Today, March 11th, 2020, my dad, Adolfo Salgueiro, Sr. is turning 82 years old. He is still running 3-4 times a week and competing in local 5Ks. The experienced runner and running coach that I am today would have not been possible without his inspiration and encouragement to get started over 40 years ago.
Finishing together a 5K in Plantation, FL in February 2020
My running story has been tied to my dad since its very beginning, probably in the mid-to-late 1970s, when we lived in Caracas, Venezuela. He would run starting from our home and my mom would go pick him up after a predetermined time while making sure she noted the odometer reading. I remember many times being in charge of either spotting my dad or being in charge of the odometer read. I could have been as young as 10 or 11.
Soon after, my mom was not only picking up just my dad but also myself and my twin brother, Jose. Maybe we ran one kilometer, maybe two, who is to know? Tough to recall 40+ years later. But somehow, we became a running family. Living in Venezuela in the mid-70s, I knew no other road runner than my dad. This was at the time when nobody ran. When people would stop to ask if we were escaping from the police or would throw their cars at us just for the fun of seeing our reactions.
Even though my dream was becoming the first baseman for the Philadelphia Phillies, I kept running on and off with my dad. I was a junior in high school when he encouraged me to run my first 10K race, an unfathomable distance for a 16-year old. I ran a few more 5 and 10Ks here and there, but baseball was my first love and I would play it at often as possible.
One day in mid-1982, my dad came back from his weekend run and stated: âI am going to run the New York City Marathonâ. We all thought he finally lost his marbles, paid not much attention and let him enjoy his delusion. But, long story short, on October 24, he took the start at the Verrazano Narrows and finished in 4:36:37. He was the first person I ever knew to run a marathon. I couldnât believe it. My dad ran a marathon!
Half Marathon in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, in 1983
A month or so later, the Caracas Marathon has held in my hometown and my dad went to the 30k mark to meet a friend and run him in (it wasnât frowned upon then). I went, too and was amazed by what I saw. I jumped in and ran the last 12k, where I saw first-hand the emotions, the suffering, the effort, the triumph. So, I told my dad: âOne day, I will run one of theseâ. Seven weeks later we both were in front of the Orange Bowl Stadium in Miami lining up for the start of the 1983 Orange Bowl Marathon. Even Bill Rodgers was there. I was still a Senior in high school. I was 17.
My dad held me back when I wanted to surge, he reminded me to drink water, brought me back to focus when I got distracted by a hot girl running in front of us, etc. As planned, at 35K, each man was on his own and he left me in the dust. I struggled the last 7K, cursing my bad judgement for wanting to do this stupid thing. I limped into the stadium only to see my Dad with a big smile, cheering me up and letting me know he went sub-4. I went around the track, crossed the finish line and collapsed in my dadâs arms. He was so proud of me. The only words I could muster were: âwhen are we doing the next one?â.
The answer came rather soon. 10 months later we were both lining up in front of the Verrazano Narrows at the 1983 NYC Marathon. On December 1984 we both set up PRs in the Caracas Marathon. He ran 3:47 and I ran 3:32. In December 1985, once again we ran the Caracas Marathon. Then life and injuries got on my way, but he kept going for another 30+ years. He ran a handful more marathons and even set a better PR of 3:43. When for his 30th birthday, my twin brother wanted to run New York, my dad trained with him and at 57, ran his last marathon. My dad beat my brother by 3 minutes or so.
Three Generations of Adolfo Salgueiro finishing the 2016 Miami Turkey Trot
After a 27-year hiatus, I came back to road racing in 2012 at the Miami Half Marathon. As I picked up my race kit, I was so happy, in disbelief of what I was about to do after such a long time. My mind went back to running with my dad all those years ago, enough that I even sent him my race shirt with a message thanking him for initiating me in this wonderful sport.
Through the years, there have been many more running experiences. In December 2012, we had the opportunity of running my dad, myself and my son, all three of us named Adolfo Salgueiro, in a 10K race in Miami Beach, where we finished all three together. In November 2016, we did that again. The day he turned eighty, 18 family members accompanied him completing a 5K race, in which the race director was gracious enough to hold number 80 for him. Last February I ran a 5K race with him, at his pace, and we crossed the finish line holding hands.
I donât know how many more chances I will have to share races with my dad, but what I do know is that I plan to keep running as long as the good Lord keeps me around. And as this happens, it will be thanks to my dad initiating me in the sport, over 40 years ago, even when my favorite sport was baseball.
