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Final thoughts.

As my Boston Marathon journey has come to an end, I reflect on the impact it’s had on my life…

I am grateful. For the Man above watching over me, my teammates, every runner out there, every volunteer and supporter along the way. Allowing us all to be the best we could be. For everyone that supported me from day one. The people that said I was crazy and asked “why, why do that to yourself?” I thank them, that inspired me to attempt the impossible even more. Which, as we know now, was not actually impossible. I’m grateful for the friendships and relationships I’ve made along the way. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I feel truly blessed I have these new people in my life. I wouldn’t trade them for the world. For every single person that donated financially, contributed their words of encouragement, helped babysit, or gave me a ride somewhere, I’m grateful. For the whole BWH staff and Reny family, joining the Stepping Strong family has been a great joy that I’ll cherish forever. And for all my family and friends who supported me on the front lines or behind the scenes, I simply could not have done this without you.

The phrase “mind over matter” has been tried and true. It is as simple as that. After this experience, I undoubtedly believe anyone can do anything they want if they want something bad enough, are willing to work hard for it, and put their mind to it. I think anyone can do a marathon. Anyone. Give your body a few months for a chance to get used to what’s happening, stay hydrated, stretch, get sleep and the sky is the limit. If anyone had any interest whatsoever of doing a marathon one day in their life, I 100% support them and encourage them to go for it. There is no time like the present. I was the guy who never ran a day in his life before this journey, so if I can do it, anyone can.

One of the biggest things I’ve taken from my journey, is an awareness of helping others. Often times you don’t understand something until you experience it. You don’t know what the stomach bug is like until you get it and can’t actually eat for a week. You don’t know what it’s like walk on crutches for months until you break your leg. And you don’t know what complications at birth are like, until your child goes through them. We learn things the hard way unfortunately. If there’s anything I take away from all this, it’s this: do something, anything, always, sometimes, whenever you can, that can help someone else. I got to run the 2018 Boston Marathon, while raising a bunch of money that will help someone in the future. I don’t know what could be better than that. We’re all here on this earth for a while, so let’s make it the best place we can. Go do something that helps someone else.

And since I’m not done with this running thing, I’m pumped to say that ill be running this year’s NYC Marathon on November 4, 2018 for Breast Cancer research and awareness! (click for fundraiser link) 

But that’s another story for another day ;)

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Life of Dad interview!

“We talk with Paul Brogna. He ran in this year's Boston Marathon to raise money for Brigham and Women’s Hospital. That hospital saved his child’s life. We talk with Paul about running the Boston Marathon, fatherhood and more.”

Video podcast/interview link!

I was super honored these guys not only found me, but asked me to be on their show. What an awesome experience this was. Too bad I lost connection at the end, but it was still a blast. Very humbling to see the folks at Life of Dad recognizing the importance of parenthood and positively impacting children. 

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Official team reunion!

The Stepping Strong Team put together one last hurrah.

I truly enjoyed seeing teammates and sharing our raceday stories here (because it’s impossible to do so on actual race day). I’m so happy to know I’ve made some pretty awesome lifelong friends. A few of us have already made plans to golf, have family get-togethers, run future races, and continue our friendships. It was also great to actually eat delicious food, have a drink, dance and be merry around these folks, since we never did any of that while training!

I will truly miss seeing each and everyone of these teammates regularly. I’m so thankful I got to be on this team and have these bonds.

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Sox game!

Erich “Buddha” Buddenhagan took a few of us to a Sox game to celebrate what we’ve done and to thank coach John Furey for everything.

Myself, Doc Richard Baum, Meghan Schelzi, coach and Buddha had a Sunday-funday blast. Amazing seats, amazing people, so thankful I got to be a part of this.

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Reunited & feels so good! [Peaches & Herb voice]

Anthony, Lindsey and myself finally caught up to celebrate what we’ve accomplished.

After a month since the race, it was the first time post-marathon that we actually reflected back on our journey in person. People ask me all the time how the experience was—but talking about it with these two just isn’t the same as we were inseparable and lived through it together. It was so nice to be around these two, catching each other up on our lives. And, since we were so strict during training, this celebratory drink was long anticipated for us! First of many.

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Family runs!

I plan to continue running and incorporate running with my family. Hopefully I can attempt weekend jogs with my wife, pushing Luca in the jogger.

