Although I really love my running life, I am well aware that I am not 22 anymore. There will come a day, when I won’t be able to practice running anymore, at least not to that extent as today. However, when I think about this day, it doesn’t make me sad. I know that I will be able to look back on hundreds, if not thousands, of great memories, adventures and experiences that have shaped my being, taught me some of the most important lessons in life and kept me sane.
One of the most moving things that will come to my mind then is, that through running I created a completely new relationship with my dad. I always thought of him as a great person, but there’s definitely been times, when our paths didn’t cross too often and we didn’t have very much in common. When I picked up running 4 years ago he followed me a couple of months later. Since then we have shared the most precious and close “family moments” I can think of. For other families such moments might be daily business, but not for us. Sometimes I have no clue why it took so many years to built such a strong foundation with my dad, but in the end it doesn’t matter. I simply cherish every moment we spent running, racing or chatting about running and I am so much looking forward to many more to come.
This picture was taken at the Allgäu Panorama Marathon, where I paced my dad to a new PB far beyond what he had believed he could run in his late 60s. The fact, that this race took place in the area where he was born and grew up and I spent a large part of my childhood and youth, made it even more special. Without any doubt one of the most beautiful experiences of my running life. Eternaly thankful for this.