A Father’s Day Run

I had a great Fathers day the other Sunday. I started out with breakfast in bed that was delivered by my bride of 38 years. It included a delightful good morning smile and kiss. I could stop here because being married to me for 38 years and still having a wonderful wife that has loved me through a many of a trial, is enough of a good story in and of itself. Since I am however long winded I will continue with the reporting of my morning activities.

 Next up was a 10 miler under a clear sky and only a moderate humidity. The old legs felt pretty good and for the first time in quite a while I didn’t feel like I was nursing an ongoing injury. I knew the day was full of potential to be a special one. How bad can your day be when you have already had breakfast in bed? It was fabulous, but not for the reasons you may be thinking. Oh, I had a great run. I finished up with a good pace, no pains, no snakes, (see prior blog) and energy left over to burn. It was a great morning because of the insights I discovered while on my run. Imagine that.

 I started to ponder about Fathers day and what that actually meant. A special day set aside once a year to make a dad feel important. I wondered how many dads were spending their special day away from their children; alone. Maybe because of work, maybe an ugly divorce, maybe a broken relationship with their child that had caused the separation. These thoughts caused me to question all of my own past fathers days. How many of them had I blown through without realizing how important that relationship was with my three daughters. I can remember on numerous occasions receiving wisdom from older parents to take the time to enjoy my girls, “They will grow up very fast”. I can tell you that you do not really get a do over with your children when you make mistakes. I wish I had taken their advice more seriously. My daughters are all grown now. I even have two grandsons. I think I had some great days with my daughters. We made trips to see Mickey, the circus, the lake, the beach etc. The thought that occurred to me however was, I could have, should have done more.  Our time here really is short when compared to eternity but our time here is still important. I have made the statement many times to others that I am just passing through here. That is usually my thinking when the trials of life weigh heavy on my heart or soul. But we should remember that it is still what you make of that time, which matters, especially to your children. I had made improvements I think over the last couple of years to attempt to be more available to my daughters but it occurred to me on this father’s day, you don’t get a do over even when your children are older. I sensed a need to want to do more or be a better dad even if my girls were all grown up. I don’t have an exact answer for how I am going to achieve what was laid on my heart that morning. I just don’t want to be having the same conversation with myself next fathers’ day. You see now that it was a great day because of the insights received while on the road. Something to hopefully make me a better person, a better dad and realize fathers’ day was important because of what I learned. I would recommend you not delay enjoying your children while they are young. Take advantage of being a dad. So, lace them up, get out there, and think about it. The clock is moving.

Two Old Guys and a Red Cooler

Sometimes it is the very smallest glimpse of something that causes us to pause and ponder. While running the other day I notice two old guys unloading a red cooler from the back of a pick up truck. They were on each side of the cooler with a firm grip on the side handles. I couldn’t help but to wonder and guess what treasures may be in that red cooler. It was obvious that it was heavy since it required two men to carry the weight of its contents.  Could it be a cooler full of fish? Maybe the two guys had spent the morning down on the river and were returning with their prized reward. Maybe they had spent the morning in a shared garden and the cooler was stuffed with fresh squash or cucumbers. As I continued to think about the bounty within that cooler something very significant occurred to me. Maybe the cooler really wasn’t that heavy. Maybe it was only half full of what ever that inside treasure was. Maybe it wasn’t about the weight of the cooler that caused each gentleman to latch on to what they considered their side of the responsibility. Maybe it was just a continuation of what ever they had shared that morning as two good friends. I begin to think about the possible history between these two. How long had they known each other? How many joys, fears or tears had they shared or experienced?

I didn’t have any answers in reference to these two old guys and that red cooler. For all I know they may have never meet before that day. I would guess however that they had a relationship as true friends for many years. There was just something about their stride as they moseyed in step with each other with that cooler in tow. I just don’t think this was the first time this ritual had occurred.

 It then occurred to me that in this techno age we currently live in, long lasting friendships are rare. We are too occupied with our next work assignments, deadlines to meet, projects to complete and image to compete. We are a generation of making impressions, getting it done and out running the sun. Why have we lost what these two old guys probably understood to be an important part of their life?

Had the years in their rear view mirror taught them the importance of one of life’s rewards?  Why does it take so long to remember to look at our past and understand who

has been in the trench’s with us? Making the time to keep a friendship seemingly takes more work than we are willing to allow out of our busy schedules. So, the next time you lace them up and are ready to hit the road, think about making that call. Run with a friend. Make a memory. Put in the effort. Don’t let the world dictate to you to rush through everything you do. After all, one side of that cooler will always be lighter than both sides, regardless of what is inside. Share it with a friend.

Running With Snakes

Running With Snakes??

