In my last post I described my first marathon, in all its ignominy. It was hot and I started out too fast, and I hit the proverbial wall at mile 18. At that point, disappointment and pain led to dark thoughts – should I just give up? But I had something to keep me going, waiting to save me at mile 21.

My good friend William Howard has run several marathons, and when he heard I was running my first he made a remarkable offer: he would come to San Antonio, meet me at mile 21, and run the rest of the race with me. He knew all about hitting the wall and knew that a little encouragement for the last five miles of a marathon went a long way. He sure was right. Even though I hit my wall a little earlier than most, I could keep myself motivated with chants of “three more miles till William”, then “two more miles”, until I got to the 21 mile marker. He ran and walked (mostly walked) with me for the rest of the race, and I’m not sure I would have finished without his help. Thank you, William. An inspiring example of true friendship.