Happy 49th Mom

I think I should get a “My Mom Runs… Fast!” bumper sticker. You know, like those cheesy “Proud Parent of an Honour Roll Student!” or “My Other Vehicle is a Golf Cart!” ones.

My Mom, an accomplished (and continually accomplishing) runner went from a cheer-from-the-sideline parent to completing a half marathon, qualifying and competing in the Boston Marathon and completing ultra-Marathons in the span of three years. My Mom has set goals and achieved so much in so little time. How? Is it nature? Nurture? Natural talent?

There’s no secret recipe to my Moms success. She is the world biggest advocate of determination and perseverance. Her on-repeat broken-record catchphrase is “you can do anything you put your mind to”. Evidently, she has followed her own advice and reaped the rewards.

She did not grow up running. In fact, she started a mere few years ago. Prior, lets just say her kids, family and career kept her substantially busy.

Growing up through our teens my siblings and I ran cross country and track through school, however the majority of our serious activity was in club sports like soccer, lacrosse and hockey. We each did very well; competing at elite levels and winning numerous awards in our respective sports. In the case of my siblings who are still in high school, they continue to excel. To us, running was something we did as a supplementary to keep in shape for other sports. From my recollection, running was not something we entirely enjoyed through those younger years.

I have memories of my Mom standing on the sidelines timing my sister, brother and I as we ran loops of a lake at our local park. She would yell and make an ordeal, often leaving me in tears of frustration (to be fair, I’m an emotional person). You can imagine, spinning your legs to the point of exhaustion, sprinting every interval, only to be told, “let’s try to make the next one faster!” Looking back, it was evident she was an overly passionate Mom who believed her children could achieve more and more (she still is).

Finally, one day my sister said to my Mom “If it’s so easy, why don’t you try it?” My Mom took this salty comment and constructively used it. Perhaps not necessarily proving that running is “so easy”, but with the pace she knocked off goals and surpassed even her own expectations, it sure did seem that way.

My Mom’s quick climb of success is not a fluke. Ask anyone she trains with, she posses a competitive edge to an extent that most do not, that allows her to push past pain, injuries and boundaries to reap rewards. I’m sure anyone who knows my Mom can agree that push she has seems absolutely inhuman or ridiculous at times.

Seeing her do so well has encouraged me to lace up and train. I’ve now fallen head over heels for running, and couldn’t imagine any other activity that would bring happiness to me the way it does. There’s a beauty about running, hidden under the sweat, tough workouts, achy muscles, and yes even despite the chaffing (in places/ body parts I won’t elaborate about). There’s a unity and collectiveness about the running community, and fellow runners who surpass basic friendship obligations to support you in the toughest of times, mentally and physically. There’s a certain harmony that running fosters, and I am thankful to have been introduced to that.

It’s amazing to have seen her grow as a person, and excel at this sport – both on the roads and in the trails. As I spend more and more time around her current and former training groups, I realize she’s not only an inspiration to myself, but someone others find inspiration in as well. To be able to affect that many people in a positive way – whether the affect was small or large – it is something to admire.

So Happy Birthday Mom – celebrating you on your big day. Here’s to another year of you baffling the rest of the world with your determination, dedication, and achievements. We watch in anticipation, and awe.