Asbestos Awareness Week April 1-7

I learned today from a comment left on my blog that this is Asbestos Awareness Week.  My new friend Heather asked me to share her story and even sent me some awesome pictures to share as well. 

A Mother' and daughter's love!

Please take a few minutes to learn about the dangers of Asbestos and follow the links in the article and share the message with your friends and family on Twitter, on Facebook, wherever you can.  

Every year 3,000 people are diagnosed with Mesothelioma, a deadly cancer caused by exposure to Asbestos. 

On average these people are given 10 months to live, 300 days, 7,200 hours. 

Imagine what might be possible if 7,200 people shared this message, used their voices to raise awareness, sharing a simple message that could save a life.

Make your actions echo so loudly that no one will be able to hear your words.  Heather beat the odds, will you be a voice so others can as well?

"Remember: From awareness grows hope. Each voice could save a life."~Heather Von St. James

Cameron, Lily and Heather 

Will you commit to being one of the 7,200 voices this week?

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Claire's gambit

Claire Davis's last spoken words were to the person who shot her.  "Oh my gosh Karl, what are you doing?"

Claire tried to shine her light into the darkness that had overtaken Karl’s life. That was her gambit, armed only with kindness and concern, she tried to start a conversation with this troubled young man.

I have never before mentioned the name of a school shooter before and Claire's parents call to action for all of us is to not sweep his name under the carpet.  Karl has parent's and a sister.  "Karl is gone now and it is not our responsibility to judge him."~Mike Davis. 

Mike went on to share that he had forgiven Karl.  I was stunned by the courage he showed to be able to say his name.

The minister, challenged all of the Claire's classmates to find the other Karl's in their school.  That is the challenge for all of us.  Find the Karl's in our community, reach out, connect.  "I won't give up on you." 

This was a new perspective on school shootings that I never considered before.  I have steadfastly refused to write their names, banishing them to obscurity.

Missy Franklin spoke at Claire's service today.  She is proud to call herself a Coloradoan.  She grew up 5 miles from Arapahoe High School.  Kudo's to Missy for being a role model, for caring about Claire, for her classmates, for her community.

Colorado leads the nation in school shootings.  I love Colorado, I have lived here my entire life and as awful as that statistic is, I hope no other state will overtake us, because that will only mean that the shootings have continued.

Today I launched a website that was built in honor of Claire.  Please take the pledge to honor Claire with action.  Accept the gambit that she offered armed only with kindness and concern for a classmate.

Go into your community, into your schools and find the Karl's.   Shine her light at the Karl's that are lost.  Arm yourselves with kindness, compassion and concern like Claire did. 

We are Claire's angels now and we are her light.

Claire's light

We found out today that Claire's nickname on her Equestrian riding team is "Fluffy Little Rainbow Child".  FLRC(Flerk) as Claire pronounced it.

If you are on Twitter and Facebook and happen to read this post, please post on your timeline, please retweet with the hashtags,

#honorwithaction, #flrc, #ClaireDavis

#FLRC

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Most memorable sports moment in 2013

Denver Sports Nation was filling in for Irv and Joe today on Mile High Sports and the hunt for the day was to tweet or call in with your most memorable sports moment in 2013.

I thought about the hapless moment where Rahim Moore misplayed a hail mary pass from Joe Flacco allowing the Ravens to tie the Broncos in the waning moments of a divisional playoff game, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

As a life long Bronco fan it was a painful moment, compounded by the ever crafty decision of John Fox to take a knee to allow the Broncos to regroup only to eventually lose in double overtime after an ill advised throw across his body by one, Peyton Frozen Manning. 

While this was a disappointment as a fan it pales in contrast to what happened on Patriot's day at the 118th running of the Boston Marathon. 

Marathon runner blown off his feet by the blast near the finish line

As a marathon runner, this was a profoundly disturbing event and again served as a reminder that our lives are fragile, our way of life remains under attack.

From the worst we witness in human behavior, those who choose to attack innocent people to the first responders in these horrific moments.  Can we please stop pretending that athletes are heroes and role models because of their athletic abilities?  I will choose a policeman, a firefighter, a paramedic, the soldier that serves our country as my heroes. 

