Running on Borrowed Time: Why I'm Running a Half Marathon with Our Dad

This weekend I will be “running” my first half marathon since my accident — in my Grit chair, along with my Dad and my husband.

Before I was paralyzed, I ran a few half marathons and two full marathons with our Dad.

I hated running when I was growing up, but our Dad was always a marathon runner. When I was 20 I decided to start running as a way to get to know my Dad better and to form a workout habit.

I ended up getting to know myself better too and developed a passion for running.

I credit marathon running as one of the things that saved me when my accident happened. The mentality of a marathon runner is exactly what is needed to survive and deal with a spinal cord injury. (It’s also the needed mentality to “run” a business too. 😅)

I have no idea what to expect this time around, but running grueling races with my Dad are honestly some of my favorite memories with him. 😂 (Even though I have plenty of other wonderful memories with him, I really cherish the memory of him heroically giving me his socks at mile 4 on my first marathon because I bought too small of socks the day before the race. 😅✨)

So when my Dad told me he was running the Mickelson Trail Half Marathon this year, I thought –how amazing would it be to do it with him? How could I pass up that memory?

My Dad and I are both still here by miracles: me surviving my near-death accident 6 years ago, and him getting a stem-cell transplant and surviving brain cancer four years ago. This run will be a celebration of being alive and having the strength to do it still.

I couldn’t pass up a good story, and I know that life can change at the drop of a hat.

(And when I saw that most of the half-marathon course is a gentle downhill, I thought, “I could probably do that!” 🤣)

Then I convinced my husband to do it with us too, because there’s a section at the end that I think is pretty steep and I might need the assistance of some human breaks. 😬

We won’t always have our good health. But I’m grateful for it today.

So I’ll see how it goes. I’ll let you know next week. :)

P.S. There have been days, weeks, months when all I could muster was to get through the normal tasks of my day. Running again seemed like a far-off fantasy. If you are in that boat, I see you. You’re doing a great job. With each push of my Grit chair tomorrow, I’ll be sending energy and love your way.

P.P.S. I hope you know some wonderful dads in your life too. In celebration of great dads, I wanted to share a few great cards for Dads/Grandpas/Uncles, etc.

Maybe you have these in your stash already, but if not, you have some time to grab them before Father’s day!

P.P.P.S. Father’s Day is really hard for a lot of people too, so if someone is on your heart, maybe take a few intentional minutes to send them a note acknowledging that. Here’s our sympathy and encouragement cards: