See You Next Year at the Tulsa Run
I'm missing the Tulsa Run for a good reason: TulsaKids' Spotlight on Special Needs event Saturday, Oct. 28.
I’ll admit that I’m bummed about missing the Tulsa Run this year. I’ve been whiny and peevish about it. It’s the 40th year! It would be my 25th Tulsa Run! It’s finally going to be cool after three years of heat! They have a cool hoodie! And candy bars! Waa, waa, waa.
OK, I love the Tulsa Run. My history with the Tulsa Run started in 1980 when my college friend Eric assured me that I could run three times my training distance. At the time, I was only running three-mile distances and had never run in a race. While Eric wasn’t entirely wrong – I did finish in 1:23:54 – it wasn’t easy to run a 15K when my longest distance prior to that had been a 5K. With a little practice, my time improved in subsequent years and went up in others (the early kid years), but I was hooked. Over the years, I’ve run with my husband, my children, my friends, in sleet, snow and heat – it’s always fun.
This year I will not run, but I’ve decided to be grateful rather than resentful. I’m grateful that at my age I can still run. I’m grateful that I’m missing this year’s Tulsa Run for a good reason.
TulsaKids is holding a community event on Saturday for parents of children with special needs. If you have a child with any kind of learning disability, physical or developmental disability, or if you work with children who do, TulsaKids Spotlight on Special Needs resource and informational event might be a good place for you to be on Saturday.
Join me and the staff of TulsaKids magazine at OU-Tulsa, Schusterman Learning Center, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for this important, free event. Everyone is welcome. We’ll have speakers talking about IEPs and school, Wills and Trusts, Rights and Laws presented by the Oklahoma Parents Center, and a presentation on caring for yourself.
We’ll also have over 20 resource booths, so you can talk to therapists, camp administrators, professionals who care for or screen children for learning issues, home resources and many more.
OU-Tulsa is located at 41st & Yale. Go to the entry at the light (across from McDonalds at 43rd St.). The Learning Center is the building on the left, facing west. Parking is in front of the building.
I am fortunate to be able to run. But I am more fortunate to have the opportunity to work with an amazing staff who has helped put together this important community event for parents.
See you on the Tulsa Run course next year! (Good luck to this year’s runners!)
