Maine news, sports, weather from Waterville Morning Sentinel

SIDELINES: Soldier's brother to go the distance

By Travis Lazarczyk tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer

On a day last October, Andrew Slack was compelled to run. He left his Waterville home, ran approximately 10 miles to Vassalboro, turned around, and ran back. It took three or so hours. Andrew isn't exactly sure, he just knew he had to keep going.

"I decided I had a marathon in me that day," Andrew said. "And I hurt like hell afterwards. ... It was, 'I'm really depressed. Let's do something weird. I'm going to run, let's do 25 miles.'"

The physical pain, bad as it was, did nothing to mask the mental pain. One hurt did not replace another.

In May of last year, Andrew's brother Wade was killed in action in Afghanistan. Last Wednesday would have been Wade's 22nd birthday, Andrew said.

On April 18, Andrew will run the Boston Marathon, in memory of Wade, and in support of the Boston Rescue Mission, where his sister, Meghan, works. Meghan convinced Andrew to enter the Boston Marathon. Andrew is one of six people running on behalf of the Boston Rescue Mission, and each team member hopes to raise at least $5,000.

Andrew estimated that he's raised more than $1,000 so far.

"I don't know the exact amount just because I'm constantly mailing checks to Meghan," Andrew said. "She coordinated everything. She's kind of my manager... She's just sort of making sure that everything's going smooth for me and that I'm continuously trying to raise money."

If there's any irony to be found in Andrew's tribute to Wade it's this: Wade wasn't much of a runner.

"No, he was very lazy," Andrew said, laughing at the thought. "He was Wade-o Potato. That was his nickname. I was always more into fitness than him. He was just starting to get into lifting weights.

"He was always good at drinking the protein stuff. He ate Fiber One bars. He was a skinny little thing, too."

Only a few years apart in age, Andrew, 18, and Wade were close. When he runs, Andrew thinks about getting that next foot forward, and he thinks of Wade. He thinks of Wade a lot.

"The last time I saw him was Christmas of (2009). Then he left and then we got the news in May," Andrew said. "That was the reason that I even did the 20 mile."

On Patriots' Day, Andrew will wear bib number 26578. As a member of a team running for charity, he's exempt from needing a qualifying time. A recent illness was a setback, but Andrew tries to get in at least one run of 16 to 20 miles each week. He runs the same loops through Waterville, and ignores the sore muscles and aching joints.

"I can't run on a treadmill. If I do, I can't go more than a mile, just because it hurts my knees too much. It's got to have something so I'm not constantly pounding on it," Andrew said. "I try to get 40 miles in a week. Something so I can continuously get my body used to that kind of pain.

"I used to run in crappy sneakers, so that didn't help, the constant pounding. Shin splints and stuff. When you go from five and 10 miles to 16 and 20 miles, you go through different levels of 'Whoa, this hurts. This part of me hurts. That hurts, my back hurts.' "

The Boston Marathon has become bigger than Andrew ever imagined. Raising money, putting posters up all over town, training. It's daunting.

"I didn't think it would be this big. I didn't think I'd have to do this much work for it. I didn't think I'd have to raise money and get sponsors. I just told my sister that I'll run it," Andrew said.

The Newton hills worry Andrew a little. They start around mile 16 and culminate with Heartbreak Hill, a near-half mile climb 20 miles into the race. If his knee is sore, he'll stop and stretch it out. But there's no way Andrew will quit.

"I know I'm going to finish. It's just up to me as to how good I want to finish," Andrew said. "Once I get started, there's really, there's nothing that can stop me. There's nothing I couldn't ignore."

He thinks of Wade, and Andrew keeps going. The next foot falls forward.

Travis Lazarczyk -- 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com