See Mom Run

Dec. 1, 2013

There are few things that will get me out of bed at 6:15am on a cold, dreary Sunday morning (church doesn’t start until 11,) and there are even fewer which I will drag Nathan with me. However this was one of them.

Annette had been working for over 12 weeks preparing for her first 5K. When she started, she knew she was in for a challenge. However, there are few things that she can’t do if she puts her mind toward it. Three days a week, she would be out there. Some days thinking about grabbing a cold bottle of water at the end; other days, desiring coffee just to warm her bones.

I had to alter my running schedule to give her equal opportunity, but in the end there was something missing. Nathan never saw how hard Mom was working. Some days I would play with him in the park while she ran, other times he and I stayed home, or occasionally he would stay with his health aide and we both went out.

The way I saw it, there was one opportunity for he to see what his mom had accomplished, and see that everyone in this family pushes their boundaries, and is getting stronger everyday.

November 10 (in central Ohio) was a rainy day, under 40 degrees outside. The thing about raceday, is that you don’t get to choose your conditions and don’t choose the time of day. All racers were to report to their starting groups by 6:30. The first racers left the starting line at 7:30.

I didn’t want to take Nathan out in the rain (especially if it was cold) but as the clock hit 6:45 I heard the rain had stopped and after a quick check of the radar I decided to go for it. I got Nathan dressed while he was still trying to sleep. I got him into the car and headed downtown. Nathan was somewhat excited that if he had to get up that he at least got out of the house.

We made it downtown and down to the finish line at 7:45, just ahead of the first finisher. I think Nathan enjoyed seeing all the people running , the fans at the end, but didn’t know why he was there. After a little while, almost like a blur in front of us, Annette strode the final paces across the finish line, running the entire course. We let out a cheer and she gave back a wave, and we all felt good when it was over.

Nathan realizes a lot more things than we often give him credit for. I’d like to think that he realized that as a family we all support each other. We all give every challenge our best effort and together we all succeed.

Even after the race, Annette (and I) continue to run. Partially to better our health, partially to maintain our sanity, but knowing we’re all in a better place than we were months ago. We know some of our challenges are marathons and not sprints, but with hard work, we’re giving everything our best shot.

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