Funny story, they boy signed up to do a 5k with me. We never run. I ran a 5k last oct and that's the last time I did any cardio or running of any kind. 2 weeks ago we go in and I told him, wife and daughter (17) that if they beat me, I would give them $100. Daughter didn't show, she had a swim meet a couple hours after the run, wife is no contest, the boy (8) is all about competition. He is front row, ready to win. He takes off sprinting and disappears. runs in first for the first 1/4 mile. Then he learns a lesson about track meet vs marathon. He burns out and I catch him at about 3/4 mile. We jog on. At 2 miles he's crying his side hurts and I just keep him going, we walk a lot. By 2.75 miles he's so screaming mad at me he hates me and why am I so mean that when he wants to walk I just keep jogging slow to keep him going. He will sprint past me in anger, then fizzle out and need to catch his breath again. I'm staying positive, just talking in a conversational tone to him. We go over the last 2 big hills and come around a bend, he's ready to quit, hates it etc. 1/3-1/4 mile left and I say, look, theres the finish, there's your $100. I started 5 sec behind you, so you have to beat me by 5+ sec. He went from "I'm going to die, my stomach hurts, I hate this" to the ****ing roadrunner in about .5 seconds. Holy ****, took off. I'm pretty low on gas at this point but I hate to lose. I know I have to keep him in reach but not finish in front of. I RAN the last 1/4 mile and finished about 5 sec behind him. It was 30 min of waiting until the time sheets came out.
He is pissed and learned a couple lessons about quitting, how corrected time works (like endurance racing, you're racing the clock), and learned what he has in the tank when his mind says he is tired.
I was like, this little MF'er sandbagged me and made me walk and then leaves me FTW, if this was planned, I'm very proud laughing1
So I win by .5 of a second. His mom tells him that I should give him the $100 anyway because he tried hard. Ya, no. no second place trophies. I told him I'd put $100 toward a bike more suited for the trails we ride so he can get in the woods with me. Good ****.