Posts Tagged ‘Peter Christie’
Last month, I wrote about my friend Peter Christie, who was about to undertake a 100-mile run, raising money to benefit Boston’s Epiphany School. Well I’m happy to report that Peter achieved his goal — completing the run in under 30 hours and raising $4,500 as a bonus. Unbelievable!
If you want to know what it’s like to run 100 miles in the mountains, here is an abridged version of Peter’s account, written in Peter’s classic understated style. (Nice photo Pete … love the Billy Idol face)
The race started with almost ideal conditions: mid 40s temperatures under a clear starry sky. The first check point was 13.5 miles in and it took me about 2 hours 25 minutes.
I kept an easy pace thru the 40 mile mark and felt comfortable as the sun came out. This check point was critical as the trail went from 9,000 to 12,600 feet in just 3 miles. Read the rest of this entry »
You’re doing WHAT for charity?!?
Posted on: August 2, 2011
Last Friday, I received an email from my friend Peter Christie. It was one of those pseudo-formulaic charitable appeals that have become ever so common these days. Like an altruistic version of Mad Libs, they all begin the same way: Dear Friends and Family, On (date), I will be (running, biking, hiking, swimming, walking) in the (name of event) to support (cause).
Like so many other email appeals, Peter’s followed the form to a tee. It was splendidly unremarkable. So matter-of-fact in tone, that after just a few words of the note I filed it away in my Things-to-Read-Later folder. “Dear Friends and Family, On Saturday, August 20th, I will be running the…” Had I read the subject line, I would not have been so dismissive.
In retrospect, I should have known this was not going to be the typical fundraising appeal. Peter is an athlete and he is also understated as hell. That’s a lethal combination. For much of 2009 and 2010, Peter and I rode together in the same cycling group. Peter was consistently one of the strongest in the bunch, yet his training was sporadic and undisciplined. With three kids and a demanding job, Peter would still find time for his family and volunteering in the community.
So how was this “weekend warrior” on the bike always able to hang with the seasoned racers? When I finally got around to reading his email, I had my answer. Read the rest of this entry »
