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    Run the Race: A Fatherýs Legacy of Life Lessons
    Run the Race: A Fatherýs Legacy of Life Lessons
    Run the Race: A Fatherýs Legacy of Life Lessons
    Ebook118 pages1 hour

    Run the Race: A Fatherýs Legacy of Life Lessons

    By Susan Z. Dawes

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    About this ebook

    Honest, humorous, and at times heart breaking, Run the Race: A Father's Legacy of Life Lessons is the moving true story of how one loving and devoted father inspired his daughter to run not only long distances, but also the real races of life.

    During the spring of seventh grade, author Susan Dawes's father, Floyd Seibert, introduces her to long-distance running at a high school girls' track meet in their hometown of Adel, Iowa. Secure in her father's confidence in her ability, she begins to run long distances for the Adel Junior High Tigerette track squad the next season. Supported by her father's sustaining guidance and influence, she is ecstatic to finally find a sport she loves.

    When a younger and faster girl joins the team, Susan begins to doubt her talent. She complains to her father and tells him she wants to quit. But Floyd Seibert offers the advice she will come to count on for the rest of her life: there will always be another race to run.

    Inspiring and encouraging, Run the Race shares the deep bond between father and daughter, the strength they build, and the courage they gain in the races of life.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisheriUniverse
    Release dateMay 31, 2007
    ISBN9780595872848
    Run the Race: A Fatherýs Legacy of Life Lessons
    Author

    Susan Z. Dawes

    Susan Dawes is a social worker and speaker on life issues. She enjoys attending her children?s activities and volunteering in the community. Dawes lives in Missouri with her three daughters.

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      Book preview

      Run the Race - Susan Z. Dawes

      Copyright © 2007 by Susan Z. Dawes

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

      iUniverse books may be ordered through booksellers or by contacting:

      iUniverse

      2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100

      Lincoln, NE 68512

      www.iuniverse.com

      1-800-Authors (1-800-288-4677)

      The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

      ISBN: 978-0-595-42942-4 (pbk)

      ISBN: 978-0-595-87284-8 (ebk)

      Contents

      Acknowledgments

      Introduction: Meet My Coach

      First Race: Finding a Race

      Second Race: Simple Advice

      Third Race: Longer Distances

      Fourth Race: Pacing Myself

      Fifth Race: Looking Ahead

      Sixth Race: Stepping outside the Lane

      Seventh Race: True Commitment

      Eighth Race: Cultivating Talents

      Ninth Race: Unexpected Losses

      Tenth Race: Reflection on a Great Run

      Eleventh Race: Overcoming Obstacles

      Twelfth Race: The Humongous Hill

      Victory Lap: Still Running

      In loving memory of my father, Floyd Henry Seibert,

      who still inspires me every day to keep running.

      It is a wise father that knows his own child.

      William Shakespeare

      Acknowledgments

      As with any book, there are many people to thank.

      First, I give glory to God for always taking care of me.

      My mom for her sustaining love, prayers, and for showing me what faith is all about.

      To my daughters—Sara, Anna, and Maria, for their support and patience during this entire process. You are my greatest blessings.

      To my brothers, Denny and Randy, and sister, Sheila, for creating many fun childhood memories and confirming information. Family is forever.

      Terri Clamons, my friend and mentor. I’m grateful for all the brunches where we discussed this project.

      Ann Ingalls, for her friendship and invaluable advice. I’m so thankful we met that day at the mailbox.

      Susan Ashby, my beach buddy, for mentioning I should write a book about growing up with a great dad.

      Carol Newman, a writing teacher who motivated me to publish this manuscript.

      Barb Brown Trier, a great runner who responded to many emails.

      My friends in Corolla, North Carolina, who provided a perfect escape to write.

      Kirsten Mc Bride, for her last-minute editing. The staff at iUniverse, especially Rachele Walter. All those I mentioned who have impacted my life. And finally, to everyone who encouraged me through this journey of writing, thank you.

      Introduction:

      Meet My Coach

      This book came about during my routine morning run one day. It was toward the end of the course, as I was heading up the hill. I started to slow down and thought about quitting, until my devoted running buddy, Daisy, the family English setter, glanced back over her shoulder with that inquisitive expression, Are you quitting now? We are almost finished. Not wanting to disappoint her or myself, I took off sprinting with what energy I had left. That’s when the ideas ignited in my mind. The moment I entered the house, I put a pen to paper. It was January 14, 2004.

