Day 3,710—Fathersday/Bloomsday Marathon: Come up you Fearful Jesuit!—

I didn’t plan on running a full marathon, but I wanted to do at least 20. When I was at 15, I was sitting outside CVS drinking Coconut Water, I texted my wife to tell her I would be home soon, but she said I could take my time because it was Father's Day. After all, a marathon is only a little more than 20 miles, or so it seemed. 

         It was hot, so I stopped and drank water as much as I could. I had this idea to run all Grant’s Trail and all the Riverway until Francis Slay Park, so that is what I did. It does not have much elevation, but there is a lot of shade, and I don’t have to spend a lot of time thinking about directions. Also, I am so thankful that it connects to the Riverway every time I run on it.

         I would love to run an ultra-race only on the Greenway and Riverway trails. They don’t all connect but there is still a lot of trail and they have been doing more to connect them all the time. My main complaint is that there is nothing that goes to Forrest Park currently. They need to take the one from Francis Slay Park to Forest Park. It is only a couple of miles, but if people who run at Forest Park see there is another option, it could increase the number of people using the trails. Also from Forest Park to the Arch. I am sure someday they will.

Stories about being a Father

         My dad used to say a lot, “The best thing I ever did was have kids.” He would say it like it was some huge epiphany, but I never understood what he meant until I had kids. It is like that moment when you fall in love for the first time, except 100 times more intense. Suddenly, all those stories about parents and kids make a lot more sense. One of the most fun things I do with my daughter is just hanging out with her. Yesterday, we went to Grant’s farm and she decided to go up to everyone and say, “Hi.” She is so funny. I find myself being more fearless when I am with her. Both she and my son make me feel ten feet tall and that I can move mountains and swim to the bottom of the ocean. The question isn’t what I would, I do but what wouldn’t I do for them?

         My dad would take my older brother and me to Judo practice three times a week when I was a kid. There weren't a lot of other kids my age but I would practice with my older brother. For a while, we got snow cones or slurpees from 7/11 after we were done practicing. It might seem small, but us three virtues working to a point of exhaustion and then cooling down together made me feel connected and content. We didn’t have to talk a lot to know that we were all doing something we thought was pretty cool, and it was good to do it together.