[Originally posted at Project Pedal...]

Whatever our reasons for failing at “Love at Last Sight”, “Rolling Chair Productions” was just beginning, but before I can tell the story of Rolling Chair, I have to tell the story of my first bike trip, but before the bike trip I should introduce Tim:

Tim was voted 2000 runner of the year for Michigan – which in itself, goes a long way in explaining the kind of person Tim is – it’s important to note though that Tim wasn’t the “fastest” runner in Michigan, there were other runners who, on occasion, could out-race Tim. That’s not to say that he didn’t win an overwhelming majority of the races in his high-school-career, but it’s important to point out that his performance stood out from the crowd, I think, because of his energy – before, during and after the race, a rare form of modest-determination that rubbed off on both his teammates as well as his “rivals”.

But this isn’t the real reason Tim needs an introduction – the real reason is; Tim was my best friend from our four years of cross country, and more importantly, was this moment:

It was our senior year of high school; Tim and I had been running the one mile together all season long for Track & Field, the two of us were expected to go 1 and 3 in the 1600 - Tim, of course, finishing first, Ida’s star-miler second, and myself third – but as the two of us were warming up for our race, Tim was worried about the last lap, he knew that Ida’s miler had a far stronger finish – and if, in the end, the two were nose to nose; Tim would lose first place. Tim told me he needed to me to stay with him during the mile – that he needed me there to out-finish Ida’s runner if it came down to the last 200 meters – but most importantly was Tim’s support and genuine confidence in me.

Long story short; this was the first time, over the course of four years – and hundreds upon hundred of races, that I had finished first in the mile – and in a way, the first time I had really won at anything important or challenging in my life – but it wasn’t necessarily the “win” that made the moment so unique to me; it was the first time I had greatly exceeded my self-expectations… the first time I had set out to do something that I believed was unreachable. I owe Tim more than I know I’ll ever be able to repay.