My Best Run

I know you are all expecting an update on my 12 mile run this weekend, but sometimes a monsoon hits and that just doesn't get to happen... I had every intention of getting up Saturday morning at 7 and running, well I got up first at 5am due to the lightening and INTENSE rain, went back to sleep and got up again at 7 and decided it wasn't worth getting electrocuted and/or lost in New Orleans because I couldn't bring my phone or it would die from getting super soaked. It rained and rained and rained all day... it didn't stop until half time at the LSU game that night, around 9pm! So that run did NOT happen, but the run that did happen on Friday morning, was the best run I have EVER had.

 

I have had a lot of fun runs, but this run was different. After work Thursday I drove to my moms house in Laffy and spent the night there before finishing my drive to New Orleans to spend time with my mawmaw who isn't doing well. Friday morning I wanted to knock out a few miles to warm up for Saturdays big run. I got up and got dressed, talked to my mom a bit over a cup of coffee and was out the door.

 

I don't think I have ever talked about the details of how/where/when my daddy died, but it was exactly 2 blocks from our house, he went out running one night and never came back. It may have been almost 21 years ago, but I remember the events like it was last night that it had happened. The white car in the road in the picture below is right about where he collapsed on the sidewalk on that side of the street, and the house with the big oak tree is where the two guys lived who tried to resuscitate him and who called 911 for him.

 

 

I ran by this spot four times Friday morning, and it was a reminder of why I am training to run this half and in February whole marathon, its for him. My running is for him, to honor him, because he cant run anymore, but I can. If I can raise money to help the American Heart Association and one more dad gets to live because of the funds I raised running these long distances will all be worth it. I have found while training for this half that I am NOT a distance runner, my good/fun runs stop at 10ks, but I am doing this for a reason. I have participated in fund raisers for multiple causes and all are very important, but this one is BY FAR the most important to me. My world was turned upside down and has not been the same since Jan 27, 1993. That day my daddy was taken from me. I don't want anyone to have to go through what I went through, what my family went through. That is why I run.

This is the fastest I have run in my training so far, that wasn't speed training on a treadmill. I just kept thinking of him and how much I wish he could have been there running with me and how these were the very roads he ran, many years ago and it just propelled me to keep running faster and faster. I had negative splits!

 

I miss him every day and I know I always will, but having a run like this one almost made me feel like he was running with me. He is why I am running!

 

If you would like to donate, the link is below and its also always on my side bar.

 

 

 

 

 

Weekend update to come tomorrow!