Tuesday, May 19, 2026

Tuesday, May 19, 2026

My name is Rob Halliday. I met Andy in 1998 when he joined the marathon training group that ran out of the Lake Forest Train Station every Saturday at 7:00am.

This was between his 1st and 2nd marriage and decades before Cindy. I had run with Kim before Andy joined and was slightly forewarned that he was a good athlete.

Once he joined he was the most fun running partner ever. We hit it off immediately and Saturdays were no longer dreaded long runs but endless fun. Many times we had to stop running because we couldn’t catch our breath from laughing too hard.

With Andy as ringleader we had a group that hung out together. (Isn’t this such a common thread with Andy?: always at the center of childhood friends, high school friends, college roommates, swim parents, neighbors, tax friends, etc.)

Early in the running group we would end our run at Lake Forest Beach standing or swimming in the water to cool off. Everyone was welcome. This group was known as the SMORONS. It stood for “Saturday Morning Only Run or Naked Swim.” I don’t think anyone got naked but I did miss a couple days of Andy and Kim’s runs so who knows, maybe.

For the next ten years Andy was the best training partner. 5ks, 10ks, 1/2 and full marathons. Lots of Chicago Marathons, Lake County, Las Vegas, so many others. Then we stumbled into triathlons. We were still with the original group of friends but by now this group was known as “The Idiots.”

There are many stories about where “The Idiots” name originated. But as Chief Idiot I know the real story. We were out drinking with the group and started talking about maybe doing an Ironman Triathlon. (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, then a 26.2 marathon) Brian’s wife was there, and said, “This is the most idiotic idea I have ever heard.”

A group, a name and a purpose were born that day.

Thousands of hours of training began. Andy was already a great swimmer. We all joined a triathlon training group that met at Lake Forest College every Sunday. Andy was immediately put in the Mark Spitz lane of great swimmers. The rest of us were in the minnow and guppy lanes, never to move up.

Lots of bike rides ensued; these were 50+ miles and higher, and mostly all over Wisconsin. Andy bought a Trek Madone, which was as cool a bike (Lance Armstrong’s bike) as you could get and earned him unlimited status points.

Run, run, run. So much running, but with Andy as partner it was always fun. We talked about everything: politics, restaurants, investing, career, family life, etc. Andy’s favorite topics were Nikki and Alex. He was the proudest father and could talk about them forever. We measured it once and yes, he talked about them for 6 miles, non stop.

In 2004 Andy and I did the Disney Florida 1/2 Ironman together. This is where we really got to meet Cindy. Wow! What a catch. I could start now and extol how wonderful Cindy is and was for Andy. But it’s all been said before. That’s a story for another novel. You are the best, Cindy!

Around this time Cargill/Mosaic started sending Andy to Tampa every week and with his preference to be in Crystal Lake with Cindy rightfully slowed down our collaboration. So we started to lose touch. As we got older and “The Idiots” went different ways real life continued to take over.

Nikki and Alex were passing through high school/college and Andy wanted to be there for them. His responsibility to bring the Garrett’s popcorn for all the swim meets was another passion he took very seriously. Garrett’s owes so much of their sales to Andy during this time they should name a flavor after him.

Andy did at least two Ironman competitions that I was there for - 2002 and 2004. He probably did more, but once you get to the top, well, what’s the point? Been there, done that!

But we continued to run and train because it was too much fun. I think we started to wind down in 2007. Andy and I were both injured. He had his never-ending plantar fasciitis and I had achilles tendinitis. No running for us for a long time.

However … we volunteered to host a water stop for our Saturday morning runners.

We decided it would be the best water stop ever. We covered two long folding tables with coffee, hot chocolate, champagne (with plastic champagne glasses), soft drinks, Gatorade, donuts, croissants, Egg McMuffins, and so much more. And even some water.

All the runners went crazy and it was an instant party, but the Group Leader that we called Grumpy Bill didn’t approve. So that was the end of our involvement in the group. Adios gang. FUGB.

Time and life moves on.

Andy texted me on February 4, 2025 at 9:04 pm.

It was a long text, several paragraphs of catching up on taxes for seniors, news about Wyatt and Coco, and “a wonderful wife who loves me more than I deserve.”

Then in paragraph 4, “In August of 2024, I was diagnosed with ALS. Yeah… shitty diagnosis, but it is what it is.” He added, “Thanks for being Chief Idiot!! Those years of my life mean so much to me. Love to you and Sue.”

Stunned, flabbergasted, speechless. The same emotions we all experienced when we learned. This can’t be true, Andy was the most natural athlete I had ever met. That shitty disease.

So, I had the honor and pleasure of getting together with Andy and Cindy for several wonderful lunches in Libertyville, Barrington, and what must have been a favorite, Lindy’s Landing in Wauconda. At each one it was heartbreaking to see the progress of that shitty disease, but Andy’s endless positive attitude always made it fun to be together.

Somehow I had not been clued in to reading the daily blog. But once I started I could only read a couple days at a time, especially after reading with a glass of wine. It was too hard.

Andy, I eventually noticed that for all our time swimming, biking, running, hanging, laughing, etc. together, out of 535 days I was only mentioned four times.

So I’m looking up at you in Heaven right now and letting you know when we get together, (assuming I go up) next time it’s your turn to buy lunch.

Miss you!