It's a Bird. It's a Plane. It's Superdad!

During my trip to Buffalo back in June I put the bug in my father in law's ear that I would love to run with him when he and my mother-in-law came to visit for a long weekend in July.

Reston has amazing running paths that can take you all over the city. Earlier this summer, I finished 4th in my age group in a Reston Pathway race. Ironically, it was the Run with Dad 5k and this post is all about my father-in-law. To me though, he is simply- Dad.

I know, some people might think "why does she call him Dad, when it's her father-in-law?"

But I have a million reasons to explain why I prefer to call him Dad and I'll just leave it at that.

So, back to their visit (which was last weekend). They arrived Thursday night and during dinner I inquired as to whether or not Dad had packed his running gear- he had. YES!

I didn't say much more about the possibility of running together over the weekend.

Although, Friday morning I had changed into my running clothes and began to gather my Garmin, RoadID, etc. to head out for a run when Dad said he'd join me. WHOOPEEEE!

I guess now is the part where I should explain why his running with me is so exciting and meaningful to me (and why I've determined that he is "Superdad").

Just a few years before Brendan and I met, his Dad had a massive heart attack while camping with Brendan and his brothers in the Canadian Wilderness. And when I say the wilderness, I mean it- check out where Allanwater Bridge Lodge is on GoogleMaps! Basically the middle of nowhere.....

As a result of the heart attack, he underwent QUADRUPLE bypass surgery.

Dad had been running for years prior to these health complications- even competing in a marathon in Ontario. But a heart attack in the middle of nowhere and quadruple bypass surgery certainly did not make Dad to hang up his running sneakers! He was still running and participating in road races when I met Brendan a few years after the heart attack and surgery.

As I have mentioned before, when I met Brendan, running was part of the family culture.

So, I began to attend the Turkey Trot and Shamrock Run with Brendan, his dad, and a crazy/wildly entertaining group of Dad's friends. I still remember my first road race and not being able to walk down stairs for days after! I must add too that Dad has beat me at every road race we've attend together.

I am getting to why he is "Superdad." In addition to his heart attack, this past fall he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. His diagnosis was more serious than most men who have prostate cancer and so he began intense radiation treatments on Dec. 23rd. Needless to say, running was not a priority and not much of a possibility either.

So- when he agreed to run with me last Friday (it was his first run since the summer of 2010) it was exciting and extremely meaningful.

Not only did he run with me on Friday, but Sunday too! Sunday we did the entire mile together.

An entire mile may not sound like a big feat for an experienced runner (and I know that Dad wishes it could be more than a mile- and it will be with time), but for all that life has thrown at Dad in the last few years I think he deserves to be forever referred to as...

SUPERDAD!!!

I look forward to more runs and road races together in the future. I look forward to Dad's grandchildren (I am going to hope that they inherit Brendan's athleticism and not mine) sharing a love for running and participating in road races with their grandfather.

Although, I am not sure about exposing young children to Dad's wild bunch of friends that attend road races with us...we may need to do something about them ;)

Superdad-

Thanks for getting back out there and allowing me to experience that with you.

Get your sneakers ready, I'll be home in 2 weeks and we can log more miles together.

Love,

Katie