Much to my delight, I am back on the Mountain, two weeks after spending a few days up here for my birthday.
For a week of vacation, time we're staying at the same house I stayed at on Florida Avenue - the family for the first time and me for the third time, counting last summer. It's almost perfect for us, particularly the location. Jude can walk to Abbo's Alley from the house. We're also walking distance from McGee Field at Harris Stadium, where Sewanee plays football. Coincidentally, the MBA football team is up here this week for camp. In the mornings and evenings, we can hear them practicing from the back deck of this house, which is pretty cool.
This morning, shortly after JP left for a 12-mile long run, with progressions for the last six miles, Joe and I left for a 5-mile long run on the Mountain Goat Trail. It was relatively early, about 7:30 a.m. As we ran down University Avenue, we passed several of the football players walking to the Fowler Center to get ready for the morning practice. Joe was absolutely terrified I was going to do something to embarrass him in front of the football players. I held off acting stupid, although I did say hello to James Orey when I saw him. He looked up, half asleep, surprised, and waved at us as we ran by.
It's a little more than a mile from the football field to the Mountain Goat Trail. Joe and I ran it easily, then turned on to the trail and off we went under the canopy of trees on one one of my favorite running routes of all time. Relatively cool, shady, and almost deserted. It was the perfect time and place for an early morning long run (recognizing, of course, that not too long ago, a long run for me was eight or more miles).
What's even better, though, is that Joe was the perfect companion, for me, for a long run. We ran at nice clip - 8:30/mile - and I felt like he was pushing the pace a little bit. I held him back, purposefully, because we were running long and the pace absolutely didn't matter. In fact, the pace needed to be slower than training pace. What's cool, though - and I can remember feeling this way with JP - is that Joe appeared to be running comfortably even while I was struggling a bit.
With all of the running he's been doing this summer, Joe's body has transformed. He's gotten taller, which is great for him, and he has slimmed down, not that he was ever heavy. Still, his appearance is lithe and sinewy - lean, really - and he's starting to look like a runner. He's been dedicated to running this summer and it's paying off for him. He seems to enjoy it, too, which is key, of course. He also seems more confident, which is one of many things running can do for you.
What I want, as a father, is for Joe to learn that being disciplined and working hard at something always pays off in the end. I just want him to see how good he can be, to test the limits of his body, and find out what is there. I want him to put the work in and do the best he can.
I think it took a tremendous amount of courage for Joe to decide to run cross country again and to train as diligently as he has this summer. The shadow JP casts as a 3-time all state cross country runner is a long one, I know, and I don't want Joe to get lost in it. I want him to learn to love running for the reasons I do and not to measure success by race results.
All day, I've been on a bit of a high, thinking about running five miles with Joe on the Mountain Goat Trail at the age of 60. I want him to take pride in taking care of his body, in running regularly, is staying in shape, in honoring the gifts he's been given by God. It's all there for him. I think he knows that.
What I know is that it's a real pleasure to run with Joe. It's a gift, as I always say, to run with one of my boys. Every single time.
Coffee and orange juice at Stirling's Coffeehouse after our 5-mile run this morning on the Mountain Goat Trail.
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