The past two weeks have been an absolute whirlwind, and not the fun kind where you finish a run feeling like a superhero.
On December 18th, my son Parker was in a serious motorcycle accident. Thankfully, he survived, but he lost his left leg just above the knee.
It’s been a tough time for our family, filled with hospital visits, physical and occupational therapy sessions. Running understandably took a backseat, with only two runs logged—one of which I spent sobbing most of the way, feeling guilty that I can do this while, at least for now, Parker cannot.
But leave it to Parker to lighten the mood. He's been handling this life-altering change with a level of humor that I can only aspire to. He’s already cracking jokes like, “At least I’ll save money on shoes now!” and “pull-ups will be easier!”
When we had a heart-to-heart after that emotional run of mine, he told me I had to keep running. He knows how much it helps me mentally, and apparently, he likes telling his friends what his dad does for fun just to see their jaws drop at the distances I cover. I mean, when your kid’s showing you off, how can you say no?
With Parker’s encouragement and his all-clear, I laced up for a short run this past Sunday—no tears this time.
Now, it’s time to reboot the training plan and get serious again. Uwharrie 20 in February and Sedona Canyon 125 in May aren’t going to run themselves!
Honestly, knowing what Parker’s pushing through in PT and OT makes any hill I face feel a little less daunting. If he can face this new chapter head-on (and crack a joke about it), I can certainly tackle some miles.
p.s. His brother setup a GoFundMe if you were interested in supporting him