I wrote this one back in 2014. As the fifth anniversary of the event approaches, and I start this new blog, it is the perfect time to repost and update. Enjoy!
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Given the fragility of the political situation and lack of personal security in our native Venezuela, the Araujos have spread around the world just as many local families in the last 15 years or so. Even though email, Skype, WhatsApp and other communications advances have helped us keep in touch, there is no substitute for face-to-face interaction with siblings, parents, cousins and uncles, like in the good old days.
The time for a Family reunion was set for August 2, 2013, when the head of our family, my grandmother, would celebrate her centennial. But on March 15, she passed away four and half months before her 100th Birthday.
All bibs had our grandmother;s name on them
As the dust settled after her passing, the cousins started discussing in our WhatsApp group the best way to commemorate her Centennial. Not very many ideas were presented when we settled on a half marathon in her honor. Miami was chosen given that it is a central location. I had participated the previous two years, so I knew it was a good race.
It is important to note that at the time of the decision; only four of us were active runner/walkers. Three were former runners and 11 had never showed any interest the activity. 18 of us, all either first cousins or married to one, finished the race. Another, my wife, one got injured in training and could not participate.
We all live in different cities and countries. Through our WhatsApp group we encourage each other. The experienced runners coached the novices. We shared tips, we forced the lazy ones hit the road during rough long-distance weekends and we rekindled the cousin bond my grandmother always preached. Little by little a handful of cousins started doing 10K races as well as 14, 16 and 18K training sessions. Many of them had never run 1K before my grandmotherâs passing.
These are people with jobs, young kids, financial and time commitments, just like anyone else. None of them are âreal housewives of anywhereâ, with trainers, maids and personal assistants. Some of them even trained in the snow. These are real people that had to add training for a half marathon to their already busy routines.
The big day finally came on Sunday, February 2nd. Cousins from Bogota, Colombia; Caracas, Puerto La Cruz and Maracaibo, Venezuela; Panama City, Panama; Toronto, Canada; and Miami and Houston in the USA; took position in the different corrals during a hot and muggy morning in Downtown Miami. All of our racing bibs proudly displayed âABUEâ under our numbers, which short for Abuela, Grandmother in Spanish.
It was amazing to start a race with my sister and my twin brother. To see the 5 Garcia siblings start side by side, to have three of the 4 Bradley sisters running the distance for the very first time, just as the Pernalete siblings. Throughout the race we all kept bumping into each other, telling stories, sharing tips and experiences. And then, it was the meet up at the finish line, where we 18 of us proudly displayed our medals earned with our efforts. Itâs incredible what these pieces of cheap metal meant to so many of us.
At 75 years old, my Dad, a former marathoner, also started the race, but as planned, only ran 11K before stepping out of the course. I want to make sure kudos are extended to him, too.
A family party with 40 members of our clan took place after the race to commemorate the achievement. A centennial celebration and a half marathon on the exact date our ABUE would have turned 100 ½. Words fall short on the meaning of this event to the Araujo family.
With the exception of a couple of cousins stating âitâs done, never againâ, the vast majority realized what running/walking can add to the quality of their daily life and plan to participate in a few more races. Lives were changed. One of us is running a full marathon on March 2nd for the first time in 18 years.
Thank you Abue for keeping the family united around you, even after you are no longer physically with us.
UPDATE
Five years later, as Venezuela sinks into a deeper chaos, many of our cousins have stopped running altogether and some have moved to greener pastures overseas trying to give their family new opportunities for a real future. But a handful of have kept going at it. Two graduated to their first 26.2s and a couple more revisited the distance after many years off. I stopped racewalking and restarted my running; even became a certified running coach. Despite things settling down on the athletic history of our clan, this day five years ago is still remembered as one of its most memorable moments in the history of our family.
From left to right: Top Row: Peter McGrath (2:37:18); Jose Herrera (1:58:04); Belen Bradley (2:04:03); Luli Garcia (2:33:47); Osvaldo Garcia (2:59:54); Jose Salgueiro (2:17:25). Middle Row: Jennifer McGrath (2:26:03); Maria C Pernalete (2:55:41); Lupe Bradley (2:19:44); Maria Salgueiro-Alessio (2:41:26); Lionel Alessio (2:41:26). Bottom Row: Franz Pernalete (2:25:54); Marisol Garcia (2:56:50); Neycy Morales (2:33:28); Marianela Garcia (2:40:02); Adolfo Salgueiro (2:49:05). Not shown: Christina Bradley (3:00:11); Maria InĂŠs Garcia (3:35:48).
