MOTIVATION AT IT'S FINEST

First things first, I have been taking the head shots and I will post them when I can find the time.
I have actually been running on a somewhat regular basis, but just this part Monday my 12 year decided he wanted to run with me. I was so excited!!! Now my kids have gone with me before, but this was the first time 'running', usually they ride their bikes. Beccah, my 10 year old daughter decided to come along as well, rollerblading. We started out very slow and maintained about a 10 minute per pace. Beccah's constant banter in the background along with Nate's stomping feet, does anyone know of a good drill to stop that?? I call it the heavy feet syndrome. After about 1.5 miles everyone seemed to be doing ok, so I picked up the pace slightly without out any complaints we pushed on.
Now as most everyone knows running with someone is so much easier than running alone, but this was really special. When I was a kid, right around the same age as Nate my dad would occasionally run. He was one of those people who, if he gained weight could exercise for a month or so and lose it. So those were special times. Just over one year later he would pass away due to complications from open heart surgery. If only I would have known how little time we actually had, but at 12 who thinks of such things? So Monday was one of those circle of life moments that did two things. First it reminded me of my dad and the good, all be it short, times we had and second it reminded me of my mortality. I started doing the addition in my head, when Nate is 20 I will be 50. When Chloe, my youngest graduates from high school I will be 58. That coincidentally is the age my dad died.
So anyway, back to the run. We took my usual 5k route and were coming up on the last 200 yards or so and all of a sudden Nate decides he wants to sprint to the finish. Now as the "runner" in the family I wasn't going to let him beat the old man! So there we are racing, without saying a word to each other, to the finish. About 20 yds to go for some crazy reason I figured, you know what let the kid win, but make it close!
I must be getting soft in my old age.


Thanks for stopping by,
R.P.D.

The rules for parents are but three... love, limit, and let them be. - Elaine M. Ward