MASHPEE, MA—Joseph Carroll, Eric Wheeler and Christopher
Qubeck are set to make the 26.2 mile journey from Hopkinton to Boylston Street on
Monday, April 18, 2016 for the 120th running of the Boston Marathon. All 3 men have different stories, experiences
and reasons for running but they can all agree that it will be an honor to toe
the line at the world’s oldest marathon and most prestigious running event.
Joseph
Carroll PT DPT SCS
Joe has been running for over 30
years. He joined an after work running
club because he wanted to get to know a co-worker that was in the group. It turned out to be a good decision because that
person is his wife Kathy. Together they
co-own Cape Cod Rehab and will be celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary
this year!
He continues to run as part of a healthy
lifestyle. Joe said that running “helps
me manage stress, allows me to keep my weight in check and unlike some other
sports I’ve played, I can continue competing into the future.”
Next Monday's race will be Joe’s 5th Boston
Marathon and 6th marathon overall. The
Boston Marathon has been part of his life since his father began taking him to
the race at age 6. He said, “It is a thrill and an honor to participate in Boston, a world class
event. Boston Strong.”
Joe is running on the Boston Children’s
Hospital Miles for Miracles Team and pledged to raise $7,500. “With the help of many people, I have
surpassed by goal. I am teamed up with a
patient partner, Nathaniel, who is a 5 year old with Cystic Fibrosis. I am running for Nathaniel and other kids who
are unable to run. I worked for BCH
while in college and have a great respect for the amazing work done there,” said
Carroll.
Here’s how you can donate and help
Nathaniel beat Cystic Fibrosis:
Joe’s training for Boston has been challenging. He had to rehab 2 injuries this winter but
will head to the starting line feeling good.
His motto: “Pain is temporary.” He
added that his goal for the race is to “represent BCH, Nathaniel, my family and
all of my supporters to the best of my ability and to cross the finish line
with a big smile.”
Eric
Wheeler MSPT MPE CSCS
Compared to Joe, Eric is relatively new
to running. In almost 6 years of
running, he has an extensive list of athletic accomplishments including 2x
Ironman finisher with a PR of 10:09:05.
A Physical Therapist at Cape Cod Rehab, Eric started running when almost
everyone he knew at work was excited about the 2010 Falmouth Road Race. He registered for the Falmouth in the Fall
race that year to lose weight and get healthier to set an example for his kids. He sees running as a journey of self-discovery. “How hard can I push myself? I enjoy the places my mind goes when I’m
running. It’s an escape from daily
pressures that we all face. Running makes
me feel good about myself,” said Wheeler.
Eric has run 7 marathons to date but
this will be his first Boston Marathon.
He earned his way into the 2016 Boston Marathon by running the respected
Boston Qualifying Standard with a 3:06 at the Providence Marathon in May of
2015. Eric could not put into words why
Boston is so special to him, “It’s hard to explain. It’s Boston—the hub of the universe.”
When asked about his training, Eric also
used the term “challenging.” As he
reached his peak weeks, Eric was diagnosed with a core muscle injury and will
be going in for surgery 3 days after the marathon. This may stop some from running but not
Eric! He may be in pain the entire 26.2
miles but his goal is to “give the best effort I can, have fun and enjoy the
day.”
Capt.
Christopher A. Qubeck
Chris is a member of the Mashpee FitnessCenter and one of Eric’s past patients at Cape Cod Rehab.
He will be running the Boston Marathon for the second year in a row,
both times he received an invitational entry from the Massachusetts National Guard,
where Chris works full time in the communications field. He has run 3 total marathons (all in 2015);
his first full marathon was Boston last year.
Chris ran his first 5k while at Air
Force Basic Training back in the late 90’s.
He always enjoyed running but said it was one of those things that fell
off the radar between college and the military.
Friend and Mashpee Fitness Center trainer, Jen Skiba, talked him and his
wife into running the 4th Annual Piggy Trot in Osterville and he realized that
running was something that he really missed and wanted to get back into. Since the Piggy Trot in May 2013, Chris
started finding local races on the weekends and before he knew it, he was
hooked!
There are many reasons why Chris
runs. While he enjoys getting outside,
exploring new places and physically challenging himself, he also feels like it’s
a great way to decompress after a tough day.
He added, “Running has been extremely therapeutic for me, having been
deployed for Iraqi Freedom twice since 9-11.”
In an email, Chris was asked why the
Boston Marathon was so special to him.
This was his response:
“Being full time Air National Guard and working in the
communications field, part of our job is to provide communications (internet,
phone, and radio support) to first responders.
We’re utilized during hurricane and snow storm response as well as the
Boston Marathon every year. In 2013 we
supported the Boston Marathon as we’d done for many years prior. We set our gear up with the Army National
Guard folks over in Rehoboth, MA. Early
afternoon Marathon Monday, things appeared to be wrapping up with the race so
we began packing up our equipment, and it was a good thing we did. We were just about finished packing our
trailer when one of our Army counterparts came outside and said that something
serious just happened. We all rushed
inside to find out that at least one explosion, maybe two, went off right by
the finish line on Boylston Street. We
finished packing up our gear and received State Police escort into downtown
Boston. We set up our tent and communications
gear out on Boston Common where we operated for the next 26 hours straight,
providing emergency communications to whomever needed it. So ever since that horrific day, I’d had it
in the back of my mind that I wanted to run that race someday. Through a Massachusetts National Guard
program, I was able to apply for and receive an invitational race bib. This marathon is THE one race on the planet
that just about every runner dreams of doing some day, and I was extremely
lucky to have had the opportunity to participate as a runner versus a supporter
in 2015, and now again in 2016. It’s an
absolute privilege and an incredible honor to be able to run the most historic
race on the planet once more.”
While training never seems to go as well
as he’d like with the time he has available, Chris feels very confident he won’t
have any issues finishing. He would like
to run around 4 and a half hours but really would be happy to just cross the
finish line.
Good luck runners! Boston Strong.
