The family that runs together ...
BY STEVE SHEPPARD INDEPENDENT SPORTS EDITOR
Travis Lombardi and E. J. Harvey won't be running their usual marathon-training miles today.

. J. Harvey (left) and Travis Lombardi are not only anticipating running the Boston Marathon together, but the arrival of a new baby as well. Below, the duo at the Hyannis half-marathon. (Photo by Jennifer Chadwick).

They're expecting, you see, and the baby's due at any moment.

It's the first child for Lombardi and his wife, Adriene, and the father-to-be is understandably nervous. On his part, Harvey is not only Lombardi's running mate - he also happens to be Adriene's father, and he's eagerly anticipating the arrival of his first grandchild.

The son-in-law, father-in-law tandem are not only sharing in the joys of babyhood, but extend their familial closeness to running - both plan to take part in next month's Boston Marathon. Were she not having a baby, Adriene, they attest, would be running as well.

Clearly, Travis and E. J. are not your run of the mill in-laws. Sitting down with them for a conversation, it's easy to see that they enjoy each other's company.

It's been that way since before Travis and Adriene, both Nantucket High School graduates, were married on July 16, 2005. "We've always gotten along," Harvey says, mentioning the backpacking trips he and his wife, Robin, would take with Travis and Adriene. "We did a lot of skiing together. We've jumped out of helicopters skiing together."

PHOTOS BYROB BENCHLEY/The Independent

Less than two years ago, they decided to push their athletic pursuits to another level when they agreed to take on a new challenge - marathon running. It began during the annual Figawi weekend.

Harvey is chef/owner of the Seagrille; Travis is assistant manager of the Brotherhood of Thieves, which Harvey co-owns ("He works for me, too," Harvey laughs). Harvey fills in the rest:

"We do the catering at the Figawi, and the same Budweiser distributor, Kevin, is there every year. We saw Kevin and we both said, 'You look great.' He said he'd just run a marathon. Travis and I said to each other, 'If he can do it, we can do it.' "

They decided to set their sights on Boston. "You always hear about Boston," Lombardi said, "and our original plan was to run the Boston Marathon." The goal was to be marathon-ready for last year's event.

Travis, E. J. and Adriene began training on New Year's Day, 2006. Although neither Travis nor E. J. had run the 26-mile distance before, they were determined. "I had run road races on the island before," Lombardi said, "but I had never run more than five miles."

With the help of Hal Higdon's marathon-training Web site that outlined an 18-week program, the trio adopted the strict regimen of running a prescribed number of miles on certain days, weight training, resting, and gradually increasing their workload. "It's all mental," Harvey said. "In the beginning, you never thought you could run the seven miles to 'Sconset. Then it becomes you never thought you could run the seven miles out and the seven miles back."

They stuck to their training schedule, their stamina increased, and they were on track to participate in the storied marathon. There was only one problem - because they hadn't run a marathon before, they couldn't qualify officially for Boston. If they could sign on to raise money for a sanctioned charity, however, they could qualify that way. "We found out two or three weeks before that it wasn't going to work out," Lombardi said. "People told us, 'You should just jump in,' but . . . "

"It was our first marathon," Harvey said. "We wanted to do it officially."

Instead, they found a marathon taking place the same weekend in Charlottesville, Va. with less stringent requirements than Boston - if they entered, they could all run that race as official entrants.

They drove 13 hours to get there, arrived the night before, and were ready for the 7:30 a.m. start. They wondered about the early time, but soon discovered why. "When we finished around noon it was 85 degrees," Lombardi said.

Most important, the three of them completed the race. Mission accomplished, but they still kept their eyes on Boston.

After competing as a family in last June's Iron Teams competition, they entered last October's Chicago Marathon, but circumstances kept Lombardi on Nantucket. His plane tickets already paid for, Harvey ran the marathon solo - and finished. The suggestion that his time may have qualified him for Boston made him laugh. "That's never going to happen for this body," he said.

With the help of Michael Sullivan, who they both knew from his years as an administrator at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, they have signed on with a team that will run in this year's Boston Marathon to benefit the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital. Monies raised will go toward helping build a new spinal cord injury unit in Charlestown. Each needs to raise $5,000 in order to qualify for an official number, and with less than three weeks to go before the April 16 event, they are still seeking donations.

They are confident, however, that the pledges will come through. That they are running for a cause heightens the pleasure they get from their rigorous athletic endeavor. For Lombardi, the satisfaction "is being presented with a challenge that we set out to achieve and accomplishing it."

In the meantime, they've increased their training runs in preparation - they recently competed in the Hyannis half-marathon and ran 20 miles around the island on Sunday. E. J. says the Boston Marathon, his third in a year, will most likely be his last.

Lombardi, however, says Adriene has other plans. She's hoping the two of them can run a marathon in Arizona next January. "I've got to keep up with him, I guess," he said of his father-inlaw.

Before that, of course, Boston beckons. And before that, there's a new baby to welcome to the family.

"I'm getting anxious," Lombardi said, while Harvey noted:

"It hasn't hit me yet. I still think I'm too young

to be a grandfather." I

There's still time to pledge money to help Travis and E. J. reach their goal of qualifying for the Boston Marathon. Pledge for Travis at firstgiving.com/travislombardi, and for E. J. at firstgiving.com/ejharvey.