Now that the weather is getting nicer, I have started seeing a number of people running. I cannot help feeling the pain of David’s loss as I look at them running and appearing so carefree and energized. I am reminder of my dear David, who was an avid runner. He craved running, it was stress relief, it was liberating, and it energized him.

David enjoyed running, swimming, biking, and weight lifting. While it is hard to say which one he liked the most, I believe running gave him the greatest satisfaction. He enjoyed the runner’s high. He had running gear for all seasons, – come rain, come snow, he ran. He always said he had his best run in the rain.

At his peak, he used to average between 10 to 12 miles a day and ran about five days a week. He competed against himself, always trying to break his previous record. He planned on running in the NYC marathon. I asked him once why he was so committed to exercising and he said he was inspired by the birth of our first child to stay in top shape.

Sadly, the microscopic blood noted in David’s urine, a symptom of bladder cancer was simply attributed to the fact that he was an avid runner – a non-serious condition also known as runner’s hematuria. I recall that as the disease progressed, David was upset that despite all his efforts to stay healthy and in top form, he had cancer and the Doctors failed to diagnose it early. However, due to his overall physical and mental wellbeing, I always believed that if anyone could overcome the disease, it was certainly David.

Below is an image of an email David sent me with the details of one of his best run time and a lesson he learned the following day: