And I raaaaan. I ran so far away... From age four on I was a runner. Some people are poets, others are comedians. Me, I've always just run. My wife? Not so much. Professional dancer? Sure. Amazing teacher? You betcha. Dedicated mommy? Check her out at The Fence. But if there is one thing she does NOT enjoy, it is the grinding wear on the ole knees from a good run around the block. That is why today was astonishing. Today, my dear wife pushed past her Couch to 5K limit of 25 minutes of uninterrupted running (i.e. no stops for the weary) and ran a full on 5k way before the program had told her to. AND FINISHED! Part of being a good dadventurer is putting aside your crazy competitive spirit, redefining husband over athlete to stop being a runner and become a good jogging partner for the day.
I have run my fair share of 5k's. I ran cross-country throughout my teen years for the Newton North Tigers and was dodging trees and roots in parks throughout Boston in under nineteen minutes. So how did I do it? How did I run alongside wifey in her quest to simply finish without stopping? It was easy, it is all about learning to be a dad. The same superpowers that allow many dads to avoid screaming "go get the damn ball" from the Y soccer sidelines came in handy this day.
Did we finish in the top 1000 entrants? Nooooo. (I followed my fair lady at 1004, ladies first ya know). Did it hurt me a little not to blaze past the three hundred pound man in front of me who was almost walking just to keep my manly dignity? Sure. Instead I made jokes, cheered her on, pushed her to keep going even when she swore like a sailor. It was a little like birthing Liji. I was seriously almost as proud a dad. Next time, we bring the kids.
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2 comments:
I read your article which I assume has been written after deep thought. I have been following you for a while and have asked my friends also to do so.
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You have very beautiful kids. Looks like they're ready for their first running event.
With your long time experiences with running and training. Do you know if this is good for a couple who would use it every other day for 20 minutes? reebok 910 treadmill. We're not sure which ones to get before the snow comes in.
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