My 13 year-old son and I have been running together off and on since he was 7. We still have very fond memories of our first 5k we ran in pouring rain. Many a run I urged him on, slowing my pace and chatting about whatever would distract him.
When we started running together again about 2 months ago, I anticipated more of the same. Aaron hadn't run on a regular basis for a year or more, and although I had taken some time off after cracking my tail bone, I felt pretty good about hitting the road again. And that's when I learned that an out-of-shape 13 year-old is faster than a somewhat-in-shape almost 39 year-old.
So I made a plan...I ran a couple of weeks in a row without him in hopes of closing the gap at least a little.
Today I tested that plan. Aaron and I set out to run our typical 45 minutes and the first 10 felt pretty good. Then I felt fatigue set in, but there was no way I was admitting it. We were on a particularly hilly course, I told myself, and it was early in the day and my best running is in the afternoon. So I pushed thinking I would eventually get my wind back.
And then it happened, joy of joys...my son said, "This is a miserable run." My now 39 year-old self may have been sucking air, but so was my 13 year-old son. Now we were pushing together. Finish the run, slow down if you have to, but don't quit. The next run will only be that much harder if we quit in the middle of this one. And so we did, and an hour later we hobbled back into the house.
Finish the run, slow down if you have to, but don't quit.
Happy running!
ReplyDeleteGreat name for the blog! You have such a healthy outlook on life. Hope you had a wonderful birthday.
ReplyDeleteJeri
P.S. Doesn't seem possible that you have a 13 year old!!
Was your rainy first 5k a Run for the Son by any chance? I remember one particularly rainy one....it was pouring by the time we hit the HUGSR driveway.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your running...proud of you both. Good for the body and the soul...and the mother-son relationship. -- Nicole
It most certainly was! Aaron and I came in dead last together by mutual plan...to get the 40years in the wilderness award. But we did have to work at it. We kept having to slow way down and let folks pass us...ahhh, the good ol' days!
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