We started last weekend, and it was pretty awesome. We jogged/walked 3 miles, and had such a good time. We’re outside, active, smiling, talking, and most importantly, we’re together. Something we haven’t done in months.

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My wife Kelsey.

This woman gives the word “sacrifice” a whole new meaning.

To say the past year (also the first year of Luca’s life) has been challenging would be an understatement. As a new mom, her world already got flipped upside down, never mind the added complications out of the gate with Luca’s 13 day NICU stay. She returned to work at Lasell College, being the smart, talented, and driving force that she is. She got herself a promotion. She continued to operate our small DJ company, continuing to handle all things administrative (because God knows I don’t have a clue what’s going on!). She managed to handle all the ins and outs of selling of our current home/purchase of our new home in this month of April. And just when you think she can’t handle enough, oh right, she planned Luca’s first birthday party at our house (that was amazing by the way) which was April 22nd, just FIVE days after the marathon! These are the big ticket items that I visibly saw with my own two eyes.

Then there’s the stuff that I never even saw. Raising our child at home without me. I pause for a second typing this because it makes me extremely emotional. On one hand, I feel awful I was gone 2, 3, sometimes 4 days a week between long runs, team meetings, or late work nights. On the other hand I feel so, so blessed to have had such a willing, supportive, strong, relentless, rockstar mom to pick up every single piece that I couldn’t. Diapers? Medicine? Baby food? Did you know these things don’t take care of themselves? Because I unfortunately never think of these things. Kelsey does. She did when I was gone, she does when I’m home, and she will always be an amazing caregiver to our family. These words scratch the surface on how selfless and essential she has been the past year, never mind the past 5 months.

She is my best friend, my wife, the mother of my child, and I love her with all of my heart. I thank Kelsey, for literally everything she has done lately. I may have done the actual run of 26.2 miles on April 16th, but when it comes to training, completing, and talking all about the 2018 Boston Marathon, none of this would be possible without her and what she sacrificed. None of it. She is the reason why this was possible.

I will be forever grateful.

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Thank you donors!

Because of every single generous person who donated to my fundraising, I was able to raise $10,000 OVER my goal of $7,500.

The list of names here is somewhere around 200 people when all is said and done. That many people took the time, effort and care to financially contribute to this cause. In a time where the cost of living is extremely high, and the choices of where money could be spent are endless, this many people gave, and gave willingly. Just amazing.

I cannot thank everyone enough. I’m so happy this money will go towards helping someone else in the future.

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Coach John Furey.

In the words of our coach... “This ain’t no fall foliage 5k.”

John was a runner in his day, holding some pretty fast times for Boston, coaches running for Emerson College, and has been coaching trainings for marathons now for quite some time. We’ve all valued his guidance through training, especially all of us first time marathoners. His down to earth personality has allowed him to always keep it real for us with any questions we had. He never pushed us too hard, yet always made time to check in with every person on board to see how their progress was going. I’ve learned a lot from John, had many good conversations about running, but also have become freinds with him and plan to stay in touch. A few of us have a Red Sox game lined up next month and I can’t wait. He played a huge role in getting me ready for Boston, and I thank him for all the advice as more importantly all the laughs along the way. John was right, “this was not the Weymouth Women’s Walkathon One Miler” or “the Falmouth 5k Relay”!

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Lindsey & Anthony.

Stepping Strong is where I met my two favorite running mates that mean the world to me.

From day one to race day, she has been one of my closest teammates that I can call my freind. I met Lindsey at our first team run on Dec 9th (first picture below). Caroline randomly introduced us to each other. We made small talk and ended up running with each other for the 6 miler. It’s always an unknown when you meet someone for the first time what the dynamic will actually be like. Are you guys similar? Are you very different? Do you have anything in common? Do you be outgoing and get to know them, or stand off and not force team morale?... Once we all got going, we both conveniently happened to run similar pace. We exchanged numbers to chat about the next team run and before we know it, that was the beggining of a whole new friendship.

I met Anthony at our first team meeting, and it was wild how much we had in common. From the same area, now both live in Peabody, come from strong Italian culture (even know the same family/friends), both married with one son, and we’ve both never run a marathon. Over time we ran many long runs together and got to know each other really well. We shared many ups and downs together. He became my brother from another mother. When the race was over, I invited him to my son’s first birthday because we have become family and I wanted him there. My man, insert fist bump emojis.

