This Trip Is Dedicated To Dan Sayer

It is not unusual for any work of fact or fiction to be dedicated to someone or ones who are or have been instrumental or supportive in the collection or publication of the work. What is unusual, is for the dedication to come in the middle of the work.

But then, if this whole thing were not unusual, it would be unusual!

With great love and affection this trip is dedicated to my good friend of more than 30 years and my running partner of about 10 years, Dan Sayer.

The germ of a trip like this came about years ago when Dan and I thought it would be great fun to ride our bikes from Palos Verdes, CA to Dan Diego, Ca., a distance of about 130 miles, down along the coast past Huntington Beach, - Surfin' USA - through Orange County - yes, THAT Orange County, past Camp Pendleton and on around the trendy seaside village of La Jolla and on into San Diego.

We began to train for that ride, only to have the trip put off by my moving to Chicago and Dan injuring his knee.

The idea lived on and here I am years later, making this trip alone from Muscatine to New Orleans. I elected to do this alone for reasons I am still working out, but had Dan been available, he would have come along and he would be the only person to do so!

Dan was running marathons when we met. I was running a couple of miles a day but he decided it would be great if I joined him. It took two years, but I agreed to do so with the stipulation that I would only as long as 1., I was having fun and 2., I did not get hurt. That criteria is still the criteria behind this bike trip!

We trained and ran in 5 Palos Verdes marathons together. At home I have a picture on the mantle of the two of us crossing the finish line that first time, hands held together high in victory. We trained in all kinds of weather over the years, running up and down all over Palos Verdes, down along Torrance Beach, up past Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, and back. We usually ran early in the morning and shared many a sunrise together. We named particularly difficult hills after friends. There is a "Charlie's Hill", a "Dan's Hill" and a "Bob's Hill".

It is no exaggeration to say that without the urging and constant friendship of Dan Sayer, I would never have undertaken nor completed a single marathon, let alone the 5 we ran together. I only ran one without him, and while fun, not the same!

Dan, a graduate of that dreaded USC, is still today the active husband to his beautiful and wonderful wife Betty, a great dad to his sons Dan, Jr. and Steve, and proud grandfather to I don't know how many grandchildren. Maybe even a great-grandchild. I lose track! His family reflects the love and sense of humor of both Dan and Betty. It has been, and continues to be my great honor and pleasure to be his friend, their friend.

We spoke on the phone yesterday and laughed as we always do about almost anything that comes up. We did then and we do now. We had our serious moments along the way - in 10 years of running almost every day, discussions ranged far and wide. I'm sure we saved thousands of dollars in counselling fees we avoided by just being able to dump our worries, anxieties, pain and pleasure on each other.

We talked yesterday about hills, about whistling Dixie, about 2 Dogs, about my thinking of him along this way and missing his friendship and his great sense of humor.

Dan, this ride is dedicated to you and although you cannot be here with me in person, you are, in fact, in every leg of this journey, up and down every hill and in every joint where I grab a beer and hamburger along the way!

Go Bruins.