I know what you may be thinking; I have started to hang out with politicians. I can see how you would come to that conclusion after reading my title but I assure you that smoozing with politicians is somewhere on my list of things I want to do in conjunction with shopping at a mall. Or any store for that mater unless it is a sports store with lots of man stuff. That being said, I was out on the pavement today around mile 5 when I noticed a big stick in the road,,, on my side of the road. I didn’t know 5 foot long sticks could move without the assistance of a 3 to 5 year old boy but there it was, slowing crossing the road. Now this may freak some folks out but I grew up catching black rat snakes and for a brief moment thought about the prospects of catching this beauty and taking it home. Black snakes are good to have around ones home if you live in the country. They help keep the mice down and the occasional Copperhead away from the premises. I was still about 4 miles from home and somehow the weight of a 5 footer hanging off of my arm just didn’t seem like a good idea. As I approached the snake I heard a pickup truck coming up behind me. I started to wave my arms like I was having a heart attack to attempt to slow the driver down. After all, if I couldn’t take her home I could at least help her get out of the road. The driver slowed down and saw what all the arm waving was about. It was just a snake and a runner. I think I saw a slight sneer as he passed and determined he was probably thinking about a turn around and running over both of us. Most people already think people out running are a little weird but, someone running in the heat and attempting to help one of mans hated creatures was a bit to much. I am sure I made great strides today in terms of helping our sport of running. I am just hoping this guy doesn’t see me at another time on the road and attempts to find revenge for making him slow down for a snake and a runner. A double insult for him I would figure. Anyway; I found a stick, a real one this time and proceeded to help the big ole lady slide on across the road. So what does this really have to do with running other than now you know for sure that I am a little off, especially when running in the heat? It caused me to think about my Dad. He passed away 9 years ago this month. I started to think about how he taught me a lot of things about life. He taught me how to tell the difference between a good snake(see non poisonous here) and a bad snake.(yep, poisonous) He taught me how to carefully capture a snake without getting hurt and not hurting the snake. I remembered about the one time I chased a King snake up and tree and out on a limb just so I could take him home and show my dad. Most people wouldn’t use a snake to remember their dad but then again I am not like most people. The point is, when you are out running there is always possibilities to not only learn new things about our sport, endurance, goals and failures but, to take time to remember some of the good times that you were blessed with to share a special moment with someone or something. Running is more than the sweat. Sometimes it’s the memories. By the way, if I had been within a mile of the house, that snake would be in my yard keeping away the varmints. Keep m laced up!

Running In The Heat

That may not sound like something most people would get over concerned with but most people don’t have to put up with the Columbia SC tortures of heat and humidity. I really like where I live for most of the year but Columbia is well known for being an unfriendly environment That is especially true for a few months in the summer season. I remembered that again as I went out for an 8 miler and made the mistake once again, (sigh) to drag around the house and let 10:00 am arrive before I headed out. I know that none of you have ever made that mistake. Anyway, I was about a ½ mile out when it occurred to me my pace was really slow. Yes, I know some of you think my pace is slow when I am in top form and running all out but that is for another blog time. I was at first a little anxious but then remembered that it was warm and humid. It was Columbia. I was not supposed to be attempting to set a new training run PR. Why not just enjoy the run and be thankful that the last injury had finally healed and the pavement was flowing smoothly before me. As runners we sometimes forget to just chill and enjoy the gift of running. Even though I had made the mistake of getting out late, I was out. Fortunately, I had remembered before the first mile marker that you have to run smart even when it is just a simple run. I was actually proud of myself for not allowing 4 or 5 miles to get past me and then remember the heat, humidity and the reason I was out there on the road to start with. It was all good.

   I passed a neighbor of mine at mile one and noticed he was hoeing in his garden. This was particularly strange because this man has some age on him and he usually is not seen after the early morning hours out puttering in his yard or garden. It appeared he had made the same mistake as me. He started late and was paying the price under the high sun. Or was he? It occurred to me as I passed by with a hand wave that his movements with the hoe while determined to accomplish his task, were slow and smooth. No violent hacking with the head of the hoe but just easy, low, steady strokes. I also notice he had his wide brim hat to protect his head from the sun. He was minding his pace in reference to the heat. I do not think I have ever thought about gardening and running at the same time before but today there seem to be a parallel. Both activities required some forethought and planning. Both activities could be dangerous if the good ole Columbia heat was not respected. Both were being enjoyed by the participants. Both had specific goals to accomplish.

 I started to think about other things in our lives and how we allow pressure from work or friends to push us to our limits. I realized that we sometimes allow junk to be pushed upon us without even vaguely thinking through the consequences that we may have to deal with later on and just to please someone else or their agenda. So what does this have to do with running? Life is like running in the heat sometimes. You head out late on a hot morning, you don’t have enough fluids with you, you don’t think about keeping the dangers of the heat in front of your thinking and boom! You start to see spots, you become dizzy, your head starts to ache and it occurs to you that you are now in trouble. Why? You didn’t plan, you didn’t think before starting and you just wanted to complete the task or mileage before you.

 I have a mantra that I have been using for several years now. Run to run another day. That means that when I do make mistakes and realize that my body is in trouble due to the heat, I pull up and find some shade, find some fluids and remember this is not my last run. I really do want to run again. We should treat life that way. We should plan and think about what we are doing each day. We should ask ourselves how much of life are we missing because we allow the world to tell us who we are and how much we are worth. Do you feel like you are running through life in the heat? Do you see spots or feel the pain of attempting to just push through life’s junk? Is it time to remember tomorrow is another day? Is it time to pull over in the shade of life for a while? You may want to find that wide brim hat and slow down a little with that hoe.