The other part of my most memorable sports moment goes hand in hand with the marathon bombing.  If only we could carry these sense of unity and community every day, what would be possible?

This is our f******* city~David Ortiz

#BostonStrong

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There are no words for this

Claire Davis passed away this afternoon after being shot at point blank range last Friday.

Life is short, love accordingly

As a community, once again we are left with the unthinkable, the unknowable grief of losing another precious life to an act of gun violence.

My heart goes out to Claire's family and all that knew and loved her and whose hearts are shattered tonight.

Statement from the Davis Family:

It is with unspeakable sadness that we write and say that Claire has passed away from the gunshot wound she received at Arapahoe High School on December 13, 2013. Although we have lost our precious daughter, we will always be grateful for the indelible journey she took us on over the last 17 years—we were truly blessed to be Claire’s parents. The grace, laughter and light she brought to this world will not be extinguished by her death; to the contrary, it will only get stronger.

Last week was truly a paradox in that we lost our daughter, yet we witnessed the wonderful love that exists in the world through the tremendous outpouring of support we received. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank the first responders, the school resource officer, security guard and vice principal at Arapahoe High School, the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s office, and the physicians, nurses and staff at Littleton Adventist Hospital. Each played a significant role in giving Claire a chance to live, and demonstrated extreme amounts of professionalism, courage and love. Please know that we will never forget the extraordinary work you did on Claire’s behalf.

We ask that you give us time to grieve the death of our daughter by respecting our wishes for privacy.

With much loving-kindness,
The Davis Family

I never knew Claire and I know that our world is far worse now without her.

As the days turn into weeks and months and into years, we must never forget Claire.

I have to keep moving forward with doing what I can to honor Claire.

I can't tolerate another school shooting.

School violence ends with me.

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Social Media at it's best

I was delighted to see this on Twitter today, under the #PrayforClaire hashtag.

Claire is a fan on One Direction and a twitter campaign resulted in One Direction making a video and sharing some love with Claire.

You guys are all so amazing!!! It worked!! Thank you and we love you!! @onedirection http://t.co/Tfb06cleYJ #PrayForClaire
— Katie (@KatieBug0925) December 19, 2013

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What are you tolerating?

"What are you tolerating in your life?"

I was stopped in my tracks when trying to answer this question today. 

What are you tolerating? 

To my shock and shame, the answer that leapt to mind, was "I am tolerating school shootings."  

I live in Colorado and I have witnessed the terror and horror of the shootings at Columbine High School in April, 1999.   Columbine is 15 miles from where I live. 

In September of 2007, our community was rocked once again by the shooting of Emily Keyes.  In the aftermath of her shooting, the I Love you guys foundation was born. 

We wept again for Emily. 

July 20, 2012, less than a mile from my house 12 people were killed at the Century 16 theatre only because they sat in Theatre 9 in Aurora, Colorado. 

A classmate from my son's high school bought a ticket in theatre 9 and didn't make it home to her family that night.  Adam went to a different theater that night.  

Again as a community, we wept for those lives cut short.  One of those killed that night was 6 years old. 

Then there was Sandy Hook, 26 lives. 

We went through the motions of rattling the sword.  The liberal's blamed the NRA and the right wing extremists.  The right wing blamed the liberals.  The President and Congress said nothing could be done.    I blamed and scorned our elected officials for their lack of courage, their inaction. 

I don't pretend to have the answer nor to comprehend the complexities of the right to bear arms versus protecting the lives of children and adults who are massacred for going shopping, for choosing to attend a midnight showing of a movie or going to school. 

There are some that celebrate that only one student was shot on Friday.  This is viewed as a victory after Columbine.  I can't celebrate that an innocent girl, that loves horses was shot in the head because she was sitting in the cafeteria of her high school having lunch with a friend. 

To do nothing again in light of the most recent school shooting makes me a co-conspirator to the madness.   My lack of action borders on the criminal. 

I don't pretend to think that I alone can change what happened to Claire Davis last Friday.  All I know is that I have to do something.  I have to try.  

I can't tolerate another shooting in my community and expect Congress, the President to do what I won't do. 

So today, I commit to honor Claire Davis with action. 

