I met Eddie back in the 90s, when we were in our late teens, playing shows at colleges and tiny all-ages venues. He was raw energy then, playing drums in a band called Bedford.
Many years later (decades), our paths crossed again, this time because of running. Got reconnected via Instagram, swapping comments and occasional DMs.
I remember bumping into him randomly in Philadelphia, a few days before the Philly Broad Street run. We saw each other on opposite sides of the street, waiting for the light to change. He has the best smirk.
Then one day, he disappeared from Instagram. I didn’t have his number, so I couldn’t reach out. I didn’t think much of it.
A few months later I’m working in a coffee shop in Philadelphia, and he walks in. Completely random.
He gives me a big hug. Ed gives great hugs. “Man, you just dropped off the face of the earth,” I said. “Everything okay?”
That’s when he told me his wife died in a car accident a few months back. In a second his life flashed through my mind – those shows in the 90s, the runs, the Instagram photos. I remember the feeling of my heart collapsing on itself, time standing still.
Ed’s been running 10+ miles everyday for the past 250+ days, as a tribute, a connection with his late wife. He ran a 12 hour ultra-marathon. He did the Warrior Run in NYC, from the upper West Side to Coney Island.
The video above sums it up pretty well.
Follow him on Instagram (@ebgiii).