Monday, January 19, 2015

Inner Strength

Today you are in for a treat with a special blog post from Daddy.....

I signed up for my first run just over 13 years ago in 2001. It was a 10K. A few months later I would run my first half-marathon in the Mercedes Marathon weekend in Birmingham in 2002. I wasn't running for anything but me. I didn't know that the Mercedes Marathon benefitted anyone because I wasn't really paying attention. I was only focusing on Will and running and how Will could become a better runner. But things have changed over time. There is more in my life now than just Will. Six years ago I married Anna Ruth and ever since she and I have been growing old together. :) But I am still working hard to become a better husband every day. Then, four years ago Frances came into our lives courtesy of the fine people at Brookwood Medical Center's Labor and Delivery and I have been striving to be a better father ever since. Five months ago I started a great job in software development. I am pretty good at it but I would also like to become pretty great at it. :)   Running 13 years ago was a lot easier than it is today and quite frankly, I'm tired. I decided a few months ago I was going to cut back on running for a while. Running marathons is easy. It's the training that really consumes all your time and energy. With so much going on right now, my motivation to train is dwindling. But I simply cannot imagine not running the Mercedes Marathon each year for as long as I can. The beneficiary is The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs and the children who have benefitted from their services past, present and future is just the motivation I need to run this marathon. They are my inner strength. 

Please visit my fundraising page and consider making a donation to support The Bell Center!

Today, my daughter Frances, who is a Bell Center alumnus joined me for one of my training runs on an unseasonably warm January morning. 

We are at the halfway point!

Frances takes off without me.

Oooops. Ran too fast.

Just one mile to go. Frances? FRANCES???

Trust me. I am just as tired as she is. 

Check out Frances' training in action:

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