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World Run Day - 2008
"Twas a beautiful Sunday morning. The air was crisp and the sun was shining bright
with not a cloud in the sky. It was a perfect day for a 1-mile run on World Run Day
and the Weigman family runners were raring to go. Mom, Dad, Ceci (12),
Bernadette (8), Pete (7), and Tim (5) got all decked out in their bright red t-shirts,
running gear, and water belts. We were ready for anything.
The kids were excited, Mom was well stretched, and Dad was a bit nervous. Could
he make the full one mile? We shall see.
We decided to do our run on the Cottonbelt Trail in glorious Colleyville, TX. The
trail is marked by a black State of Texas symbol to indicate 1 mile. That symbol
would be our goal and our destination.
The Weigman family runners all started off together. Soon, Mom, Ceci and Pete
pulled out ahead of the pack, clipping along at a brisk pace (not quite world-record,
but very close to it for sure). Dad and young Tim quickly dropped to the back, and
Bernadette, the natural athlete of the group, stayed back with them to lend moral
support.
At the quarter-mile point, Tim got a burst of energy and kicked it into high gear.
Bernadette took off with him, determined to catch up to the leaders. Dad,
reluctantly, broke out into what’s best described as a methodical trot.
Meanwhile, up ahead, the front-runners didn’t break stride. Mom, the marathoner,
was setting the pace, and Ceci and Pete were determined to keep up. Bernadette
and Tim were trying to close the gap, but soon exhausted their initial burst of
energy. But they didn’t give up and kept moving forward toward the goal.
Dad caught up to the pair, which encouraged them to sprint once again. At this
point, Mom, Ceci and Pete were almost to the finish line, that fabulous black State of
Texas symbol. They would cross at just over 10 minutes, out of breath with tired
legs, but proud of their fabulous accomplishment.
Before they could even catch their breath, here came Bernadette and Tim bearing
down the final 100 yards. Giving an Olympic-worthy kick at the end, the two kiddos
crossed the finish in full stride, feeling the glory and adrenaline rush of completing
yet another competitive run.
But where was Dad? Breaking out the water bottles and cooling off, the 5 finishers found their minds wondering about what could have happened to Dad. Did he lose his way? Did he give up? Was it just too much? |
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