Discussion: I understand that feeling. ...

I understand that feeling. There is a great feeling of relief for some, for them that suffer, like Joan's mother and especially her father who suffered greatly from Parkinsons, and apparently your father. My father still had a great deal of his mental and physical faculties, so another few years of life even at 94 seemed entirely plausible and welcome, but it was not to be.

Thanks. On balance a lot to celebrate.

Your father sounds like he was a good man.

Yes he was thanks Phil

A life well lived and he got you into running !

:-)
He did and I vividly recall him holding the stop watch while I did 400m repeats. I can honestly say he coached me to a 5000m win at HS - a distance I have no great love for!

was he ever a runner himself?

Yes, he was a very good sprinter / 400m runner (Birmingham University UK) - AAU medallist maybe....
I got them both in Orienteering at one stage :-)

Sometimes I suspect we would be surprised as parents what I kids take and value from from us....My Dad, who certainly was deeply flawed, developed my competitive athletic spirit and striving to give it my best shot, despite my lack of talent. Its added to my life in many ways. Glad you have that image of your Dad with the watch in his hand.....

Sorry to hear about your dad, but as others have said he had a good and long life and inspired you to run, and I would say he made the finish line.

Perth will most likely be depleted from your O friends as people have headed to NZ for the World Masters and Oceania Champs over the last week and into next week.

Not sure when you are here but if you make this weekend then there is a run in John Forrest NP which would be fitting with your beginnings in the sport. We will be there

Steve, yes indeed and very much concur with that sentiment. Thanks for posting.

Richard, many thanks for those thoughts, very apropos.
Thanks for the invite, and unfortunately due to work-related commitments am arriving early next week and leaving on Friday (maybe 3 days on the ground). I'll have to make do with a KP run:-)
Speaking of O, I dug out a photo of my parents underneath the finish banner- not sure where it was taken- however was the year/event my Mum won her age group (W50 maybe) in the State Champs!
Good luck to you and Sandgroper contingent over East and beyond.

My condolences to you and your family.

Charlie thanks. See you in IN and buy you a beer!

Hi Bill, sad news indeed. Typing this in Te Anau, after just finishing the Milford. Don't know if you saw this a couple of weeks ago, but you''ll see why I truly understand how you feel.

Don't know what happened, maybe due to the equipment I'm using, but that link was meant to take you to 23rd March on my log.

Tony hi, thanks for posting and your kind thoughts. Sadly I've not been attentive to other logs on AP this year and had missed your double news. Good luck with upcoming events and surgery.
Funny how lives have parallel experiences at times, and I recall vividly that sense of adventure migrating to the Great Southern Land back in 1972 (and I flew :-)
Now, 2 years post my surgery for prostate cancer I can also look back and reflect that things have a way of working out for the best.