Father/Son Marathon
I believe with every fiber in my being that I was put on this earth to be a father.
From day one, I’ve loved the job and embraced the challenge.
I’m also proud to report that I’m good at it. Not because of any natural talent but because I take it seriously and work at it.
One of my core tenets as a father is to “lead from the front.”
I’ll never ask my kids to do something I haven’t done or am unwilling to do. In my opinion, this is leadership 101.
Ok, I’ll get to my point now.
I’ve always had a strong relationship with my son, Jude—but in 2023, we became best friends.
And it wasn’t by accident.
Earlier this year, he started asking questions about some of the things I do.
Why do you lift weights?
Why do you run?
Why do you sauna/cold plunge?
Why don’t you ever eat junk food?
We began having a lot of deep conversations about life. The importance of living with purpose. The difference between instant and delayed gratification. The value of getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.
I got to explain to him that not only do these things make my body stronger and my mind sharper—but more importantly, they make me a better husband, a better father, and a better Christ-follower.
He bought into the lifestyle, and we started working out together regularly.
About three months ago, he randomly asked me if I thought he could run a marathon.
My quick answer was, “Absolutely! Let’s start training, and maybe by the time you’re 18, we could run one together.” He then told me he wanted to run the Bass Pro Marathon with me THIS YEAR.
It seemed crazy (even to me), but we started running regularly to see what he was made of.
Last month, we successfully ran two half marathons, so I decided he could handle the big leagues.
This morning, I finished my fifth marathon, and he finished his first.
We crossed the finish line together, and it was, undoubtedly, my proudest moment in 38 years on planet Earth.
To be clear, I’m incredibly proud of the physical accomplishment (26.2 miles is a long way for anyone to run, let alone a 13-year-old), but I’m much more proud of who he’s becoming.
The kid is special. He is disciplined. He is humble. He has integrity. He is wise beyond his years.
Being his dad is an honor and a privilege.
I’m proud to report that the trajectory is good.
PS — You’re technically supposed to be 18 in order to run the full marathon, so we signed him up as Bre Stewart, and he ran in the 35+ women's division. I don’t like to lie, but I’m at peace with the decision. If any Bass Pro representatives read this and I need to pay a fine or serve some jail time, just let me know.
Godspeed.
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