Run, Run, Get Some

Run, run, get some...

That is my favorite saying when I go out on a race or a long run.  I don’t know where it came from so I either made it up or stole it from someone or something so long ago I can no longer remember.  My kids know the saying and Lisa says it everyone in a while.

Today was TJ’s first track meet. Lisa signed him up for a community track team because TJ is a runner.  I love the boy with all my being but the poor guy has no hand and eye coordination for baseball, basketball, or soccer.  But, oh, he can run.

TJ is graceful when he runs.  It is as if he glides through the space in front of him. He has long legs and purposeful, deep, full strides.  It is a beautiful thing to watch him run.

I don’t know how fast he is compared to other runners but I told him that someone is always going to be faster than you, the only person you run against is yourself.  I don’t want him to get discouraged if he doesn’t come in the top three and he should never hear that kind of disappointment from a parent.  No, I want him to go out and have fun and love the moment.

Yes, this is about me too.  I see so much of me in him at that age.  I was lousy at team sports.  I didn’t run track until high school at John S. Burke Catholic.  When I did I was okay but not great.  Had I trained and focused I would have been a much better young athlete.  It wasn’t until my twenties until I began to run more regularly and even had some top thee finishes in some 5k races.  So, to see that potential in him makes me want and hope for TJ to like it too.

Next January, TJ is going to run part of the Disney marathon weekend with me - the 5k portion of my Dopey Challenge.  I can't wait to be in the starting corral with him waiting for the countdown and starting gun.

I watched the video of his first race.  A 100m dash.  His second race was a 400m race. 

I missed being there but I felt him soar.

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