Thursday, September 18, 2025 – Day 401

Thursday, September 18, 2025

Good morning, blog readers.

It’s been a quiet week with a touch of post-wedding blues. The whirlwind of Alex and Nicole’s big day, combined with my physical fatigue, has me feeling a little flat.

The best way I can explain it is with an Ironman analogy. When you train for an IM, it becomes all-consuming. Every spare minute is dedicated to preparation—you borrow time from work, family, sleep, and just about everything else. Then race day arrives, you give it your all, and suddenly…it’s over. What comes next often feels like a void. That’s where I am now: wedding blues, Ironman version.

But like any race recovery, this will pass. Soon all eyes will turn to the Chicago Marathon on October 12—just 24 days away! We received an invitation to the pre-race dinner that ALS United is hosting. Looking forward to seeing all the runners who are raising $$ for ALS, with an overall goal to raise just over $500k. They’re at 92% as of this morning. If you would like to help support them, click on the hamburger icon in the top right of this blog and go to the🎗️Fundraiser link.

Which reminds me: Andy’s Army marathon shirts will be ordered early next week. Tomorrow I’ll post the list of names we have so far. If you don’t see your name and want a shirt, you’ll have until Sunday, September 21 to get added. The shirt design is at the bottom of today’s post.

Yesterday Cindy had a ladies’ day out with some of my high school friends, and she brought her sister Barb along. Naturally, wedding stories were the main attraction. I was invited but decided to stay home, rest, and read.

I picked up The Gray Man from the library on Lis’s (my sister) recommendation. Part of me feels like I’ve read it before, but it’s not on my library list and the details don’t ring a bell. Maybe it just feels familiar because it’s in the same lane as other thrillers I’ve read. Either way, I’ll stick with it.

Meanwhile, Masked Prey arrived from Amazon yesterday—number 30 in the Prey series. That leaves me with seven books to go in the 36-book run. I’ve really enjoyed the series, though I’d be hard-pressed to recall each plot line. They’ve all blurred together into one long chase, but it’s been a fun ride.

This afternoon I’m catching up with my old training buddy, Rob, for lunch. Looking forward to sharing updates and, no doubt, revisiting some stories from our “Idiot” race days.

Have a great Thursday. Love you guys! ❤️