Grateful, grateful, truly grateful I am
Grateful, grateful, truly blessed and duly grateful.
(Okay, if you’re not a total musical theater geek and don’t know John Bucchino, those lyrics will mean nothing to you, but trust me, it is an incredibly sweet and moving song – take a listen.)
Today I read a post that made me really sad – though I don’t think that was what Lauren intended when she wrote it. Please, go read. After reading Lauren’s post, I realize just how lucky I am that my family and friends have been supportive of my marathons. There were many races that I did all by myself, in a state where I didn’t know a soul… but there were also plenty when I had friends and family cheering me on along the way. My mom, in particular, was an absolute champ about cheering me on. I occasionally got frustrated with her when she’d be too busy talking to all the spectators around her and she’d miss seeing me, but this puts it in perspective. How lucky am I that she would travel to come to some of my races? That she would stand out on the course for hours waiting to see me and cheer her heart out? That she makes awesome signs like this and brings them to my races, so I can spot her in the crowd?
This weekend, I cannot wait to cheer her on in her own quest – to finish her first half marathon. But unlike my incredibly patient mother, I won’t be doing it from the sidelines, where I have to wait an hour to see her on each loop (I can see how that gets old, but I would absolutely do it to support her if that’s what she wanted). For this race, though, I get to run it at her side, cheering her on every single step of the way. The hills in Central Park will seem like nothing when I do my usual “45 seconds to the top, you can do it!” and have peppy sayings all along the way!
My mom used to run 5Ks many years ago – in fact, as a little kid, I remember her often wearing a gray t-shirt from the Freihofer’s 5K in Albany, NY, when she was gardening. But aside from the 5K she ran in Hartford a few years ago, she hasn’t really run much since, and I am so excited that we now share a common interest as she tries out her first long distance race. I am incredibly proud of my mom for all the hard work she’s put in training for this race. She went from struggling to do a few loops around the track to tackling an 11 mile long run all by herself!!! I know she is going to rock this.
Mom, I am SO proud of you – now go get ’em this weekend!
I love this post! Good luck to you and your mama! I’m SO close to finishing my thesis and will hopefully be done in time to come cheer you both on! I’m lucky to have an awesome Mom too…the night before my first Half, she woke up at 3am to drive 5 hours to Boston so that she could surprise me at the Finish Line of my race. My heart nearly stopped when I saw her at Mile 13! She pulled the same trick by surprising me at the NYC Half last year and hasn’t missed any of my marathons…except the one I ran by accident!
i hope you and your mom have a great time this weekend! i will be up in boston, along with my parents, cheering for my brother. they have been nothing but supportive of my big races. they’ve stood out in central park in freezing weather during a 10K, came to the finish line of my first half marathon and presented me with a garmin, and carefully planned out where they would stand in order to see me several times during the nyc marathon. and then when it was over, they took me to shake shack and helped me up the stairs to my apartment.
I’m so excited for you and so proud of your Mom! I can’t wait to read your race report. Cheers!
I definitely see how Lauren’s post is upsetting – I am also very lucky I have had good cheerleaders (or friends to run with!) in all 6 of my half marathons.
I hope to see you/your mom out there on Sunday; I am not the best trained that I could be and am not setting any expectations for myself, I just want to enjoy myself and finish!
How awesome that you and your Mom are running a half together!! That’s SO great.
(I just found your blog and I love it by the way.)
My Mom did her first 5k a couple years ago and I was so proud. And, for my first half marathon, she stood outside in the freezing rain cheering-but never even saw me! My poor Mom! She traveled to Florida; it was unseasonably cold and she wasn’t very prepared but she still stuck it out. I was so thankful 🙂
Anyway, best of luck!!
So so cute!!! Can’t wait to meet your mom!!!
Love this for so many reasons. Can’t wait for our MOMS to meet
I just watched your Nuun to Coast entry…it’s so inspiring!
I’ve never had anyone to cheer me on for a race. I’m nervous because now I’m married and have my husband to cheer me on…but I’m sure he’ll get super, super, super bored. Maybe after his first time being bored as a spectator, I’ll be able to convince him to run with me!!!
So awesome! Eric is the only one who’s ever come and supported my races, my parents live really far away from me and I don’t think it’s something they’d be into. Maybe my dad since he was a HUGE supporter of my sports in school but my mom never even came to my hockey games EVER so I doubt she’d come watch me run. I definitely want to support my kids in whatever they do one day and maybe run a race with them even!
So awesome that you and your mom are running together! Best of luck to you both, it looks like such a fun race 🙂
That is AWESOME!!! Good luck to you & your mom!