They say you find yourself on the long runs. For me, every mile of the Denver Colfax Marathon is a conversation with someone I miss dearly: my mother, Patricia Ann Leer.

A Bond Beyond Words

My mom was my rock. Looking back, I honestly don’t know how she stayed so patient with me as a kid—I certainly gave her plenty of reasons not to be. But she never gave up on me. Through the good times and the mistakes, she was my unwavering support system, always there without hesitation.

As I grew into an adult, our relationship transformed. We weren't just parent and child; we became close friends. Despite the distance between Iowa and Colorado, we spoke several times a week, sharing the small joys and big challenges of life.

The Long Goodbye

The heartbreak of Alzheimer’s is that it steals the person long before it takes the body. Over the years, our phone calls changed. The vibrant woman who was my confidante began to fade. Eventually, she was unrecognizable. Even when she could no longer speak, she would still smile when she saw me—a final, flickering light of the bond we shared.

Watching my father care for her for eight years was a lesson in devotion, but losing my "good friend" to this disease was a grief unlike any other. While a brain tumor ultimately took her life, Alzheimer’s was what redefined our world, impacting our family in ways that are still hard to put into words.

Why I Run

I started running two years ago, motivated by my mother and my daughter. On the road or the trail, the noise of the world falls away. That time alone gives me the space to think about our time together—and all the things I would say to her if she were still here today.

I am running the Denver Colfax Marathon to support the Alzheimer’s Association. I run because:

• To Honor Her Patience: She never stopped moving forward for me, so I won't stop for her.

• To Fund a Cure: So other families don't have to experience the "long goodbye."

• To Keep Her Memory Alive: Every step is a tribute to Patricia Ann Leer—a mother, a friend, and my forever inspiration.

Please join me in supporting this cause. Your donation fuels the research that will one day cross the ultimate finish line: a world without Alzheimer’s.