Rainier to Pacific

Running the Rainier to Pacific Relay in 2008 was a bit of good fortune. It started with a phone call from my daughter asking if it was okay that she run the relay. Since she was 17, she needed permission and my reputation around the house is Mr. Softee - the kids know it as does the dog.

"Sure," I said, "but if you don't really want to, tell them I'll run."

"I told them you would," she said. "They need two runners."

So we ran the Rainier to Pacific relay together. It was the first of four relays that I ran with my daughters - the youngest daughter ran Spokane to Sandpoint with me last year. The first couple of years my middle daughter was in the same van as me. The last year we ran together, she needed space and ran in the other van, hanging with folks closer to her age.

No worries, thinks the dad. I was tickled that we got to share these relays. I ran with them when they were little waifs and cheered at their cross country meets. I was always their biggest fan...

Funny thing - when you run with your babies, they keep growing. You run with them as young kids, then as young adults and the next thing you know, you're cheering for them from a distance. Now, I'm looking at joining Lyn in the stroller division...and it's just...wow...