What Can't You Give Up?

Every once in a while I pass by my old friend David on the bike path while out for a daily run. David's an avid runner and even though he's almost 80 now, he still runs every day and still runs a leg of the relay in the Vermont Marathon.

Now running while you're almost 80 might be enough for a blog post, but that's not the real story. 

Several years ago, while running the full marathon, David collapsed and almost died. At about mile 8, his heart stopped beating and he fell to the ground amidst a crowd of runners. Lucky for David, a number of doctors and residents where also running near him, and they stopped and got his heart beating again.

Notice I didn't say "saved his life?" That's because he was still touch and go while he was in the hospital over the next several days. Actually, I think that his wife, an amazing person, willed him back to life. 

After all of that drama, intensity and near death experience what did David do? He signed up to run 1/2 the marathon the next year. His family did everything they could to talk him out of it, but David insisted and he's continued to run ever since.

Even though it came close to killing him, running is something David obviously can't live without. I guess he feels that if he stops, he gives up something that's makes his life worth living.