All Because of Paul Carstons and Dr. Marcelo Laiz

Here I am with Paul Carstons on Staten Island before the start of the
2009 ING New York City Marathon.
I haven't seen Paul in a couple of years before this picture was taken.  I remember
walking right by him, talking with him on the phone asking him where he was!
I didn't recognize him right away!  He has run numerous races to include
three marathons and a bunch of half marathons since we met!

When I moved to the NY/NJ area in 2000, I started running with some consistency, but still it was just "when I had time".  Then I met Paul Carstons and Dr. Marcelo Laiz in New Rochelle, NY in 2002 while I worked for Aventis Pharmaceuticals.  Paul worked for another pharmaceutical company and Dr. Laiz was the internist we called on.  Paul should be an inspiration for all smokers out there, to those who want to lose weight or anyone who wants to start running.  Here was a guy who just gave up smoking cold-turkey because he knew it was affecting his quality of life and he was overweight.  He took up running earlier that year and was planning on running the New York Marathon with Dr. Marcelo Laiz!  Dr. Laiz ran regularly and was running for a charity, which I remember was Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  That was my first exposure to a charity runner, but never gave it any thought at that time.  They were members of the New York Road Runners Club and encouraged my to join.  I resisted a bit, but I remember Paul telling how much fun it is to run races in Central Park!  I finally did and ran my first race with them in 2003, Central Park's 150th Birthday 4-Miler.  It was my first race since the 1998 Army 10-Miler at Fort Bragg, North Carolina! Because of Paul and Dr. Laiz, I was "born again" in running!

Always a Runner...