Honestly, I am not a huge fan of running because I'm not good at it, it feels super repetitive, and it seems like a waste of time. My dad, on the other hand, is an avid runner, and he had been wanting me to run with him for a really long time. So when he asked me to run a half-marathon with him, I grudgingly agreed.

Three months prior to the half-marathon, I was already regretting it. The number of miles in a half-marathon was so daunting. I never ran more than 6 miles in my life; how was I going to run 13.1 miles??

The training was definitely difficult because it was such a drag, and I felt like I had to motivate myself every ten minutes.

For a while, I thought about changing the half-marathon to a feasible 5k. With a few clicks on the computer, it would be a done deal. But, knowing how much my dad loved to run, I knew that he would feel sad if I backed out without even trying.

On the day of the half-marathon, I was nervous and worried that I wouldn't be able to make it to the finish line. But, as we ran, I realized that this was the longest I'd ever spent with my dad since I started college. Every time I went home, I shut myself in my room to recuperate from the stress of school, and I only came out when I had to.

Seeing him smile and laugh while we ran together was so heart-warming, and it made everything worth it. The struggle of waking up early to fit in a run in the morning, the stress from the overwhelming feeling of incapability, and the struggle of running all the way to the finish line were all worth it.

Because of the half-marathon, I was able to bond with my dad during our practice runs and during the three hours of running for the actual half-marathon. Although a lot of it was small talk, I was able to spend three hours laughing and talking with my dad as we ran.

Although I'm not the biggest fan of running, I learned that running was one of my dad's love languages, so running this half-marathon with him was one of the most fulfilling moments of my life.

My dad is always willing to drop anything to come to me and help me, and he always let me do what I wanted even if it went against what he thought would be good. To others, running may not seem like much, but to my dad, it's his love language.

Running with my dad made me realize that I should spend more time with my parents and show interest in what they love even if I don't particularly enjoy it. Running won't make up even half of what my dad has done for me, but it's a start.

Spend more time with your parents while you still can, and remember all the good they've done for you in your life!