On a Mission 24 Hour Run

 My dad, Oscar Baeza, in happier days. . .

What’s happened since then has been amazing. I had my eyes opened—an epiphany you could say.  One day after the anger about my dad had passed, I began to think about how much I really knew about him.  I knew him, but I never knew him.  And by that I mean, while he was always there and was a huge part of our lives, I never knew what he had wanted to be “when he grew up.”  What had been his dreams and aspirations? As a young man, how did he envision his future? Certainly, he never saw it ending this way.

I realized that there were probably many stones left unturned in his life—that there were many adventures that he never realized because he had to perform his expected duties.  My mom was now without an income and no means to support herself and found herself in a depression as well.  One day she decided to take a whole bottle of prescription sleeping pills and ended up in the hospital with a pumped stomach.

When my husband and I organized the Palo Duro Hot Dog Run in 2008, I had my dad and others who have suffered this same kind of tragedy in mind.  His birthday is July 14 and this year he would be turning 65.  This year’s event takes place on July 14, 2012 at 8:00 am.  Registration fees are donated while generous donors and sponsors pay for our operating costs.  My husband Sam, and I plan and organize the entire event, and our wonderful families help to execute it successfully.  This race commemorates him and will hopefully reach out to others. 

The silver lining in this entire story is that because of my dad and because of my loss, I have learned a great appreciation for life and my loved ones. I have skydived.  I have run a few marathons, ultramarathons, and overcame my fears of open water swimming to do triathlons. I still don't know what I want to be "when I grow up" but I will have fun getting there. My family has grown closer and my brothers and sisters have had the same results I've had-- we've learned to live life fully and completely.

But I run because I can—because I have the body and the health to do it.  I strive to challenge myself more and more because trying and failing is better to me than wondering my entire life about what I could have done.  Because of our dad I live.  I love.  And I run.