Never Give Up
This month, in honor of Father's Day on June 21, New York Road Runners asked members of our community to tell us how running with their dads and father figures has bolstered their relationships. Sometimes it's the dads pushing the kids, sometimes it's the other way around! At New York Road Runners we value human connection and we encourage conversations about how movement helps us all be better.
Running Side by Side
I have always looked up to my dad. He is a retired high school teacher. When I was growing up, I remember former students of his calling our house and even coming over to our house to thank my dad for motivating them to finish high school or to go to college or to be a good person or to believe in themselves, etc. My dad often received phone calls from parents of his students also thanking him for what he did for their children. He was turning people’s lives around. I was completely inspired.
When I decided I wanted to be a teacher, I knew I could learn a lot from him. I am a kindergarten teacher, he was a high school teacher, but I still learned the most important tool a teacher needs from him. It was all about classroom management.
He told me time and time again, “You can have all the knowledge in the world about the subject you are teaching, but if you don’t have good classroom management, the kids won’t hear your knowledge and your job will be a lot harder.” I took this to heart and made sure classroom management was my top priority.
In 2006, my dad suffered a heart attack at 56 years old. His dad had died from a heart attack at only 44. But my dad is a Vietnam War veteran who was exposed to Agent Orange, which is a major contributing factor for ischemic heart disease. We were scared. I had been running for about six or seven years at that point, and knew the paybacks that running held for people with heart disease. I talked to my dad about it and told him how I thought it could be beneficial for his heart. He discussed it with his cardiologist (who happened to be a runner—YES!), and he agreed it would be good for my dad. So, my dad started running!
My dad ran a little track in high school, and he ran with my mom when they were first married. It had been a while, but it did not take long before he fell in love with running again. And, even though we lived 1,200 miles apart, he quickly became my favorite running partner. Every time I visited him in Louisiana, we ran together. Every time he visited me in Colorado, we ran together. We started calling each other more often to talk about our runs. We called to tell the other of running pains or injuries and to get advice from the other. We also called to tell the other of our running accomplishments—a really long run, a great race, etc. It was like we were training together even though we lived far apart.
We ran a couple of short races together. Running the Bolder Boulder 10K was our favorite. My dad was a little concerned about the high altitude and hills in Colorado. I kept talking to him and trying to convince him. When it came time for signing up, he was still hesitant. I convinced him to just sign up and continue to discuss it, knowing that he could drop out if he did not feel good about it. He agreed.
The Bolder Boulder has 50,000 participants and over 100 waves. You have to show proof of your time to qualify for one of the first 30-40 waves. My dad and I each used a prior 10K to show proof of our time, and we ended up in the same wave, even though we'd qualified in different 10Ks in different states. I told my dad that it was meant to be that we run this race together!
He came out to Colorado about two weeks before the race to acclimate to the altitude and to get some hill work in. It was a beautiful day for the Bolder Boulder. We ran the whole thing side by side talking about running and life in general. We continue to run together. We have run in beautiful places including Florida, Hawaii, and New Orleans. I hope to continue to run with my dad for a long time. Running has definitely brought us closer together.
— Jessica Rosenthal
Getting Me Across the Finish Line
My dad was the one who introduced me to sports and being active, particularly in basketball. He used to run a basketball tournament called High Energy in Brooklyn and he took me to almost all of the tournament games. I was always running behind him or shooting baskets with the players. My dad also made sure that I was outside being active. He was the first to teach me how to swim, and he got me roller skates, bikes, and everything that you can think of that kept me active. He is still very supportive of my running and has been there for my major marathons and half-marathons.
My father still values staying active by going on walks at our local park and track. He also is always finding something to keep him active. From doing handiwork around the house, to walking to the store rather than driving, to volunteering at our church, he is always on the move. Though he is not as mobile as he was when he was younger, I can tell that the activities he does now not only helps him physically but make him feel good about the person he is. He is definitely aware of his health and how to take care of his body.
I owe much of my athleticism and work ethic to him because I never saw him give up, so I didn’t want to give up. What he taught me growing up has definitely made me the runner I am now and ultimately the person I am. Whenever I run a major race and I get closer to the finish line, I power through knowing that he is going to be there cheering me on.
— Courtney Lyons
A Man of Few Words, Until We're Running
In the beginning of 2014, I moved back into my childhood home in Virginia, hoping to recover from a failed marriage and the loss of my Mama. My 66-year-old dad had started walking to lose some weight, and encouraged me to join him. Soon we were walking together frequently, and we joined a gym.
Both of us lost a good deal of weight and noted a decrease in our depression. We walked/ran a few shorter races, and the running bug caught me. My distances slowly increased and he was my biggest cheerleader during training and even came up to Washington, DC, for my first full marathon.
My dad can be a man of few words, much to his loved ones' chagrin. Rather, he quietly formulates a plan and then lets his actions speak for themselves. He quietly signed up for his first half marathon and began running with me more frequently. Our running dates became something I looked forward to; they allowed us to broach sensitive topics that we would not have discussed had we been sitting face to face.
He completed his first half on Veterans Day, which was fitting as he is a Navy veteran. At the beginning of 2018, my Dad got remarried and our run dates became even more important since we went from living together and seeing each other daily to him moving across town. Over the summer of 2018, he hit mileage PRs weekly, and his running and our relationship became even stronger than before.
In October of 2018 my dad ran his very first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon, a few weeks before he turned 71. He ran the Richmond Marathon two weeks later, and we crossed both finish lines hand in hand. The only thing better than seeing him waiting for me at the finish line is to glance to my left and see him next to me. Everything I am, is because he is.
— Charlotte Powers
Our mission at NYRR is to help and inspire people through running. New York Road Runners Striders program helps adults keep moving - just because it’s later in life, it does not mean it’s too late. Our program is inclusive and can help improve the quality of your life through virtual and in-person offerings we provide tools and motivation to continue.
To find out more about how to keep a parent you love active during this pandemic and through the reopening, head to our Stay Active at Home website to learn more about how NYRR is providing you with tools to stay active for life.