Wild West

In August last year, Steve was one of a dozen adventurous runners who banded together to run in the Wild West Relay. They traveled from Fort Collins, Colo., to Springboat Springs, Colo. Together they ran 195 miles, taking turns while two others drove vans along the course.

Steve joined the team because Will was running. (Will and Steve went to high school together. Will and I went to college together. Will introduced us in spring 1992. As Steve likes to joke, it's Will's fault that we're together.) Will was running because his cousin Blair and Blair's wife, Kat, were putting the team together.

So Steve trained last summer. He stepped up his running routine. And when Layne's cousin from Colorado warned us of altitude sickness, Steve even cut out caffeine altogether to increase his chances of faring well. (After hearing Layne's cousin's stories, I stepped up my worrying routine.)

The team did well. They finished, which I think is quite a feat, and they bonded over movies, bad food and other experiences that I don't think they've fully shared with anyone who wasn't in one of those two vans.

Will stopped by this week with a thoughtful gift from the team -- a framed and matted photo of the runners (minus one) and a generous gift card to Sprouts, where we buy all kinds of cancer-fighting juices, teas and nutrients, plus a check for other expenses.

Looking at that photo stirs a lot of emotions. It's a stark reminder of how quickly life can change, how you can be in the best shape of your life and yet have no idea what your body has in store for you. We leave early tomorrow for Chicago. We're going to celebrate Steve's progress so far and create all kinds of good memories.

(Pardon the bad reproduction -- I just took a photo of the photo)