      The real inspiration, though, for this book is my dad. It began one night in 1972, when he invited me, a seventh grader, to attend a high school girls’ track meet so I could watch long-distance runners. I knew instantly these races were meant for me.

      The foundation for this book is built upon one significant comment Dad made after I was defeated in a race and wanted to quit. He said, There will always be another race to run. I strongly sensed from the way he said it that this wasn’t just about the races on the track or cross-country runs. It was much larger than that. It was about running the races of life.

      Dad became my sideline coach during track as well as throughout many of my life experiences. He not only knew how to cultivate my athletic skills, but he also taught me about living—one race at a time. And he accomplished this through his guidance and love.

      He was compassionate, kind, patient, and humble. He could be trusted and had integrity, always willing to lend a helping hand to his family or those in need. I suppose you could say he lived an ordinary life, but was an extraordinary father. He knew his purpose in life and took it seriously.

      Born to Charles and Pearl Seibert, he grew up on a farm with his parents and two older brothers, Marion and LaVere, in Minburn, Iowa. On several occasions, I heard Dad describe his childhood. We did not have very much, but we were loved.

      My dad had a strong interest in sports early on in life. Throughout his childhood, and particularly during his high-school years, his time was spent either on the basketball court shooting hoops or on the field pitching a fastball for the baseball team. And from his friends’ accounts, Floyd was quite a treat to watch as he played.

      Baseball became his real passion after he graduated from high school. The New York Yankees scouted him and drafted him into their farm club. This sent him on the road playing games in the southeastern quadrant of the United States, a place he had only known about from geography class.

      Dad delighted in telling the story about seeing the Atlantic Ocean for the first time. He was so excited he ran into the water, where he was instantly pulled down by the undercurrent. He thought he was a goner because no one had ever taught him how to swim. Fortunately, he managed to tumble back to shore safely.

      My dad did not finish his dream of playing baseball in the big leagues. According to my mom, his mother made a visit to the Georgia coast where he was living. She disapproved of the conditions in the rundown motels and boarding houses that the players stayed in back then. However, the real determining factor was that his father needed help on the farm, so Dad, being a loyal son, returned home to help farm but not for long.

      He soon grew restless with the farming routine and sought other opportunities. Iowa Power and Light—considered a solid company—is where he would be employed for the next thirty-eight years. He was hired as a line man but was promoted to a service man after a few years. Dad enjoyed his work and was proud to work for the company, but he did not love his work more than his family. Work very rarely interfered with his personal life.

      My dad’s life was centered on his dedication to his family. After my parents married in 1950, they were blessed with four children. Floyd Dennis (Denny) was born November 19, 1954. Randy followed on September 21, 1957. I was next, arriving on January 25, 1959. Our baby sister, Sheila, was born on May 29, 1961.

      Dad was extremely proud of his children, and it always showed, especially as he taught us the ins and outs of many athletic activities. He taught us how to ride our bikes, shoot baskets, and pitch baseballs or softballs. But the night Dad introduced me to long-distance running was the moment that changed my life. It became a sport I loved. And in life, it became a saving grace.

      This story is about more than running races around a track. It is about a strong bond between a father and daughter. It is about a father’s sustaining presence throughout many triumphant times and trying trials of life. It is about a loving father who taught his daughter about living and not giving up during life’s many races.

      First Race:

      Finding a Race

      The answer to the big questions in running is the same as the answer to the big questions in life; do the best with what you’ve got.

      George Sheehan, MD, marathon runner and author

      Life presents many races to run. A few may take place on a track. The majority will be run off the track. Results will vary. In some you may be victorious, in some you will struggle. In others you will never win, no matter how hard you try.

      Finding a race I could run well for the upcoming juniorhigh track season was like that for me. It was the summer of 1971, and I had just finished sixth grade. I was already excited in anticipation of entering junior high school. I knew that graduating to the next level would open up more opportunities for participating in organized sports. And I had set my sights on becoming a track star. I wanted to be good at something. Every child does.

      I knew that to be good, practice was essential. I had learned this from watching my brothers, Denny and Randy, whom I considered great all-around athletes. Both ran track and did it well.

      I decided to focus at first on the low hurdles. I turned to Dad for help with this new mission on my mind. Dad was more than willing to help and drove me many times to the track so I could practice. He coached me from the sidelines on proper form. However, one evening he decided instead to watch the high-school girls’ softball game adjacent

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