Mom and I decided to soak up as much time with Pappy as we could on this trip for sure. We took him of his favorite places in the world - the beach. While we couldn't get him out of the car, we parked along the water and rolled down the windows for him to see the water and feel the ocean breeze which he absolutely loved.
While Pappy never got to see me run a race, he played a very important part in my running. After every race, I would always call Pappy and tell him about the race, how I did, and of course the weather (he always loved talking about the weather). During our talks, he would frequently tell me that I was "full of crap" and I didn't really run that far (whether it was a 5K or a 1/2 Marathon). He always liked to push my buttons and try to get me to whine ever since the day I was born - that is what grandfathers are for. I always told him that I was going to run a marathon one day and he always egged me on that I wouldn't (jokingly of course).
Shortly after Pappy passed away, I decided that it was time to take on the challenge of a marathon. I was going to conquer my first 26.2 and dedicate my run to him. With that in mind, I knew the best place to run my first marathon would be in Palm Beach where my a lot of my family resides, along with the burial spot of Pappy. When I wanted to quit the marathon so badly in the last few miles, I knew that I could not let Pappy down. I knew that he would not let me quit and that I needed to cross the finish line for him. After finishing, I went out to see him and show off my new bling to him. I knew that he was so proud of me.