Sometimes I forget how the little things can make a big difference even today with my adult children.
When my kids were little, we enjoyed going to the Boston Marathon route. We’d park strategically for a
Erin, standing, with Heather giving a runner water circa 1995 or 96 getaway, and would hand out orange slices and water to the runners. While waiting for the runners to get to our location, we’d have a grill going making hot dogs, and would play with a Frisbee. And I suspect this was also the first time my kids saw the awesome flattening a train does to a penny, as we always made it over to the train tracks.
Over time, we would bring different families with us. After all, handing out water at the Marathon was “our thing.”
As time went on, jobs and school got in the way. During the college years, the kids we not traveling home for the Marathon. While I would make a point of either showing up or watching a little on television, it wasn’t the same.
Last year, my daughter and some college friends ran the Marathon course. It was a big event, with a bunch of young women carbo loading the night before and then meeting at the house in the morning. I was charged with dropping them off at Hopkinton State Park for the shuttle ride to Hopkinton. I met them a couple times along the way, and we met at the end. All made it, all did well.
My daughter swore she was “into running”, and was going to do the New York Marathon. Alas, her life seemed to kick in, and while Dad dutifully got the information on how she could participate as part of a charity team. Running the Marathon faded.
So I was surprised when two months ago she said she wanted to run it again at 25 years old. In fact, I was very surprised. A year before she was training hard…I knew she had done some short runs, but nothing serious.
She asked if I would help her prep. Last year, than meant a trip to Dick’s Sporting Goods, and then Carbo Loading. This year, it was just a request to carbo load.
Then a week ago, I got a text message, suggesting I wasn’t being supportive. Hmm. How much more supportive could I be? Heck, I even put up a Facebook post:
So I had to act quickly. I arranged for the day off from work. I would reprise my role as the carbo loading coach, drop her off, and meet her along the way. I sent her a text, letting her know:
Wow. I didn’t know this was so important to her.
Then the worries started. Why? The meteorologists were predicting high heat, and the Boston Athletic Association started indicating “deferrals” might be good for the numbered runners. Of course, she thought I was trying to scare her by mentioning.
The night before, we went to Hopkinton to see the starting line:
We had Breakfast this morning at Chet’s Diner.
I dropped her off at the state park:
I saw her at the 7 mile mark:
(Of course, the ambulances at the 7 mile mark were concerning, they just kept coming:)
While waiting at the 20 mile mark, she sent this text:
I was there at the 20 mile mark along with her brother, who captured these steps as she boldly made it to “pits:”
And in the end, she did it.
She is tired, with a blister or two, and yet she “beat the heat.” Am I proud of her? Words can’t describe.
Erin had such support. From the people she works (and worked) with), friends, family, the folks at Chet’s Diner (who thought her name should be on their sign,) my friends at the Westborough Patch….it is amazing. We went out for dinner afterwards, and throngs of people came by to congratulate my Back of the Pack runner, who did “Beat the Heat.”
And if Erin does Boston again, or the New York as she’s threatening, I will be there.
I am hopeful if she wants to keep with it she joins a running club and participates with a community. Having a bib would help to…if only so I have a place to sit:
