Generosity...

I received an email a few weeks ago from a gentleman I did not know. I could tell from his email that he was "older" (based on the fact that he was retired and enjoyed coaching kids on the side, had hip replacement at 55 and no longer ran after 45+ years of it). He said he had been reading my articles in the paper and knew all I wanted to do was run. He offered to cross train with me at his house until Boston (trust me, his note wasn't creepy, but I was skeptical).
I put him off -- saying that I had conferences -- blah, blah. (a.k.a I don't want to cross train, I just want to run! I'm already swimming!) But, he wouldn't let up and asked me to "trust him".
After checking with some people who I thought might know him, I made the trip out to his house yesterday and met up with he and his wife.
BLESSING! Wow!
This 74 year old man trained me for 1 hour like nobodies business. Based on what he knew about me, he made a plan for us to follow. He was "right" on. We exercylced on two different machines. He focused on my heartrate, my pace and then my ability to quickly recover. (He was impressed how quickly my heart rate dropped). He trained right along side me! It was motivating, inspiring and he knew just how far to push me. I haven't had a good cardio workout like that since my last speedwork session when I got injured.
He and his wife were so kind and clearly love to invest their time in the youth/adults of our community. They had charts up, motivational competitions, and OLD equipment. But it didn't matter. He had circuits, towels and what a personality!
I guess that I am just so moved by the kindness and generosity of he and his wife. He'd like to work with me this summer and help me to become a better athlete. I couldn't help but ask, "Why?" His response, "Why not?" He said, it is what he loves to do.....help people improve their health and motivate them.
At 74, I can't think of a better way to spend ones' time.
I had a great time and can hardly wait for next week.