Yesterday was unforgettable. We watched Talli, our 6th grade Middle School granddaughter (above) run the anchor leg of her 4 x 400-meter relay team at a track meet near the Capitol city of Oregon. And this was after she had endured both the 1500-meter and the 800-meter runs less than an hour before.I don’t think I ran that far -- even in high school -- during my entire four years.
Add it up. That’s over a mile and a half total, most of it at a well paced sprint. Just thinking about it makes me tired. However, I recall that in my youth, I was pretty fast also – for a full 30 meters, at least.
But, to compete over a mile and a half at speed, all during a single meet -- and in Middle School, no less, with some runners two years older -- that's a real athletic accomplishment!
Talli has inherited some good running genes. Her mom was an outstanding distance runner on her own in high school and college. Her great grandfather on her dad’s side was a decorated Nebraska high school high hurdler in the late 1920’s. And I’m sure there’s more which I’m forgetting.
We’ve enjoyed the better part of this week with all three of our granddaughters while their mom and dad were away at a conference. The metaphor of this blog is also suggestive of a distance run. It’s a great time to be alive.
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