My Turn for 26.2

Many, MANY years ago.....I stood along the side of the road in Hunstville, Alabama. It was 17 degrees and our family huddled together on the sidewalk craning our necks to see.  We were staring down the road looking at the runners....Trying to catch a glimpse of him coming.

"There he is!  He is coming!

Go Daddy!  You can do it!

Run, Daddy, Run!"

My heart swelled with pride as my Daddy ran past us, giving us a smile and a wave.

He was running a marathon.....A feat I viewed as completely superhuman.

Impossible for a "normal" person.

I figured he and the other marathoners must have been born with some sort of genetic abnormality that allowed them to accomplish such an insane achievement.

Run for 26.2 miles? 

Ha! 

Over 4 hours of running without a break?

What??!

How can a human body physically hold up to that?

All these years of wonder and amazement at the grand accomplishment of my Daddy and the other marathoners I watched that day.....and I am now ready to add my name to the list of people who have achieved the goal.

My miles of running has been building over the years after Daddy ran his marathon.  I started with 5K's, then moved to a couple of 10K's, to a 10 miler, to ...most recently a couple of half-marathons. 

I have learned over the years of pounding out the miles...that neither Daddy...nor any other marathoner....was born with a genetic abnormality.....they just got out there and RAN.

....and ran.

.....and ran.

....and ran.

And so did I.

And during all those miles of running....my body began to YEARN to run a full marathon. 

So.....last night....I registered for one. 

I registered for a full...26.2 mile marathon....coming up this December.

The very same marathon in Huntsville that I stood on the sidewalk and watched my Daddy run all those years ago.

Except now....it is MY turn to be on the street running. My family...and my Daddy....will be standing on the sidewalk watching for me to run past.