I am running for TEAM ALS for my good friend, Michael Chavez Reilly, who died from ALS in November 2023.  

Michael and I met our first day of college in 1985 and he was one of the most extraordinary people I have ever met.  His commitment to living, even in the face of such an immensely difficult disease, is something I will always remember.  I will remember it because at the end of our nearly four-decade friendship, Michael showed me not only strength in the face of death, but also something about how to embrace life.

I will always miss Michael dearly.  I will miss those instances where one of us, for no apparent reason, would start to quote some random song and the other would instinctively finish the line.  I will miss his wisdom and silliness, his intensity and levity, his perfectionism and his carefree spirit. I will also miss but can never forget what his life showed to me.  That within the struggles of our existence, there is a beauty and a grace that occurs only when our lives are put into context with those around us.  That it is only through the love of others that our journeys make sense.  This was the last and greatest gift of Michael's friendship to me.

I am dedicating my run in the NYC Marathon in 2026 for Michael and for the thousands facing this awful disease.