To Run With The Young Again

I took for granted my early days of running. I was 15 and a member of the cross country team in San Juan PR and simply ran for a varsity letter. Sad that my aim was merely on "R" for Robinson High on my jacket which made no sense since there isn't much use for coats on a tropical island! I resumed my second childhood of running at 43 and am knocking on 50s door. Rolling out of bed for a pain-free run is a rare gift granted when the planets and stars align. Running fast and free occurs less frequently and yet I am more fulfilled as a runner than ever. Amid training for marathons & halfs & 5ks I have found a greater joy- helping others enjoy running. This past Sunday afternoon I ran alongside Caitlyn, a 9 year who has caught the running bug from her mom and dad. She was courageous enough to sign up for her first 5k race though apprehensive. When she needed a running partner for the race I volunteered to help her. Her face lit up when "Pastor Mark" offered to guide her through. It was obvious that the jitters were in full force when I caught up with her and her mother before the race. I tried my best to help her stay calm but it wasn't easy. I have known those feelings of nervous energy as your strength and will are about to be tested. When we took off I knew that she had never run 3 straight miles at one time and that we may need to slow to a walk along the way. We eased are way onto the course keeping expectations light. When we approached the first mile we spotted a carved pumpkin with a #1 on it. I glanced at my watch and was stunned to see we were at a 10:30 pace. She wanted to know how we were doing and I said "Awesome." She smiled and joked into her second mile which clipped at 10:09 because we were playing a game of passing people for points. Amazingly she was hanging tough and still managed a big smile. With coaxing we were going into the most challenging stretch of the unknown third mile. I kept telling her she was doing awesome and that she was almost done. To this point she had not stopped to walk. I helped her up hills and kept encouraging her about how good it would be that we could rest at the finish line. Her smiles were less frequent but her determination was strong. Although we approached the final 1.1 miles in 14 minutes Caitlyn finished strong. I felt such pride and joy at seeing her do what she doubted possible. I fear that maybe I pushed a little too hard but in the end she was very happy with her first 5k race in just over 34 minutes. I was totally impressed with what she achieved in her very first race. I truly feel that if her passion for running grows, Caitlyn will become an exceptional runner for years to come. Her mother commented that she wants to run faster than Richie from church. He won the Cleveland Marathon in 2003. I guess she is setting her sights higher. I commented that maybe one day, Richie will wish he could run as fast Caitlyn. These are the moments that make running a priceless gift. I am blessed to share the road with others both older and younger.