But what this event illuminated clearly to me is James' remarkable mental toughness and unique sense of perspective.
Kids, this is what your dad has taught me: the cliche that you can do anything you put your mind to - is true. But it isn't just about putting your mind to it, it is about knowing in your heart, about truly believing that your opportunities in life are limitless. Most people see the bumps, the blockades, the impossibilities of what is in your path, but dad is one of those unique people who trusts himself enough to see the way around, the path through.
And I think part of his secret is love. His love for us fuels him to be successful. As you get older you'll understand that exercise is something dad does for himself, but mostly he does it for you. After his brother and dad died so young, the cardiologist stressed that dad take good care of himself, and so in spite of his grief, he put on his running shoes and started forward.
His love for us is the fuel of his life - personally, professionally, in every aspect of his outlook. Yesterday, while having the hardest and probably most successful race of his life, he stopped to help a stranger change a flat tire on his bike. What does this tell you? For dad its never about the final time, its about the ride. And the best part? This attitude of generosity fueled him to a killer time and a fast race (even with the stop). To put it in perspective; after swimming more than a mile, biking 56 miles, he was still able to run a Bosten Marathon qualifying pace for 13.1 miles to finish. And at the end, I bet even the winner wasn't more grateful than dad.
So, so proud.
2 comments:
Full disclosure: Kids, the Boston qualifying time changed in 2011. While Mom would have been correct for qualifying prior to 2011; I was actually off the BQ time for 2012 by almost a minute and a half.
Wow. James rocks.
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