I grew up in Elmhurst, Illinois, west of Chicago, and graduated from York High School, where I ran cross country and track for Coach Joe Newton for all four years. I then studied journalism at the University of Kansas, came down with cancer senior year, proposed to my love, Kathi, between cancer operations -- something I highly recommend to ensure an affirmative response. I started writing, “Running with Reckless Abandon,” soon after Kathi and I were married. I finished my journalism degree several months later.

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I wanted to tell Newton’s story through the eyes of one of his runners over the span of four years. As I started writing, I felt it was important for readers to know who I was, so the book became quite personal. I also interviewed Newton, and also his wife, Joan, and made copies of his daily meeting notes, hundreds of pages that included talking points, workouts, times of each runner, and even the weather. In addition, Newton somehow managed to produce pre-season and post-season notebooks, thanks to an overworked old mimeograph machine and a office manager who was willing to ignore several school-district policies. I also had been a student co-sports editor, so I had a lot of interaction with Newton.

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​I thought “The Book” would be one of several that I would write during my career, but I soon discovered that every reporter in the world was trying to write a book, but were too busy writing their respective asses off at work. I worked as a small-town editor in Ulysses, Kansas (90 miles southwest of Dodge City). My wife, Kathi, and I stayed there for a year, learned a lot and made good friends.

 

We rented a little U-Haul trailer and headed to Tecumseh, Missouri, about four hours west of Kansas City, where we were paying $50 a month for five acres of woods near some friends who were homesteading. We built a 16 X 24-foot house, with a loft for sleeping, without any power tools, and it’s still standing more than 45 years later. We had hoped to stay there, but there were no jobs, so we moved back to civilization south of Kansas City.

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We eventually moved 30 miles west to Lawrence, home of the University of Kansas, our alma mater. ​​"Between jobs," I finished up most of the first draft and managed to get a student loan to take some graduate-level courses at KU. Then, I was hired as a communications specialist for Payless ShoeSource headquarters 30 miles west in Topeka. A year later, I was hired by the City of Topeka in their Public Affairs division. We moved to Topeka, and Kathi had a day care home, so she could stay at home with our three kids. I got promoted to Public Information Officer for the city, organizing the Mayor’s weekly press conferences and handling public information during emergencies.

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After several years, Kathi’s mom and two of her three sisters moved to the Daytona Beach area, for reasons never made clear, and we joined them. I eventually was hired as the Public Information Officer for the City of Ormond Beach, just north of Daytona, which was a great gig for several years. 

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By then, at the age of 55, I started showing symptoms of Parkinson’s, and eventually was unable to work, but it gave me time to finish the book. My family and I had sacrificed so much, I had to finish it. Plus, I had promised Newton before he passed away.

 

Thanks to my family and friends for the support, especially Ron and Wendy Biondo for their editing expertise. Without all the encouragement and assistance, “Running with Reckless Abandon” may have never been completed. ​​​​​