this is Major Tom to ground control

I'd like to take an opportunity to send out some belated thanks to those involved in some way with my marathon experience. If this was a moon shot, you all were mission control, the launch pad, and my Saturn V.

To Dylana...
for pitching me this crazy idea and making it sound like a good one. And for your diligent correspondence throughout, from before week 1 to after week 18.

To my family...
for making the trip to Chicago and for shuttling me back to Cleveland when my long runs took me to 30100. Seeing you after the race meant a lot.

To Jeff...
for your hospitality in Chicago. You can be my wingman anytime.

To Andy, Dylana, Andrew, Paul, and the Moen runners...
who at some point shared some footsteps with me along the way. Especially Paul, whose presence made those long Wednesday runs in the later weeks a lot less soul-crushing than they could have been.

To Matt and Nicole...
for all of the marathon advice, which helped me to not freak out.

To Dan and Meagan...
for doing your best to comfort me during those tough couple days in Brooklyn.

To Joe, Sheila, and Wayne...
for glasses of water during and after my Cleveland Heights runs. And for the packs of frozen vegetables and Chipotle.

To my donors...
who made the fundraising part of the marathon a real blessing. You were exceedingly generous.

To my readers...
who helped sell me on the concept of blogging. It was nice to know someone was reading. And when you posted comments, they were more humorous, insightful, and encouraging than you know.

And to my friends in Cleveland and all over the place...
for taking an interest in my running, listening to me ramble on sometimes, and occasionally making me feel just a little bit superhuman.