Notre Dame grad running, and praying, across the country
2005 Notre Dame graduate Jeff Grabosky loves to run. Now in the wake of some difficult times after graduating, he has decided to undertake the ultimate challenge – running across the United States.
While he was a Notre Dame student, Jeff ran intramural cross country, and finished his first marathon during his senior year. But after graduating in 2005, Jeff was too burdened by work and settling down with his wife to find much time for running.
According to Jeff, in October 2006 “everything came crashing down.” On October 22, his mother passed away after battling cancer. Shortly afterward he and his wife divorced. After struggling through the next few months with the help of some friends, he moved to Washington, D.C. to be with family.
While in D.C., Jeff took up running again. He began running 5k races, as well as the National Marathon in 2008. In addition to running other marathons, he completed a 100 mile ultra-marathon, in February 2009, and again in February 2010.
Jeff says that he cannot pinpoint exactly when he decided he wanted to run across the country, but it was something he had been thinking about for a number of years. In August 2010, with his brother and roommate Dave getting married, Jeff thought the timing was perfect to fulfill his dream.
After training during the fall and winter months, Jeff began his journey on January 20, 2011. Starting in southern California, he has planned his route across the country, heading northeast until he finishes his journey in southern New York. Intending to average 3035 miles per day, Jeff plans to complete his cross-country run by late May. In an update on his website from February 26, Jeff reports that he has reached Texas, and by February 27 had run 1,170.3 miles.
Jeff is running solo and unsupported, although he invites anyone to run legs of the journey with him. He carries all of his supplies in a BOB Ironman Stroller, which he pushes as he runs. Supplies include a tent as well as information about nearby motels.
While Jeff supports raising money for charities, he is not doing so on this cross-country run. Instead, the focus of this journey is one of faith. As a Catholic who believes in the power of God and prayer, Jeff is running “to deepen (his) own personal prayer life and hopefully help others strengthen theirs as well, whether they are of the same beliefs or not.”
Since Jeff has a lot of free time while running, he carries a rosary ring and prays along the way. On his website he takes prayer requests, and promises to say a decade for each intention he receives. People can also email Jeff directly, or post intentions on Facebook. His website alone is full of intentions for things ranging from sick family members, to the poor, and to people who recently lost their jobs. With nearly 4,000 miles to run and pray, Jeff is confident that he can get through every intention he receives.
Sometime in April, Jeff will be coming through Notre Dame. Even though he admits that running straight through to his final destination would save him about 500 miles, he wants to stop at his alma mater because of its significance in his life. Concerning the role Notre Dame has had on his life and faith, he said “I loved my time at ND and spent a lot of time at the Grotto during my years there. My experience at Notre Dame helped to deepen my prayer life, which was instrumental in helping me get through some extremely difficult times soon after I graduated. Since my mission is to encourage prayer, especially through the rosary, I could think of no better place to stop, pray, and reflect, than at Notre Dame.”
In an interview with NBC News about his difficulties and return to running, Jeff stressed the importance of realizing what is most important in life. For Jeff Grabosky, they are “family, friends, (and) faith.” He added that “if you hold onto those as your core truths, then nothing is going to be able to shake your base, and you can get through anything that life throws at you.”
Look for Jeff to be on campus sometime in April. In the meantime, follow his journey on his website, jeffrunsamerica.com.
Mike Johnson is looking forward to going home to New Jersey for Spring Break. But he will be flying, not running. He can be contacted at mjohns32@nd.edu.
