Soft, and tough, love

I’m dedicating this post to my two most loyal readers – sis and Kim. You may have noticed sis, who posts as ljisaak. Mostly, she just reads me and Scott’s blogs. Kim has never posted. She just reads it and emails me at work. I’m always quite flattered by their loyalty. Like, Kim usually emails within hours of a new post.

And therein lies a tale of this blog’s two loyalists.

There is Kim, as supportive a runner friend as you could have. She and my boy and I are doing dinner Wed night. She wants a final ‘good luck’ dinner en prep for my early Friday departure to Vegas. She has emailed every day asking how I’m feeling, am I nervous, I’ll be great, next year she’ll be there. And I believe she will. At Thanksgiving, her mom and her were discussing their December 2006 family trip to Vegas (her mom gave me a cool New Las Vegas marathon magnet!). I nodded like I’m going along too and I will….but not as a runner!

Then there is sis. One of sis’s best qualities is her loyalty. She can never be counted on to be subjective if, for instance, I send her a rough draft of a story. It’s always great or she loves this and she loves that. It can’t all be great sis! She is also my coach, has been for years. Through softball games, water polo games, swimming matches, sis has been there cheering right along. And she’s ready to put down whoever stands in her sister’s way. But as we head to Vegas, well, I grow uneasy...

During my first ever race, Carlsbad tri 2004, sis and mom were on hand to cheer me along. As mom fretted Id make it out of the ocean, sis no doubt fretted about not whether, but WHEN, Id make it out the water. A slow transition from the swim to the bike followed.

“Pick up the pace!” my sister yelled as I nodded in agreement, clenched my teeth and bystanders looked at horror at this supportive ‘fan.’

Sis called Sunday. Should she buy this matching track suit that reminds her of the ones Bela Karolyi used to wear during gymnastics competitions? And I better break 4 hours, she tells me.

So today I email her this: “Alright coach, if I don’t’ hit four hours or less it’s all on you!”

She responds: “Oh don't you worry sis, I know. No bear hug either if you don't do good. I'll pretend like I don't know you at the finish line.”

In life there is the necessary tough love and the times when you just need to be told everything’s going to be Ok.

Wednesday night, I will get the comfort of being told everything’s going to be OK.
Then when I get to Vegas, BRING ON THE TOUGH LOVE. YOU’RE GOING DOWN, BELA!