When I was pregnant with my son Mark I was summoned to have an ultrasound at 23 weeks because it was felt that his head was perhaps larger than normal. Turns out that all of him was larger than average, so there was nothing to worry about. His femur, they assured me, was quite long. "He'll be a basketball player for sure," one technician said.
Eighteen years later Mark measures around 6'3", and like a young horse, is all leg. He doesn't play basketball, though, he runs. Running runs in my family, but distantly. Last month Mark competed at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, following in the footsteps of his great great grandfather, his great grandfather and his uncle (my brother). Last weekend, Mark placed second in the Rhode Island State Meet with a PR of 15:42.
The New England Cross Country Championships was run today in Manchester, NH. Mark was hoping to finish in the top three. He was in 7th place some 100 meters before race end.
One by one, he picked off the competitors in front of him. Just before the finish line, he cruised by the guy who beat him last week at the State meet, winning the race by .9 seconds. Those long legs carried him to victory.
The experience for me was surreal, those final seconds passing in what seemed to be slow motion. Was I dreaming?
Mark's enjoying the glory, his head somewhat larger than normal tonight.
Tomorrow it's back to college applications.
Recovery to Equilibrium
1 year ago
2 comments:
Congratulations! I know that feeling when you watch your child accomplish something big. As the commercial says, "It's priceless!"
Hot diggety damn! That was worth surviving blood cancer. Congratulations to all of you!
Jim
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