Tomorrow, I am calling my Colorado State representative(Su Ryden), I am calling my Colorado State Senator(Caroll Morgan).  I am going to call my congressman(Mike Coffman), my Senators(Michael Bennet and Mark Udall).  I am calling Governor John Hickenlooper. 

Friday when I fly home from Austin, I am going to draft a letter to everyone of these people and ask them to stand with Claire and honor her with action.  It is past time for them to issue empty press releases.  It is time for action.  There is too much at stake for me, for them, for us to wait for another shooting.   What will it take?  We can't afford another Sandy Hook.  We can't lose another Emily.  We can't lose Claire.  Our world is worse without Emily.  It will be far worse without Claire. 

I can't tolerate this anymore.  I just can't. 

I am giving up my co-conspirator status.  I renounce my complicity in these shootings. 

I invite you to join me and honor with action for Claire Davis. 

Claire Davis

This has to stop. Gun violence and school shootings ends with me. 

If you are inspired to action, please retweet, like on Facebook and most importantly.

Please send a letter of support to Claire and her family, you can mail them to: 

Claire Davis

c/o Littleton Adventist Hospital
7700 S. Broadway
Littleton, CO 80122

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That's just Potts

I went to the funeral of my dear friend, Parenthia(Potts) Jones yesterday.

I was delighted to see that the service was (SRO), standing room only.  It seemed only fitting that her last race would be a sellout.

SRO for Potts!

A couple of things stood out for me at the service.

A co-worker told a story of the three words that described Potts to him.

If she was doing something unorthodox, he would say "That's just Potts."

If she was doing something that was inspirational, he would say, "That's just Potts."

Creigh Kelly, had been friends with Potts for three decades.  Years ago, she told him that "Martin Luther King had a dream, and so do I."  Her dream was to help people and she did in countless ways.

A mother told a story of how her son had gotten into trouble when he was 17 and had to perform many hours of community service.  She reached out to Potts and asked her if she would work with his son.

Her son was 6' 2" and Potts on her best day in 4 inch heels might have been 5' 0".  She put him to work polishing the brass handrails at the courthouse.

Fast forward 12 years and the mother of this young man visited Potts at hospice she was staying at and she found out that hours earlier her son had come to visit Potts.  That was the kind of impact she had on everyone she met.

One of my favorite memories of Potts is how she threw together "A day to remember 5K", one month after 9-11 to give us a chance to honor those who had been lost on that awful day and to celebrate our country.  My son Adam was 12 years old at the time and Potts told him to register in the running wave for his age group as she knew if he entered in that division he would get a medal.   She always, always put other people first.  That's just Potts!

Love you Potts, I will so miss you.

Happy trails!

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Patriot's Day

Adam and I were driving to lunch today when Laura called to tell me there were two small explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. 

We hoped that maybe it was just a terrible accident. As we watched the news unfold it became apparent that this was an act of terrorism.  At this point we don't know if this is a foreign or domestic attack, but nonetheless it is another attack on our country, on our way of life. 

As a runner this hit me hard.  My family has waited at the finish line of many of the marathons that I have been fortunate enough to have run  Finish lines from San Francisco to Paris, France.  Standing in crowds of thousands of people, waiting patiently for me to cross, cheering for countless strangers as they chased and realized their dreams of becoming a marathoner.  

Adam told me today that he has so many great memories of standing at the finish line of many marathons and today that memory was taken away from many runners and their families.  

My heart aches for the families who have had their lives shattered.  My heart aches for the community of runners whose spirit and courage has no limits.  I am honored to be a part of this community that laces up their shoes every week and raises countless money for charitable organizations. 

As a community as a nation, we will bind our hearts together and find a way to get through this.  

If you have a race shirt, please consider wearing it tomorrow or any day for the rest of this week and show your support and solidarity for Boston. 

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Possibility 5K

"I dwell in possibility"~Emily Dickinson

On Sunday July 22, Colorado Youth at risk dedicated the 2012 Possibility 5K to the  Possibility of ending violence in our community.  


You can learn more about Colorado Youth at Risk by clicking here. 

My wife gave this event life.  It is her vision to raise awareness for this agency and attract new mentors to this program.

