Remembered at Sunset

I found out a few days before Thanksgiving Break that a family friend passed away--very unexpectedly. He was 27 years old and in great physical condition. He is originally from my hometown, but lived in San Diego and ran many of the same half marathons as I. On Nov. 20th he had an asthma attack and died.

It's hard to wrap my mind around it and I can't stop myself from thinking about him while I'm running. I pay more attention to my lungs expanding and sucking air. I imagine the panic and pain of lungs that refuse to do this. In San Diego tonight, on my first run here since I found out about his death, I wondered if he ran the same roads. I thought about the La Jolla Half Marathon he ran a few years ago and how after he completed it (in a time I could never even hope to achieve) his lungs were so restricted it was equal to breathing through a straw. I tried to imagine what that would feel like, and nearly slowed to a walk just thinking about it. I thought about his funeral and the many friends who mentioned his appreciation for sunsets. When I saw the sun setting in Ocean Beach tonight, my eyes stung with tears.

The bio on his myspace page talks about doing as much as you can while you can. I want to have this priority in common with him as well. He traveled the world, he made friends everywhere he went, and he knew how to have a good time. I want more of these things in my life.

Thanks, Shane for a new perspective. I'm sorry you had to leave.