Running Ahead

I have had a difficult year maintaining a regular running routine. Many reasons, and all of them excuses. I've completed two races this year, a 5K and my first ever 10K, but each was followed by a self-disciplinary drop-off.

A new and surprising motivation has recently come into play. My older son is working on his Personal Fitness merit badge for Scouts, which involves a 12-week self-training program designed to increase strength, flexibility, and endurance. A part of his regimen is setting a benchmark and improving his time on a 1-mile run. So for the last few weeks, once a week, I've taken him out for the simple run at a local track.

The first time out, I had him keep pace with me. I am not a fast runner by any stretch of the imagination, but I can run more than a mile without walking. Trying to pass on my little bit of wisdom, I encouraged him to first try a pace that would increase the possibility of making the distance at a steady run, without walking. Going on 15 years old, he is lanky and lean, and easily completed the run with energy to spare. Running side by side with my son, even that one time, is a memory I will treasure.

The next few runs, however, I turned him loose, advising him to set his own pace, and not worry about running ahead of me. (I am not built for speed, and I am far more interested in simply being in good enough shape to go the distance, even if I can't run it all, or run fast. For me, it is about staying healthy and keeping the weight off). And so he did. And today, he hit his mile in 9:11, whereas I came in at 10:46.

While some dads might have a hard time with something like this, I couldn't be prouder. Watching him pull ahead of me, I got to thinking about how short a time there is left before he truly starts his own journey of discovery. The time I have left with him under my roof is dwindling rapidly. Yet there he went, racing a quarter of a lap, then half a lap ahead. Exceeding, excelling, exhilarating. When he began a cool down, I caught up, and we began to talk about how next time out, we'd go farther, and maybe even plan on running a 5K together later this year. It wouldn't matter to me if he left me way behind, just the thought of running a race together did this old man some good.

Both of my children, in time, will be running ahead of me. And that is more than okay, as long as they are passionate about what they do, and are pursuing goals that are worthy and honorable, in line with their gifts and talents. They may not always, but I will maintain the hope that they find the joy in discipline, the joy in being, and the joy in living.

They will run ahead, and behind them will be me, huffing and puffing and smiling, encouraging them all the way.