Search This Blog

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

When Do You Become a Runner?

My daughter (I like to call her that, although she's not actually mine) asked me if I would like to write a post for her blog www.wholeironwoman.com as a guest.  I told her, "Sure, why not!  I'll have something for you tomorrow."  Well, that was two days ago, and I as yet have nothing to give her.  Here's the reason;  her blog is all about running and cycling and swimming--mostly running--and I'm not a runner!!  I mean, I don't think I am-yet.  I would like to call myself one, but I hold runners in such high regard, that I don't know if I'm worthy yet of wearing that title.

 Here's my story:

Six months ago if you asked me if I ran, I'd say you were crazy for thinking such a thing, and that anyone who ran was crazy.  I mean, why would anyone want to run when there are perfectly good cars sitting in the driveway??  I had NEVER in my 44 years of living on this earth even thought that I would ever run.  I had a bad knee, my ankle gave out in a sixth grade game of kick ball, it would make me sweat.......you get the picture.

Then my friend Melissa told me about her son, Jacob.  He has  Becker's Muscular Dystrophy, a degenerative muscle disease that only affects boys.  The recessive gene, from what I understand, is carried by the mother only, and Becker's is one of the rarer forms of MD.  Anyway, Jacob is only 7 years old, and the sweetest little boy you could ever imagine.  His outlook for a normal life is not good.  I don't even want to write about statistics.  Too depressing.

Melissa told me that she was going to raise money on behalf of Jacob for the Parent Project for Muscular Dystrophy by running with a group called "Run For Our Sons."  She told me that she would be running in the Rock n Roll St. Louis Marathon on October 23, 2011 in St. Louis.  "Would you like to come?  We'd love to have you," she said.  Well, she had me at "Jacob."

I don't think Melissa knew that I was anti-running.  And I didn't really have the heart to tell her.  I just wanted to do what I could to help Jacob's cause.  I wanted to raise money.  That was my goal.

And so the WALKING began....

1 comment:

About Me

My photo
I am blessed to have the family and friends that I do. I falter daily, but I work on improving myself and hopefully that translates into more meaningful relationships with those I love.