Writing EDD 1/1/16 — Resolute

We started the day crossing a creek, slowly moving from rock to rock, my youngest carefully picking her spots and waiting for my hand. The challenge is knowing when to offer the hand, and when to let them jump, risking wet shoes, and maybe a twisted ankle, but definitely embarrassment and hurt pride. Today I held my hand out and she grabbed it every time.

This will always be a special spot, a trail I run at the first of every year going on 7 years now. I wouldn’t choose to be anywhere else. I know the twists and turns, the rocky sections, the switchbacks, where it gets steep and where it’s flat, where to run slow and conserve, and where to open it up and stretch the legs out, where it is exposed to the sun and where it remains shady and cool for the entire day. My pace has slowed as I’m dealing with an injury, but it is a mixed blessing because I’m running more often with my kids now, and I told my son that if he keeps running, he’d probably be beating me up the big climbs by next year. He smiled and said more like next month. We both laughed, but I told him when he does it, he’ll really do it. I’m not going to fake it and let him win, but I’m sure it will happen soon enough. For now, I hold back and watch them jump off the rocks, sprint downhill until the cramps in their side make them double over in pain, but only for a few seconds, and with some deep breaths they are off again. I yell after them to take it easy and watch where they are stepping, but those words just float behind them, not caring and not really wanting to reach their ears.