This man here was my Dad! Not just any Dad either, although I'm sure most of us say that about our parents?
As you can see, my Dad loved a bit of a challenge too, particularly sporting challenges, and each one he took very seriously. Even this 1977 sack race!
When I was younger I started running with Dad, I then entered Cross Country and Athletics competitions and he was always there to support me.
I remember one Athletics competition in Crawley I was at and he turned up, I don't think I was expecting him.
He said to me, go out there, do your best and win! And if you can't win, make sure you don't lose!
Wise words I think, and I've never wanted to let him down since. Those words are still in my head, whenever I compete in anything.
This day last year I ran the Torbay Half Marathon with my Dad right beside me in mind the whole way round, so I thought it only fair that this year I have another run with him.
I've had a bit of a down week, not felt myself at all, low energy levels and messy hormone levels! I didn't want to push it, but I also wanted to go a little more than a 10k.
Set off, feeling tired, sluggish, heavy and fat. My feet weren't coming far off the ground, not like my usual running anyway, but I kept on, plodding away.
There aren't many places out of Totnes that you can run on a pavement so I was back in Forces March territory, back facing the traffic.
This morning was a particularly good example of bad driving from people. I faced a certain amount of near death experiences at the Forces March but today the drivers were special!
I crossed to the left of the road on a blind bend near the last Rattery turn off, running with the trafic coming behind me, glowing hi-viz on my back!
Bearing in mind I cannot see cars coming up behind me, then bang! A car went straight into me smashing into my arm! I pulled myself out of the hedge to catch the number plate but he was off, turned off and left me in the road! What a bloody dickhead!
Not only was I now in pain at this point, but I was also very very angry!
Funny how your mind and body work sometimes, the anger seemed to make my running better, I picked up my feet, picked up the pace and went into full on warrior mode wanting to take on any car driver that came near me!
Running with arm pain wasn't easy and I decided to cut short my run a little.
I ran to South Brent and turned off into a tiny back lane to Diptford, it was shady and pretty and smelt of damp summer. I remembered this lane from when I first moved to Devon and someone told me a lion had been found there one day! In my usual running state of mind I started thinking about the lion, and if it was suddenly going to leap out into the road and eat me! It didn't happen!
I cut back up to the Avonwick Road that lead back to Totnes. For some reason the drivers on this road were far more courteous than the other. I had a good pace back along in the sunshine, thinking of my lovely, inspirational Dad and how I will always do my best to make him proud of me.
If your Dad is still with you, then make the very best of every moment that you have. In fact, not just your Dad, because I realise how very important my Mum is to me, even more since dad has gone.
Go on, give your parents a massive hug and tell them how much you love them, they made you who who you are, you are a part of them, enjoy.
(see, a little more up beat than the last blog! haha)
No comments:
Post a Comment