Today I have to give a big shout-out to my Dad. It's his birthday today and it's a BIG ONE!! Today he turns 70 years old!!My dad has long been my fitness inspiration. He never preached to us growing up about the importance of fitness and working out, he just laced up his shoes each day and did it. Rain, snow, sleet, ice, fog...it didn't matter, he was out there working out. For a long time I didn't understand this. I hated running growing up. My least favorite day in P.E. class was having to run the 1-mile test for the Presidential Physical Fitness Award. I still remember the day that my middle-school gym teacher told us that if we didn't finish our one-mile test in under 10 minutes we would have to do it again! I just about died hearing that and somehow managed to scrape myself in with just a few seconds to spare.
I've come a long way since those days, but my dad has always been there for me, encouraging me not with words but through making fitness a part of his everyday life. He has run marathons, half-marathons, biked huge mountain ranges over multiple days, hiked 14,000 ft mountains, rappelled off from towering cliffs, jumped out of airplanes and far more things than I could ever keep track of. And the most amazing part is that he was able to do all of this while still managing to be an amazing dad and our biggest fan and supporter.
And please don't think that turning 70 has slowed him down at all (no, not even being diagnosed with prostate cancer three years ago and suffering a stroke six months later could do that!) He still bikes or walks to work everyday, the Colorado National Monument is still his favorite biking route, he lifts HEAVY weights each day in his own backyard gym, and he has his sights on doing an endurance event that involves hiking the Serpent's Trail (about 5 miles round trip) as many times as possible next summer.
Thank you Dad for being such a great example of hard work, dedication and endurance! I know I wouldn't be the same person I am today if it wasn't for your wonderful example. I hope to be able to pass along this same legacy to my own children!
(In 2007, three of us ran the Richmond Marathon to honor my dad while fighting cancer. We ran with these shirts and he was able to fly out to be there with us, always our biggest fan and cheeleader from the sidelines. Fight on!!)