Memorial Run

While I was running today, I missed a call from my mom, telling me that my dad's dad had passed away. He had been in a nursing home for a while, and was fading away, not from any disease, but simply because his 90th birthday was last August. And so my short training run changed. I did some quick math, deciding to somehow get in 2 hours and 15 minutes, or 135 minutes, which would be 90 seconds for each of his 90 years. Figured that would involve most of the trails at the Whitewater Center, ended up doing everything except for the Figure-8 trail, and did Goat Hill twice, both for some hill work and to see the alternate route down it. 2 hours and 20 minutes, so technically 93 seconds per year, and 11.6 miles according to the Garmin, probably closer to 12.5 in reality.

It was a good run. Gave me time to reflect on his passing, and my memories of him. I've now lost all 4 of my grandparents, so if I ever have kids, they won't get to meet them. Also realized that it's up to my brother and I to carry on the Vance name, since the rest of our cousins are either female or have a different last name. I know it's hardly logical, but he was one of 9 children, he and my grandma had 6 kids, 9 grandchildren from those 6 kids, and at least 11 great-grandchildren, from only 4 of the grandchildren. I'm also sad that he never got to meet Stephanie and Maya, they would have really liked him. It's definitely tough losing another grandparent when I am out of state. My mother's father died when I was a kid, still playing baseball, so I was probably 11 or so. Her mother died when I was in South Carolina. My father's mother died on December 26, 2007, and I couldn't make the funeral because I had to go back to Georgia for work. And now I'll miss another funeral, because I literally can't afford to go up there.

I've decided to run at least 4 marathons this year, one for each of them, and I'd like to wear a t-shirt with a picture of each grandparent on there. A little extra motivation when it gets tough. Probably should also do that for the ultra(s), because those will definitely have some tough spots. First marathon is 2 months away, need to keep training.