Determined to Win

My oldest son has a real competitive streak. I knew it was there, but I didn’t know how deep it ran until last weekend. On Sunday he ran a 2K mud run and tied for 1st Place.

Leading up to the race I was telling him to pace himself, make sure he had enough energy to finish. The race wound up muddy hills, over logs and through a creek. It was the longest run he has competed in and I wasn’t sure where he was going to fall in the pack. I just wanted to make sure he finished. He had other plans.

“Mommy, I’m going to try to win,” he told me. “Yes, of course you are,” I replied, as all parents do.

At the starting buzzer he sprinted into the distance and I thought he’d never keep up that pace. But he did. I was surprised at the finish line to see my kid appear at the top of the last hill with an exhausted but extremely determined look on his face. He obviously saw there was one boy in front of him and that propelled him to push to full-speed. He all but flew down the hill to the end. The grade was pretty steep and I thought he was going to end up cartwheeling through.

My son is a pretty active kid, but this was the first time I have ever seen him too tired to talk. He had used up everything he had. I was shocked and proud. I realized he had wanted to win and he had worked very hard to do so. It was a great experience for him. Now he's talking about a triathlon in the fall.

I love the fact that my oldest son is excited about running and racing. I think encouraging kids in sports that they can continue into adulthood can help them maintain healthy lifestyles. When I was young my sport was figure skating. I’m sure I had great posture and balance at the time, but as an adult it really only means that I can awe beginners with my crossovers at the local arena.

Now that my oldest is getting into running I also look forward to passing on my wisdom. Today I tried teaching him about the importance of hydration. He looked at me like I was nuts. Maybe I’m getting a little too carried away.