I recently completed my first two 50-mile races, a month apart from each other. Both were lots of fun and very different from each other. The main reason I ran the second one is because it is a certified qualifier race for the Western States 100 Edurance Run. Well, I qualified with a time an hour slower than the first race. I wonder how I would have placed if I had trained more during the month between the races, and if the weather were cooler and less humid. All this running gives me lots of time to think and ponder. I think about life, what I want to do, how to be a better father and husband, how to challenge myself and grow in other areas of life. Running for eight hours or more gives a LOT of time to think. It gives time to connect with the beauty of the Earth, to reach out to other fellow human beings, to witness wildlife in their native environments, to appreciate things as simple as water and bread and of course, my family. Heather was there both times to cheer me on. The second race was local to the area. It was close enough that Heather and Hilary surprised me by bringing the kids to the finish line. What a joy it was to see the kids there with Heather!
So what does running have to do with Conlan and autism? LOTS! For a long time, I've known I am different, not quite normal. But I couldn't quite put my finger on what was different about me. In high school, I enjoyed running on the cross country team. It was a place I could relate to others, it was a main avenue of socialization. I still keep in contact with friends made through cross country. My favorite runs were on trails in the mountains near my home, or through the golf course. I ran with friends, talked with them. But I also was able to think about things. I remember reviewing notes in my head from my European and US History classes or from Biology and Chemistry and even solving some difficult Calculus problems. I remember "dreaming" about some beautiful, intelligent young women from my classes. You know, classic teenager stuff. Anyway, back to topic, when Hilary and I had Conlan diagnosed and found out he was autistic, we soon realized that I displayed a lot of the same symptoms. It started to make sense. We read books and watched movies such as Temple Grandin, My Name is Khan. We love Sheldon from "The Big Bang Theory". Just as the cattle shute calmed Temple Grandin, running gives me an opportunity to shut everything else off, to focus and get calm. Maybe that's why I enjoy running on trails more - there's no cars or other distractions. It's just me, the trail, and nature. I can focus better. There's less sensory input to tune out.
And now, how does all of this relate to Conlan? He's a natural runner. He loves to run, especially if he can get away from his parents before they even know he's gone. I've noticed that he rarely stops moving. Instead of walking down the sidewalk, he skips. Instead of sitting in his seat to eat, he wanders around the room grabbing a bite to eat every couple minutes. (We're working on helping him to sit down through a meal). If we'd let him, he'd move around the car on car rides, but instead he stays busy by watching scenery and objects fly by. He really likes to be chased (at Church, school or wherever). The other night, he was in an empty bedroom and ran in circles for a good 20 minutes. All the while, his face had the biggest smile ever. And he was laughing so hard. I wonder if he'll grow to enjoy distance running as much as I have. He definitely has plenty of energy and natural skill to do well. His PE teacher even commented how fit he is cardiovascularly and how strong his legs are (he also loves jumping in place which can be a problem at hotels when we're not on the ground floor ;) ). I know he enjoys running around and hope it will be helpful for him just as it has been for me.
Conlan jumping on the metro
