400m Chumpion!

The wait had been 9 months for this race; 400 meters on a steamy morning in July in the foothills of TN.  The favorite, a lean 6 year-old who does everything fast ever since seeing the movie “Cars”.   And the kid is fast, 10m faster than any kid on the 50m soccer field, and he has closing speed.  The underdog, his old man – the former fat man at age 42 who hadn’t run 400m in 25yrs and could not even run across the driveway 4 months ago.

After a walking warm-up laugh the gun went off.  The favorite took the lead right away because, “I’m fast, daddy.” But he doesn’t pull away.   Around the first turn and the back stretch they are side by side with the favorite on the inside lane and the underdog on outside huffing, puffing and thinking “Just don’t keel over and die in front of your wife and kids.”  Then on the far turn, the young hare got tired and decided to walk for a moment and the tortoise kept on going….and “Down the stretch they come”. The old man is thinking “I have a shot.  Just kick it in from here," he thought.  Just one problem....there was no kick….there never was a kick....other than in his imagination.  The fans were cheering for the favorite; the underdog just hoped the rescue unit would not be required.  The young favorite sprinted to the end…but it was the tortoise who wins the race this day…by less than a meter.  The favorite breaks down in tears.  The 400m underdog chumpion nearly collapses from exhaustion and may need to throw up or just grow up.

OK, sorry for the drama.  In any other venue, and maybe even this one, the thought of a 42 year old man rejoicing over beating his 6 year old in a race is pretty pathetic.  And it is to this 42 year old when I saw my son crying over the loss.  But at the same time it was a moment of rejoicing, not because I won, but over the fact that I could even compete.  That I could even run 400m when 9 months ago I was in labor just to walk to get the paper.  The race was my idea….a carrot I put in front of me when I started the WLS journey to shoot for.  The other carrot was to play a game of 21 against a former college basketball player…I know, on that one ”What was I thinking????”

That is probably the one and only time I will ever be able to beat my son in a race.  The kid really is fast.  Gets it from his mother’s side.  I hope I didn’t cause any irreparable harm in his psyche.  Next time I’ll have to “let him win”.  Of course, I hope he forgets this when it is time to put me in the nursing home.   But today....I was the 400m Chumpion.

Blessings,

Greg

It's really hard for a 6 year old child to completely wrap their head around why dad had the surgery. Sure he sees that your smaller, and that you eat less, but not so much the benefits. I think 10 years from now the difference will be that dad couldn't race him before surgery, but could after surgery; along with many other benefits I'm sure.  Great Story!  I wouldn't re-race him to quickly. Enjoy the belt while you can! Ron

I love it.. LOL.. now that's one of those real goals that no one usually talks about. You know, we all have the I want to be healthy stuff, play with my kids/grandkids, etc. But the real stuff, I want to beat my kid in a race...LOL.   Good one! Dale

Greg, Wow, even running at all is noteworthy. However, running a 400m that quickly is a great accomplishment.  I'm sure your son will get over his defeat.

Greg,
You Heartless *******!

I really shouldn't talk, if it was me, I probably would have rubbed his little nose in it a bit!


Nice Job!

Be Well,
A.J.

That was funny.  Last weekend my grandson and I was having a squirt gun battle and I was running away from him. I was winded from just running around the yard. A year ago I would have had my fat ass squeezed into a lawn chair, sitting, being drowned by him. This time I made him work for it.  You better watch out Greg, he wont forget and he will be out to get you. Nursing home, I don't think so. He will shove your ass in the basement and then tell you to race him up the stairs to the door.

 

pan head

OMG I absolutely see myself doing this.

 

Congrats on your win!

Thanks guys, now a day removed from the race we are going to race again but at a much more manageable distance.  He'll kick my butt I'm sure, but that's pretty much what I want to happen now.  But then we can have a rematch and he can win without me having to let him win so we both save face.  BTW, I am still plenty sore....but it was worth it.