Father’s Day is upon us and in honor of this Hallmark Holiday the Runners’ Lounge asked us to write a post about the dads in our lives.
My dad is what some might call a “sports fanatic”. For as long as I can remember sports has always dominated his life and all during my childhood our family life had to accommodate the sport schedule, both on TV and in real action. Being German, soccer is naturally his biggest passion and as a kid it had been a dream of his to become a professional soccer player, a dream that never came to be. Although as a young man he did manage to play soccer semi professionally for a few years. When I was young we used to spend many Saturday afternoons in our local stadium watching our city’s soccer team play live.
But my dad’s love for sports is not limited to soccer. He is interested in all manners of sport and by “all” I literally mean everything. The first time he visited me in the United States it did not take him long to discover the Holy Grail of sports: ESPN! And imagine his delight when he found out he had his own TV and remote. In his room. I truly believe he took this as a sign that his only child and daughter had finally “made it”, and every time he comes for his four week stay his first order of business is to switch the channel on his TV to ESPN and leave it there for the remainder of his vacation. He goes from watching basketball to following billiards, which is amazing to me even today, after all these years. Dad knows more about baseball, basketball, and billiards in this country than I do and he still keeps up with the Bundesliga, aka the German Soccer League, while he is over here. In 2006 he planned his annual trip to see us around the Soccer World Cup which he could not just watch on American TV, oh no, he had to be home for it.
But dad is not only a sports fanatic of the couch potato kind, he has always been active himself, going to the gym on a regular basis, swimming, boxing (yes, boxing), hiking, and bike riding. To this day he walks and rides his bike daily, even on vacation. I love to watch him get all serious about cleaning Hubby’s bicycle, setting it all up properly and pedaling down the road in his shorts and baseball cap.
One thing my dad never got into however is running. Which is ironic because of all the sports I follow and enjoy watching, running is the only one that I have actively pursued. But just because he is no runner himself does not mean my dad ignores the sport. Are you kidding! He is my biggest fan!!! Whereas Hubby and my late mom would tell me to take a break, my dad has always supported pushing my limits. He loved nothing more than hearing I was training for my first marathon, reminding me of the first Olympic Women’s Marathon in Los Angeles, an event we watched together in the summer of 1984.
When he is here he will not miss even one of my track workouts and always helps with timing. He truly loves being in the company of athletes and soaking in the atmosphere that comes with pushing yourself. And although I have never actually been on a run with my dad (although we have cycled together many times) I always have his undying support in the back of my mind, a feeling that will always get me through the rough patches and across the finish lines.
Today’s Running Tip: A good support system is key!
Being a serious runner takes a lot of effort and having a good support system is one of the most important aspects of training and racing. People who can jump in with child care, cheer you on along the way, bring you supplies during long and lonely training runs, and give you a hug at the finish line.
