JP's ready, I think. I'm ready, too.
After a busy day of work and the Williamson County Bar Luncheon, I will drive down early this evening to Decatur, Alabama, where I have an Airbnb for the night. As near as I can tell, I will be about 30 minutes from the Oakville Indian Mounds Park. The last couple of years I have stayed in a hotel in Decatur. However, the selection of hotels isn't the greatest, so for this year, I thought it might be nice to stay in an Airbnb. I prefer vacation homes to hotels any day of the week.
I am so proud of JP for how hard he has worked, really, from the beginning of June through the beginning of school a couple of weeks ago. He's been so disciplined about his running, which is his way. Set goals. Follow the program. Eat right. Plenty of sleep. Run. He's driven. Always has been.,
For the first time this summer, JP didn't play travel baseball. It was a decision he made on his own and one that I supported. JP's thought - and I agreed - was that he couldn't afford to miss three or four days of running for seven or eight weeks in June and July, while he was playing baseball on the weekends in Clarksville, Murfreesboro, Knoxville, etc. Not if he wants to be ready for the cross country season and give himself the best opportunity to reach his running goals.
When he decided last spring that he wanted to run in college, that changed things. Again, it was something he pointed out. I agreed with him. As a result, his primary focus, athletically, necessarily became running. A lot has to go right, for sure, and I realize that. He needs to stay healthy. He needs to perform at peak level in races. He needs to continue to love running. And he probably needs a little good fortune.
As always, the thing I am the most proud of when it comes to JP's running is his discipline, dedication, and courage. Running take all of those things and he has them. Life requires those things, too - and more - so I hope he can apply to life the lessons he has learned, and is learning, as a competitive runner. If he can, he is going to give himself and edge that will start him down the path of independence and success.
What I want tomorrow out of the race - what I always want - is for his hard work to be rewarded with a race day performance he feels good about and is proud of. I want him to be happy.
Every run is a gift from God. My run last night in the neighborhood at age 59 - three miles - was a gift. JP's run tomorrow - his race - is also a gift. I am grateful for these gifts, for him and for me, too.
This is JP's moment.
No comments:
Post a Comment