I will definitely miss seeing these two every week, running with them, and talking race day strategy. I will also truly miss pretending to be Uber driver and chauffeur!

I am extremely thankful we were brought together to share this experience. I truly believe this was no accident or coincidence. I will treasure the memories I’ve made with these two forever. Though the race is over, I know this just the beginning of the next chapter in our lives. Spending more times together in the future with our families, and looking forward fun runs along the way. I’m proud of them and what we accomplished together. My heart is full.

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Ali & Caroline.

These two ladies work for Brigham and Women’s as team coordinators and played a huge role in my journey. They planned everything from start to finish. Literally. Pun definitely intended.

Caroline is the first woman I spoke with weeks after Luca was born in May 2017, where I said over the phone “how can I apply to run for BWH?”. From that moment, she has been nothing extremely helpful, supportive, kind, informative, fun, enthusiastic, accountable and reliable. With a team of 141 members, I can’t even imagine the amount of logistics and behind the scenes effort it takes to ensure smooth results and success. Day in and day out, she gave her all and it definitely did not go unnoticed.

I met Ali at the first team meeting, where she greeted me with open arms. I was one of the first ones there and I remember writing my name tag in a pink sharpy, because why not in pink, and she immediately engaged and returned the same amount of enthusiasm to me. It was that moment I realized this was gonna be a good crew. And not only did Ali run the show, she actually RAN the marathon with us. What? How? How does someone manage the team, ensure 1 million things get done, live outside of work and actually sleep? No clue. But she did it, and ALWAYS gave me a smile. She never once let life slow her down or become negative. She was always smiling and positive. Not easy to do.

It truly takes a certain kind of person to do such meaningful work like this, and then excel at it. Ali and Caroline we’re invaluable to my experience and I will always remember every single thing they did for us, both the obvious and the stuff behind the scenes. I appreciate their kindness, willingness, and above-and-beyond work ethic. Thank you. I can’t wait to see them again.

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Stephen & Audrey Reny.

I heard going into this with Stepping Strong, it would be such an amazing experience with the Reny’s. I definitely heard right.

Stephen and Audrey are two strong, strong parents who truly turned tragedy into triumph starting the Gilian Reny foundation for their daughter who was directly impacted from the 2013 bombing. From day one, they took the time to meet and know as many people on the team as possible. They took us in for team dinners, and led by example on and off the course. If I can ever run Boston again one day, running for Stepping Strong would be my absolute honor.

I feel so proveldged to have not only met them, but to become their freinds. Yeah, even Facebook freinds. We’re not going anywhere. Heart and hug emojis.

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Some Wellington runners.

Back to work after a few days off, and had to take a celebration pic with fellow Wellington Management colleagues that ran Boston!

Cissy Hu ran for MR8, and Matt Ullman ran for House of Possibilities (HOPe). Matt and I work in the same department, and Cissy used to, but we still like her ;) so we included her in the photo! The orange jackets... it’s like anyone who has one is part of a giant bond that no one can break!

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Post-race blues are REAL.

The few days after the marathon were some of the saddest days I’ve had in a long time.

To say I was depressed sounds dramatic, but it’s true. I was really upset. Coming off a highest-high, was followed by the lowest-lows. This became a huge part of my life for the past 5 Months. Everything I’ve been training for, looking forward to, thinking about non-stop, has come to end, and very adruptly.

I’ll miss so much about the people I’ve met, the failures and successes, and then believe it or not, the actual running. It will take me some time to digest this, as time heal heals everything, and I’ll be fine. Our coach warned me that I’m not gonna know what to do with myself when this ends, and that it’s sad. I didn’t listen. But man, was he right.

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I’ve run 339 miles.

From October 1, 2017 through Marathon Monday April 16, 2018, I ran almost 340 miles when all is said and done. Geez. Never thought I’d ever say that in my life.

I kept an excel training log from day one, mapping out weekly goals, what I actually ran, along with any notes I kept along the way. I could have done a better job at my comments and notes, but overall I think the data is very interesting.

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Hot off the press.

I had no idea the Peabody newspaper would include resident marathon runners. So cool to be on the list!

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Medal engraving!

The very next morning, a few of us decided to keep this party going by heading to Marathon Sports on Boylston for free medal engraving! The engraving includes our name and finishing time on the back.

The line was extremely long, wrapping around the building, but standing outside for 2 hours with some of my favorite people was well worth it. Plus there was free Dunkins coffee for us in line!