Hand in Hand

My dad and I have almost always clicked.  We see things in similar ways, we have similar interests, and I would say that we are examples to each other.  I have always been my daddy's girl and have done a lot of things partially just to make him proud.  I gained my love of french from him.  I gained my love of running from him.  I gained my desire to continually improve and increase my capacity from him.  I appreciate so many things about him.  He strives to build up people around him.  He thinks positively even in dreary circumstances.  He is a man of faith and forgiveness.  I love him so much.

Today, my dad and I were able to do something together for the first time I can recall.  We ran a race together.  I had called him on my way home from the Bridal Veil Falls 10k two weeks ago to let him know I was back in the exercise saddle.  I bragged to him that I was already signed up for the Provo River 10-Miler for June 13th.  He then got that "I'm thinking about working something out" voice and informed me that he would be in town that weekend on business.  He was cautious about not committing, due to his desire to train properly before attempting such a race.  In the end, however, he signed up, too, and together we participated today. 

It's amazing to me how fast 10 or 15 years just went.  It seems like "just recently," I was running high school Cross Country and my dad was cheering me on.  It was "just recently" that I cheered him on running the St. George Marathon just after my mission.  And "just recently" we both could run a lot faster and less painfully.  Today reminded me that Time slows for no one.

The bus dropped off all the runners about three miles up from Vivian Park.  We ran all the way down to the Riverwoods shopping center.  The canyon wasn't nearly as frigid as last year at 7:30am, but we were still glad to have warmups.  Just as the race was about to start and we surrendered our warm clothes, it started to rain.  Ugh.  It turned out perfectly, though.  There was a light drizzle for the first few miles that kept us nice and cool as we set our pace.  I love running for a lot of reasons.  One of the most important reasons to me is that I see running as a parable for life.  Your attitude has a lot to do with how much you enjoy it.  You can focus on others around you, comparing yourself and getting discouraged, or you can take care of you and improve your personal best.  You can look at the ground the whole time and never trip, or you can risk looking up and realize what stunning views you've been missing.  I reveled in the peace and quiet of the canyon as we descended.  Clouds nestled in the trees, bright purple flowers peaked out on the hillside, and the river helped carry our spirits down to the finish.  My dad and I didn't speak for most of the run, yet I loved being there with him.  Sometimes in life, to be a friend, you don't have to say anything, you just have to show up.  During the race, dad and I both had our running music.  I know that we were literally running to the beat of different drums, but we both enjoyed the journey, both worked hard to finish as strong as we could, and both agreed that we should train better in preparation next time.  That's true both for running and for life.

Someday, I imagine my dad won't be able to run with me and I'll remember today.  Wherever his race in life takes him, I know he'll push to the end and finish strong... I hope I'm there to hold his hand when he crosses that finish line.

Love you, dad.

These are two awesome girls from Jamaica that we met and chatted with today.  Avia and Stophia Anne, mother of two.  I just love the friendly, positive atmosphere at races!