Provider competes in today's Boston Marathon

WAUKESHA, Wis. - The time Rick Adamich spends running does as much for his business as it does for his body.

Lacing up for a few miles helps burn off stress, but it also gives Adamich a chance to reflect on what's going on at Oxygen One, the home respiratory company he owns.

“It's really when I do most of my strategic thinking about the business,” he said. “I'm working through some of the issues, and honestly, doing some goal setting.”

Lately, Adamich has had even more time than usual to contemplate work as he puts in the training miles to compete in his first-ever Boston Marathon today.

“There's not a lot of quiet time outside of running,” said Adamich, 38, a single father of three girls. “When I'm training this hard, I have that much more time to myself. This year, the initiatives and a lot of our strategic plan—a portion of those were conceived and fine-tuned while I was running.”

Adamich has completed about a half-dozen marathons, but this is his first time competing on the venerable course of the Boston Marathon. He qualified after running the Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota last fall in 3:06. He's aiming to complete Boston—and its aptly named Heartbreak Hill at 20.5 miles—in under three hours. Adamich said the staff of 30 at Oxygen One will be able to keep tabs on their boss during race day.

Juggling work and family obligations with marathon training has meant lots of time spent on a treadmill, a dreaded choice for many serious runners. But Adamich recognizes many people, including some of his customers, struggle with health problems that severely restrict their mobility.

“My dad is in a power wheelchair, so I have a direct connection to what it's like,” said Adamich, whose father will join him in Boston. “It's not something to take for granted.”