Sue and I have both mentored young people for Colorado Youth at Risk.  Sue is a super volunteer for Colorado Youth at Risk.  She has worn many different hats as a mentor, a small group leader and a community coach.  She has such a passion for the young people that she is serves.

One of the things that we both saw as a possibility for Colorado Youth at Risk was to be able to introduce CYAR to the running community.

Runners know what it means to show up for a race, for their training partners, for their community.

A friend of ours is a new runner was looking for 5K races to run.  She found our race on the Active.Com website and chose the Possibility 5K because she has a heart for working with young people.

She went to a creating promise tour meeting to learn more about becoming a mentor.  She made the commitment to mentor a young person for the next program that will start in the fall.

Sue and I are thrilled beyond words because this is exactly what we thought could be possible with this event.

Our friend wore this on front of her race shirt to honor those we lost during the latest violence in our community.  I know she will be an awesome mentor.

Runners do whatever it takes to get to the finish line.  The might  even pick someone up along the way!

"It rocks you hard, but you have to take a step back, look at all of these horrible things that have happened lately and choose to make a difference."Sam Granillo, Columbine High school survivor. 


What will you choose to make a difference?  What possibility will be born from your choice? 

Denver Bronco Junior Cheerleaders!

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We Are Aurora

Hey twitter! You get it first! We Are Aurora tribute t-shirt! @DnDenver@DSNAdam @JIDAdvertising #WeAreAurora http://5280shirtshop.com 

Well Twitter got the breaking news about the Aurora tribute t-shirt from 5280 Shirt Shop.  If you read this and are on Twitter, please help spread the news.  I would love to see this go viral.  Social media can be so powerful.  Please do what you can to help raise awareness about this.

Please visit 5280 shirt shop by clicking here and place your order for your own We Are Aurora t-shirt. I already ordered a shirt for myself and for my wife, Sue.

100% of the profits for each shirt sold will be donated to the families and survivors of the Aurora shootings last week.

Last Friday my son Adam and his co-host Dario hosted a poignant show on Mile High Sports where there was no conversation about sports.  It was an open forum for people to call in and talk about the shootings at the Century 16 theater in Aurora last week.

Adam and Dario both grew up in Aurora and within a mile of the theater and they both felt the urgency to do something to contribute to the healing in the community, to help the families and everyone that has been touched by this horrific tragedy.

They partnered with James Hernandez the owner of 5280 Shirt Shop and Just Incredible Design to create the Aurora tribute shirt.  5280 Shirt Shop is Dario's and Adam's first sponsor of their radio show, Denver Sports Nation.

Adam and Dario are also working on another fundraiser where many other radio talk show hosts and their fans  will be joining Denver Sports Nation to attend a showing of the Dark Knight rises where we take our community back, unafraid and united in our support.

We are Aurora!

Light and Love x Aurora x forever ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

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Gathering Place

For me, one of my favorite places: City Park-Denver Colorado. I have been running races here spanning 3 decades now and what this represents to me is community. 
My running tribe, connection, belonging, memories.


 My first race ever in the dark, running intervals with my daughter last winter while we trained for the Paris marathon.


 Coming together as a community to heal shortly after 9-11, running as part of the United Airlines team.


I love my running community. Today's run supported an organization called the Gathering Place. The Gathering Place is Denver’s only daytime drop-in center for women and children who are experiencing homelessness and poverty. The start line is my gathering place...

The children for Lake International school raised money to support the vital work of the Gathering Place. 


Week after week, the running community comes together and supports numerous non-profits here in Colorado. 

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Running for Sherry Arnold

I fastened my race bib to my shirt and ran in honor of Sherry Arnold this morning.

I can't wait to hear the stories and see the pictures that the worldwide running community posts about this. 

I ran just under 4 miles, that has become a long run for me these days.  

As I ran I thought about Sherry Arnold and her family and I have never been so proud as I was this morning that I am a part of an amazing community.  A community of runners. 

Runners Edge of the Rockies had over 150 people that came out to run in the snow and 14 degree weather. That is just one of I am sure many more stories to be told about communities that came together because the unthinkable had happened to one of us. 

Please be sure and check out the post from Shut Up and Run about the outpouring of love and support for Sherry and her family. 

Running for Sherry:  Courage, Strength, Grace. 

Honored. 

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