grew to love running. After spending hundreds of miles in the jogging stroller with his brother, an iPad and some good snacks, he and Carter eventually graduated to riding their bikes next to me on runs and then eventually way out in front of me. He earned a spot in the school’s “100 mile Club” as a first grader and never looked back. He competed in races across our region - some even as long as six miles. Miles and I shared a love of running and went to several races together. I’ll never forget the race series when he asked me to run the race with him - “No more mile for me mom, I want to do the 5k with you.”
After Miles's first major brain surgery, he had to use a walker to regain his coordination to walk. But just a few days after his brain surgery, he finished a run held in his honor, hand in hand with his mom.
Running has always been a passion of mine, something that I found success in. Prior to Miles getting sick I competed in several marathons, halfs, two ultras, and was competitive. I still ran over the last few years - but it was for my mental health. The pace was slower, the distances shorter, but my love of it never left.
This year, in honor of his 13th birthday I am going to run 13 miles to raise funds for the Sam Day Foundation. The Sam Day Buddy Run will take place on Saturday, May 18th. Runners are paired up with Buddies that are either currently fighting cancer or who we have lost to cancer. The Sam Day Buddy Run is a small group, high-impact charity run for select endurance runners, benefiting the Sam Day Foundation (SDF). SDF partners with multiple hospitals in the Pacific Northwest to support research for some of the most destructive childhood cancers. This year, they are looking to fund some treatment trials targeting Medulloblastoma - the brain cancer Miles had.
Miles went to heaven because we simply ran out of options. The options are there - but the funding is not. Please help me honor our sweet boy by donating HERE and contributing $13 in honor of his 13th birthday and the 13 miles I will run - and make the future brighter for the 47 children who will be diagnosed with pediatric cancer today and every day in our country.
Oh, how I wish you could run it with me sweet boy.
