Joy and sadness at the end of the marathon

EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the final installment in Grant Dunning’s training diary for the Orange County Marathon, held Sunday in Newport Beach.

We did it!

On Sunday, I pushed my daughter, Paige, 26.2 miles past the finish line of the Orange County Marathon.

I can tell you now that it was one of the most rewarding days of my life. Having the opportunity to spend the entire day surrounded by family and friends in support of a great cause and experiencing the feeling of accomplishing a major milestone was unbelievable. After sharing my training over the past five months, I am pleased to share some highlights from the day of the marathon.

The day started by getting up at 5:30 a.m. to feed Paige and get everyone prepared for the big race.

When we arrived at Fashion Island, we met up with our group of runners at the back of the crowd. We had a total of 11 friends running together as we passed the starting line ... no turning back now.

There were two concerns at this point -- how well I would fare pushing Paige in her stroller for 26.2 miles, and how well Paige would fare being strapped in for five hours. Considering we did not do the recommended training together, we were in for an adventure.

The first eight miles went relatively smoothly. At this point, we hit a fork in the road where the half-marathon runners headed in a different direction.

As soon as we veered off in the opposite direction, Paige started to cry. With Paige being nonverbal, maybe she was trying to tell us we missed the turnoff for the half marathon.

Unfortunately, she was uncomfortable and cried for the next eight miles. The combination of having too many layers of clothing and the sun shining directly in her face was too much for her to handle.

When we reached Mile 16 -- the Team Dunning / United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County water station -- we were greeted by a group of more than 50 family and friends cheering us on. Being half delirious after running three miles uphill on the 261 toll road, the moment was almost surreal, sending chills up my spine.

We stopped for 10 minutes and attended to Paige, who was overheating. My wife, Judy, was within seconds of pulling her out of the stroller and calling it a day. After taking off some layers of clothing and cooling her down with water, I felt confident she could do it and we continued on cautiously.

After several more stops at water stations to cool Paige down, we finished in 5 hours and 11 seconds.

When we approached the final corner before the finish line, my oldest daughter, Brooke, jumped into the street and ran the last 100 yards next to her sister. What a great moment.

We had more than 35 racers running on behalf of Team Dunning, more than 50 volunteers working the Team Dunning water station and we raised more than $22,000 for United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County.

After the race, we enjoyed a big celebration at our home with friends and family. The day was perfect!

My column about the Orange County Marathon would not be complete without sharing a heartbreaking story about Steven Robert, a friend and fellow board member of United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County who participated in the race on Sunday.

Steven was part of our group of 11 runners and he successfully completed his first marathon. For the last 100 yards, he was able to carry his son, Jake, in his arms across the finish line. He and his family had one of the most memorable days of their lives.

On Monday morning, Steven and his wife found Jake had passed away in his sleep. Jake was 4 years old and, like Paige, had cerebral palsy.

The news on Monday was absolutely devastating. I am heart broken for Steven, his wife Alison and Jake’s three brothers.

As you can imagine, there has been an outpouring of love for the Robert family. To honor his son Jake, Steven has asked for help to establish a Jake Ryan Lee Robert Memorial Fund to benefit United Cerebral Palsy of Orange County.

There are highs and lows throughout life. This week, we experienced both in 24 hours.

This experience reminds me of how precious life is. Please enjoy every moment with family and friends as if it were your last day.

Please keep the Robert family in your thoughts and prayers.

To make a donation to the Jake Ryan Lee Robert Memorial Fund, please visit www.ucp-oc.com/jake. To learn more about Grant and Paige Dunning, you can visit www.teamdunning.com.20060113it09e8nc(LA)Grant Dunning and his daughter Paige cross the finish line during Sunday’s Orange County Marathon.