Document text
Fighting a much bigger battle Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming By DON HUNT ASHLAND - As Pete Julian heads to Lithia Park today, doffs his sweats and steps to the starting line of a 5-kilometer run, he'll surely look skyward and thank his lucky stars for two things: (1) that he's officially back as a world-class runner and (2) that he can pay tribute to his father, Bob, who is stepping down as Ashland High's track and cross country coach after 30 years. This won't be a run Pete will win. He's been fighting a much bigger battle since February, when he underwent surgery for stomach cancer. He's not in the kind of shape he was in last summer, when he competed in the 5,000- and 10,000-meter runs at the Olympic Trials in Sacramento. "I'm going to run with my dad," Julian says. "Hopefully, he'll take it easy on me." Julian was first diagnosed with stomach cancer in October of 1999, and had a tumor removed. The disease reappeared early this year, forcing him to undergo a second and more serious operation that required a portion of his stomach be removed. The latter surgery left him in a Denver hospital for a week and knocked him off his feet for more than a month. "After five weeks of complaining to my wife (Colleen), I shuffled out the door and walked about 100 yards," says Julian, who dropped from 135 pounds to 125 during his illness. "And then each day I would add five minutes. "It was horrible, but that's what happens when you get gutted." Julian, who is back to running the 85 miles per week he was logging prior to his latest surgery, says he's more appreciative than he used to be for all the things he once took for granted. "It's weird, but I feel lucky as opposed to unlucky," he says. "I feel lucky to have such a beautiful wife, a great family and be able to live in Boulder (Colo.), one of the prettiest cities in the world. "When something like this happens, you really start to notice the little things, like how good a cold glass or water tastes or how bright your wife's smile is. "It's still a real scary thing, of course. When a doctor tells you you've got cancer, there's no way to prepare for it. It stresses you out and keeps you up at night." Julian, who underwent a CAT scan last week and got a clean bill of health, is in the process of moving to Palo Alto, Calif., in order to be near Vin Lananna, the renowned Stanford coach that he now trains under. At the age of 30, Julian's best days as a runner won't be around for much longer, but he has his sights set on the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. "Every day when I wake up and start lacing up my running shoes I think of what it would be like to run there," says Julian, whose best event is the 10,000 meters, where he has a best of 28 minutes, 5.42 seconds. Running in Lithia Park hardly compares to the Olympics, but Julian wouldn't want to be anywhere else today - in his hometown running alongside his father. Pete's older brothers Tim and Bob Julian, Jr., who will replace the elder Julian as the Ashland coach, will also participate. All told, more than 200 people have signed up for the run, which has no entry fee. "More than anything, I'm really looking forward to being there for my dad," Pete Julian says. "He's traveled all over the country to watch me run. He's been with me from the beginning. "He's coached me as a runner and he's also coached me in so many other ways, just as he has so many other people. Thirty years from now, if I'm respected half as much as he is, I'll know I've lived a good life." A reception and slide show will be held Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Ashland High commons. The public is invited. Reach reporter Don Hunt at 776-4469, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.