I’m writing this from the Residence Inn in Arlington, Virginia — about 16 hours away from the start of the Marathon.
Guys, we’ve raised $11,572 in Becky’s memory for the Joslin Diabetes Center. I can’t even tell you how incredibly grateful I am for your support and for helping turn such a massive loss of love, joy, caring, and kindness into something so good. I know the team at Joslin will do amazing work with this support — discovering new treatments and maybe, one day, a cure for diabetes that affects people like Becky and so many we love. We are so close to the goal and last minute donations keep rolling in, please share this one last time to get people you know to donate.
Last night I picked up my race number: 11774 — and I know Becky made sure that 4 was right there at the end, giving me a little sign. I can’t believe it’s almost here, and that I’m actually in D.C. Some days, it felt like I’d never get here; other days, I couldn’t believe how close the race was getting. It’s kind of like how it feels with Becky being gone — some days it feels like I saw her yesterday, and other days like it’s been half a lifetime since the last time I did.
For anyone who wants to track me tomorrow, you can follow my progress on the marathon app.
Henry even got in on the weekend’s racing fun with the kids’ run today — it was so cool to see.
Now, on to the people who’ve made this magic happen for Joslin. I’m still working my way through the full list, but here are a few amazing humans I want to shout out tonight:
Karen Friedrich -Karen and I worked together at Validity. She’s a badass woman sales leader — which is basically like saying she’s a blue lobster. They’re rare. Even rarer is a woman sales leader who delivers on her commitments and stays genuinely kind. Karen lives in Florida, where hurricanes seem to drop by like uninvited guests. I’ll send her a “hope you’re safe” message, and she’ll reply, “Oh yeah, we saw that coming, so we flew out to Italy until it blows over.”
She takes epic vacations — the kind I tell other people about as if they were mine. She once spent days at Julia Child’s estate in France taking cooking lessons and drinking wine. Cheers to you, Karen — have a glass for me.
Sherri Havas Kottman – Sherri and I worked together at Quickbase, and she’s the real deal — one of the top 25 most authentic people I’ve ever met. That’s one of the highest compliments I can give because I value authenticity so much. Life’s too short to pretend to be anyone else. Sure, sometimes you’ve got to “fake it till you make it,” but when there’s a moment to connect for real, Sherri always does. I’m so grateful to know her.
Kat Delomba – This woman is one of the top five most influential people in my life — and one of Becky’s greatest gifts to me. Becky was incredible at building family. When she loved you, she brought you in and made you part of her circle. Kat was the heart of that for so many of us.
She was my boss (and a lot of people’s) and held everyone to high standards. I still wash dishes fast because of her. She and her husband, Mark, raised two incredible kids, Danny and Karla — the OG kids Becky adored and spent countless hours entertaining. Kat, thank you for everything. You’re a forever kind of friend.
Kathy and Dave Adams – Otherwise known as Mom and Dad. What can you say about two people who literally gave you life? More than that, they’re the reason I’m here on this journey. They taught me that family isn’t just about blood — it’s about the people you meet along the way, about showing up and loving hard.
They’re generous, hardworking, and endlessly supportive — even now, still cheering me on in my wild adventures. Thanks, Mom and Dad. Love you both.
Kourtney Adams– My one and only sister. Kourtney has the kindest heart of anyone I know — she’ll rescue a lost puppy, climb a tree for a kitten, or help anyone in need. She’s been bravely finding her calling, even going back to school after a long break to pursue something new. She’s brave, she’s loving, and she’s mine.
She also signed me up for a half marathon two weeks after this marathon, which makes me want to kill her — but I love her anyway.
Sharon Sullivan– Sharon is from our old neighborhood in Milton. She and her husband Mike lived right behind our house, and we loved them immediately. Back then, they only had their “practice kid,” Nola the dog, and they’d take these drool-worthy trips — like a quick getaway to the French Alps — the kind only child-free people could pull off.
Over time, they grew their family, adding Avery and Keegan, and watching them all blossom has been such a joy. Sharon and Mike are wonderful humans and amazing parents. Thank you both for your support.
Rich and Liz Sturges– Rich and Liz are an awesome power couple I don’t see nearly enough. Both are educators, dedicating their lives to inspiring kids to learn and see a bigger world. Rich even takes students to Spain on class trips! When they’re not teaching, they’re raising two amazing kids of their own: Harry, who’s crushing road races all over Massachusetts, and Maggie, who’s tearing it up on the soccer field and loves a good Lego set (a girl after my heart). Thanks for the support, Rich and Liz!
Jessica Wolkiewicz – Jess is part of our Bishop Fenwick family — we were in the same class, a year ahead of Becky. It wasn’t until Becky that I got to know her better, and I’m so glad I did. She’s generous, smart, and deeply loyal. Jess has spent her entire career at EBSCO — which says everything about her dedication and heart. Thanks so much for your support, Jess.
Pam Cherry – Pam is one of the kindest, most generous people I know. When we bought our first house, we had no idea our daughters would become best friends for the next 12 years. Pam’s daughter Lauren used to peek over to see when Maddie would come out to play, and Maddie could smell Pam’s famous M&M cookies from her room a hundred feet away. Pam has been such a gift to our family — she even took Maddie and Henry out to dinner during our last move to give us a breather. Henry adores Ms. Pam too. Thank you, Pam.
Alright — I’ve got to get to bed. The fit is laid out, the number’s pinned, the Gatorade’s chilling in the fridge…
We’re almost there.
Only 26 miles to go! 
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