Another Run With My Son

One of the greatest gifts in my life has been teaching my children how to live healthy, active lifestyles.

My son Ben started running when he was 6 years old, and it became a big part of his life. As he grew up, running became something we enjoyed together, both working toward doing the Cellcom Green Bay Marathon last year. It was a proud moment for me when we both crossed the finish line.

We fully expected to run the Cellcom Marathon together again this year. We spent hours training to get ready. He and I have built a tradition based on health and wellness, and use this marathon as a health assessment. “If we can run this event together and survive, we should live another year,” I always tell him.

We went to sleep on Saturday night expecting to get up and run our second full marathon together. Instead, we woke up to the news, “marathon canceled due to flood waters on course.” Imagine the disappointment when we heard that. We both felt cheated out on our goal by mother nature. Our immediate reaction was dismay over having to alter our plans to run the half marathon instead. However, there were lessons to learn in this situation.

My wife reminded us to look at the situation differently – sometimes immediate reactions to adversity can be counteracted by changing your perspective. My son and I both chose to look at the day differently. We began the Cellcom Half Marathon with a sense of excitement and respect. For the second year, we both crossed the finish line. The cool temperatures, light rain and gusty wind made the experience even more unique and memorable.

It’s not the course, the conditions or the competition that matters most, it’s the mind-set you’re in. Here’s the lesson we learned on Sunday, a lesson I can take with me through almost any challenge that I face – keeping the right attitude and perspective can change everything about your experience. It’s not the distance, rather the journey that truly matters.