Running among the clouds

“I will just run along the clouds.”- Bryan Carroll

Sometimes life brings the daily run to a grinding halt. That happens to the best of us despite the fact that it’s often our friendly companion. The familiar footfall and chance to be with our thoughts often comforts us and keeps us moving forward.

Sean Carroll

Sean is an east coast 43-year old father relatively new to running. A battle to gain control over his weight took him from a learn-to-run program to a full marathon. Sean was hooked. Running became something he loved.

Bryan Carroll

Bryan, Sean’s young son was also a runner. Sean says he had an ease with running and he would watch with amazement as his son did something so effortlessly, that for Sean, took so much grunting and sweating.

But soon Bryan started to struggle with leg pain. It was the start of a new chapter.

Sean kept running as they tried to figure out what was going on. The day after Sean finished his second Bluenose Half- Marathon in Halifax, he was sitting in the hospital with his son. Bryan had a strange nose bleed. When test results came back, the news was bad: Bryan had cancer. He’d have to undergo treatment in the hospital.

Sean’s son came home after five months of cancer treatment and Bryan slipped the sneakers back on shortly afterwards. Things at home seemed to be going well. The running felt good. As for Bryan, he was starting to pick up and was feeling alright.

A blood test said otherwise. The second round of treatments didn’t work. When that became a reality, Sean and his wife quietly drove home from the hospital with their dying son.

Sean says he and his wife worked so hard to keep their son happy and enjoying life. Sean kept putting the sneakers on, feeling the need to the run. The run gave him stress relief, time alone and an open road to deal with what he was going through.

With it clear that their son was slowly slipping away from them, Sean and his wife spent any time they could with Bryan. Bryan passed away three weeks ago at the age of seven.

These days, Sean has been going on long walks every day to help clear his head. He plans to start running again soon. Sean says that when it was getting close to the end for Bryan said that if he were to die,” I will just run along the clouds.”

Do you have a running story to tell? Contact me at runningwriter@hotmail.com, on Twitter @NoelPaine or read my personal blog, No Paine, No Gain.