I was doing some thinking on my VERY long, solo run this weekend. What makes some people decide that they can and should train for a marathon and others are quite certain that running without being chased by a wild animal is a waste of motion? The difference is the attitude. Hang around a group of runners and you'll quickly see that they not only are supportive of one another, they have their own "can-do" spirit. My youngest son, D, has an awesome attitude. (My other kids do, too, but D wears his heart on his sleeve and is easy to read on such things.) He hasn't met an obstacle he doesn't think he could at least take a solid bite of, if not conquer. He brings this attitude to his running, skiing, school work and his hobbies. Fortunately for me, he is quite mechanical by nature and the opportunity to install a new dishwasher in our house was not a chore, but an adventure! The dishwasher arrived on Friday. I brought my own positive attitude and confidence in D's skills and together we tackled the project. By "we" I mean that I read instructions and handed him things he needed. His part was the actual installing and problem-solving when the directions didn't match our plumbing layout. In less than an hour, my dishpan hands were beginning to heal. D likes to "help Mama" run races, too. He has joined me in parts of marathons and halves over the past few years to help quicken my step when the race gets long and my spirit gets weak. He encourages me along while also refreshing the psyche of other runners nearby with "Hey, you got this!" and "Are you okay?" I look forward to him joining me and am grateful he is willing to run a while at my pace. Here are my boys after a race several years ago. B won his age group and D was first for 12 and under. The announcer made a point of noting that he was more serious and determined than many of the finishers that day. That's how he rolls! Imagine trying to finish 3.1 or 26.2 miles with a gloomy attitude and lack of confidence. Confident does not equal a belief that I can win this, but security in that if I have trained properly, I can complete this event to the best of my ability. Hopefully, whatever the outcome, every runner can be satisfied at the finish that she or he has done their best and their best is more than good enough.
Care to Comment? What do you do to keep your attitude fresh and positive? Who in your life has an awesome attitude you aspire to emulate?
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AuthorMissee and Stephanie are two Minnesota sisters and moms who love to run. We are not experts in running, parenting or anything else, but we do have years of experiences that may be helpful or entertaining to others. Archives
May 2020
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