He looked at me with those big brown puppy dog eyes and with that little crackle in his voice said "Grandmary, at your age, it would be good exercise for your health". You just have to know Chapman. He thinks about things. It broke my heart a little that he thought I was old enough in his little mind to be 'at your age'! It was April 2008, he was 9 years old. The whole family was on a running binge; not me. My twin sister Teri had somehow been talked into running the Peachtree 10K in Atlanta, GA with a co-worker. She was hooked and vocal about it. She came for a weekend visit and talked my youngest daughter Brittney into running the RedNose Run in Birmingham, AL with her. Soon after that, Brittney and her husband Scott and both boys Mason & Chapman were running 5K's, 1 mile fun run's every weekend! My oldest daughter Kristin joined in at some point. They were all hooked! Teri told me on a daily basis that I needed to start running. I was quick to tell her, there was no way I was running anywhere! I liked sitting down. I really wasn't interested in any type of work outs. I liked things as they were. Lazy!
Back to Chapman. He was always my little one. If I sat down, it wasn't very long, until he found his way to my lap! We were all cuddled up one day and he was chattering non stop. He asked me if I would run with him next time. I took the easy grandmother way out and said, of course I will darlin. Just tell your mommy to sign me up. So if his mommy never signed me up, I was off the hook! Several weekends later, he asked me again. I seriously considered going to an event, to watch him and his brother, cheer them on and take pictures. When I found out I had to be there at 6am on a Saturday morning, I knew I wasn't going. Poor Chappy. No grandparents in his chear section!
Over the next few months, it seemed as if everybody was running! Once again, Chapman asked me if I would please run with him. Once again, I gave him valid reasons why I had no desire to be a runner. That's when he looked at me with those eyes and as sincerely as he could, he told me I really needed to exercise. "At your age Grandmary" I heard him. I heard his words, and I heard the sweet concern in his little voice. So I said of course, I'll run with you. I promised. I just wanted to cross my heart hope to die, stick a needle in my eye promise. No turning back. At that very moment, I became a runner. It was a life changing moment. I was committed.
In the next few days I registered myself and my husband for Casey's Cause 5K, which was scheduled 5-6 weeks away. Both daughters and their families were registered for this one. Within the next few weeks, we all got our calendars out and planned a big family Disneyworld Vacation that included a 4 night Disney Cruise. Coincidentally that vacation just happened to be the same weekend as the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, January 2009! Both daughters & son in law's were planning to run. Imagine that! In the course of planning the trip, the whole family registered for the Animal Kingdom 5K, all 15 of us!
So it started in April 2008. With Chapman! I was obsessed with running and hadn't run the first step! I had 9 months to train for my first Disney Run! 6 weeks to train for Casey's Cause! I had no idea how to train or what to expect. But I knew one thing for sure: I was a runner!
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