Murray’s Top 10 Reasons Why GMR Rocked

This past weekend NF Endurance staff, team captains and runners met in Vermont for the second annual Team Captains Summit. In addition to brainstorming and planning for future events, the group fielded two teams in the Green Mountain Relay. Below Murray McCartan reflects on what made this weekend special for him (Be sure to read through No. 1).

Murray’s Top 10 Reasons Why the Green Mountain Relay Rocked

10) Scenic Leg Three with Todd - discussing marriage, fatherhood, and college football.  Boys being boys.
9) Saturday night’s quirky dinner at the “90 Degree Cafe” – Steve’s Whale joke, the sock hook, and Christmas in Vermont.
Negotiating an Oreo cookie off my forehead, past my left nostril and into my mouth.  Small victories count, too.
7) Witnessing Chaun become a real runner, especially at night.  Yes, you CAN!
6) Ben & Jerry’s and the NF Endurance Team – what an awesome flavor!
5) After being asked how he was doing during each run, hearing Steve answer, “Isn’t this great!”  Yes, Steve, it truly IS great.
4) Watching Cathie and Angela, arm in arm, mother and daughter, finish a leg together.
3) The Scavenger Hunt in Jeffersonville – When else in my life will I ask a complete stranger if they have a Yo-Yo?
2) Team 2 Van 1, my home away from home:  Lori Legs’ (“thanks for the Very Hard ones, guys!,” music trivia, ”anyone seen that Peanut Butter knife?”)
1) My highest moment of fragile magic this weekend: At dusk, running alone on Highway 100, a vermillion sunset behind the Green Mountains, fire flies flickering for each thought of my son, of all of our loved ones, of all of my newly-met friends along this journey with NF, and the overwhelming gratitude I felt for the opportunity to be at this given place and time.

– Murray McCartan