My Hero

Mary Lou is an accidental runner. She didn't mean it to happen but after we met, one thing led to another and she started. In her 50's she STARTED running. She went a bit at a time and took walking breaks and did her first 5 K and then did another... Three years and some months ago she said she wanted to try a Half Marathon...the one I do at Disney World. This weekend she'll be starting her third Half there...and I couldn't be more proud.

She says she's not a runner but she still gets out, even when the weather is bad. 

She says she's not a runner but she knows what kind of shoe she should wear and what socks work best for her.

She says she's not a runner but she knows where the body glide will do the most good.

She say she's not a runner but she knows she doesn't like Gu as well as which kind of blocks she prefers.

She says she's not a runner but she reads Runners World when it comes in the house.

She says she's not a runner but she'd like to finish the Half this year close to last years time.

I tell her she's a runner but she shakes her head and disagrees.

While she may not see herself as a runner, I do... others do too. 

It's easy for me...it has been since I was a kid.

It's not easy for her but she still goes. Some days it's great and some days it sucks. Just the way it is for every other runner. She stays with it and starts a training plan and sees it through even on days when she would rather do other things...

She wanted to do it because she wanted to understand me better, because it meant something to me. She also found out things about herself, things she is proud of.

She is a runner despite her best intentions...

She is also my Hero.