Our First 5K, Side by Side

My father is sixty-eight and has never run a step in his life, except, he says, "once, from a bee." In January, he decided he wanted to run a 5K. He asked me to train with him.

We used a beginner app that tells you when to run and when to walk. At first, we ran for one minute and walked for ninety seconds. He was red in the face and complaining loudly about the app's voice, which he called "that bossy lady." I was laughing too hard to run properly.

By April, we were running for twenty minutes at a time. By May, thirty.

On race day, he wore a headband and a T-shirt that said "Slow But Fabulous." We ran the whole thing together, side by side. He didn't walk once. In the last hundred yards, he grabbed my hand and we crossed the finish line together.

He's framed his race bib. He's signed up for another one in September. I don't think he'll ever have to run from a bee again.