Granddaughter Runs Away With It

It was December of 2023 when I first heard my granddaughter had signed up to run the 2024 half marathon in Lincoln. I was thrilled to hear her news. I knew she liked to run a bit, but never imagined she had set a goal to run the half marathon.

Supporting Her Training

I immediately asked her about her training, her goals and her expectations. It was obvious she had thought everything through and was ready to begin her training. I wondered how I could help and what I could do to encourage her through this process. She appreciated my enthusiasm, but also probably appreciated the fact that we no longer lived in the same town so I wouldn’t hover over her during practice runs.

• “Good Enough” Parenting: Perfection Not Required

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My Own Running Journey

I fondly recall the year following my retirement from Lincoln Public Schools, when my daughter told me she had signed me up to run the half marathon. I was a 5K runner, but I had never thought about running anything longer. I wasn’t exactly sure I wanted to run that far. Just having retired from being a high school principal, I really didn’t know if I wanted to invest that much time and energy on a new goal. Staying at home, going on walks and taking an occasional nap sounded pretty darn good.

Once I reminded myself I couldn’t just shut off my life, I agreed to take on the challenge. I found a training regimen to follow and began my new life as a pretend athlete. Yes, pretend athlete. I had never been involved in any type of sport throughout my entire life. This new goal was going to test me.

Her Secret Advantage to Success

My granddaughter was going to have a much easier time than I did in prepping for the run because she had participated in sports at the high school and college level. Whether it was volleyball, tennis or rowing, she knew how to set training goals, monitor them and achieve them. I was not going to be much help to her with that. What I could help with was checking in on her at least once a week for a report on her progress, which I did. Her response was always so positive. It was obvious to me she was going to be successful.

Race Day Preparations

May quickly approached, but my granddaughter knew she was ready. She was still nervous, but prepared and eager. She didn’t come to Lincoln as soon as I had thought she would because of her allergies. Again, she was on top of things! She arrived in town on Saturday. My husband and I drove her along the route to show her the places that might be more difficult for her, like the inclines and narrow spaces going from streets to the bike path. I especially wanted her to see the starting line.

Finishing the 2024 Lincoln Half Marathon

Sunday came and she was off and running. We had told her where we would be to see her and cheer her on. We followed her on her full journey. She was a machine, keeping up with her goal times and having a very successful finish.

When we caught up with her at the finish line, she looked amazing, calm and proud. Other than her toe nails hurting a bit, she was in great shape. What a powerful and determined young woman, who I’m proud to call my granddaughter! I’d love to run with her, but I’d need a scooter to keep up with her!