Having a Baby vs. Running a Marathon

The thing still seemed impossible. But gradually something happened to him which had happened to him only twice before in his life. . . in both cases the thing had seemed a sheer impossibility: he had not thought but known that, being what he was, he was psychologically incapable of doing it; and then, without any apparent movement of the will, as objective and unemotional as the reading on a dial, there had arisen before him, with perfect certitude, the knowledge “about this time tomorrow you will have done the impossible.” ~ C.S. Lewis Perelandra 126

*spoiler alert* 

The Lewis quote is from when Ransom realizes that he has to kill the Un-man. This is exactly how I felt about giving birth to then-unknown Joseph: having a baby seemed impossible, but once labor started, I knew that in 24 hours, I would have a baby in my arms.                                                                        

Whenever I would tell people I’ve run a marathon (or even when I was just training for one), SO many people would say “Oh, wow! I could NEVER do that.” Until I had actually run a marathon, I didn’t really have a good response, although I suspected that in truth they probably could run a marathon- if they wanted. I’m not a good runner; I’m slow, and I’ve often been plagued by knee issues so I figured that if I could do it, so could they.

Now that I have given birth naturally and run a marathon, I just want to say to all those mothers out there who have delivered a baby without pain meds: giving birth is harder than running a marathon. Therefore, “you” could run a marathon. I’m not saying that anyone should run a marathon; just that all you ladies (and gents) should not sell yourselves short by claiming that you can’t. The actual pain of labor might not be worse than running a marathon, but giving birth was harder than running a marathon for me because  I was not in control, I didn’t know when it would be over, and because it took longer to have a baby.

One of the terrifying things about labor going into it was that I knew I would not be in control of my body. My body became a stranger to me and took over. While I know this is a natural process, it still freaked me out a little bit to be completely ignorant of what my body might do. In The Old Man and the Sea, Santiago talks about his left hand being a traitor because it cramps when he needs it. I guess I felt a little bit like that.  Also, since I was not in control, there was nothing I could do to alleviate or stop pain. While running a marathon, there is always the option to stop, walk, slow down or even quit. There are no options in labor- not even quitting. *

Another way I struggled with not being in control was the “unknown” factor. I’m a very goal oriented person, so not knowing how long the labor would be or how bad it would get was a challenge for me. Obviously, the goal was to have the baby without medical interventions, but beyond that, I had very little to focus on. If someone could have told me “you’ll have the baby in 15 hours,” I would have been able to cope with the challenges of labor better. But, no one can predict those things, and I dreaded the possibility that the labor might drag on and on and on.

As I’ve entered a world of actually understanding labor and delivery terminology, I’m realizing the length of time one is actually “in labor” is extremely subjective. Some people count it from the first contraction, other people from a certain level of dilation, others from when the water breaks etc. I’m not sure I really care because for most people, it’s a long time! The hospital staff calculated that my labor was about 8 hours, but I felt like I was in labor for more like 12 or 16 hours! (because I was having steady contractions for that long.) My marathon was on trail and therefore longer than average- over 5 hours! (embarrassing. . .). Needless to say, labor- calculated as long or short- was a lot longer than my marathon.

Oh, and now that I’ve gained some distance from delivery, I would also say that labor and delivery takes a LOT longer to recover from. I played frisbee the evening of my marathon. I probably could not have walked to the car the same day as delivery. (In addition, I also experienced post-partum preeclampsia and had to return to the hospital for several days. I know that I could not have walked to the car after that- I had lost so much muscle! To the point that I had lost 35 of the 40 pounds I gained during pregnancy. Marathons don’t do that to ya!)

Now, this is not a motivational blog to inspire people to do marathons instead of have kids (my dad would kill me if he thought I were doing that ;).

Will I have more kids? Hopefully!

Will I run another marathon? Maybe.

I want to encourage you to go for your goals and not sell yourself short by saying that you can’t or could never do something. There are a lot of things in my life that I, as a teenager, never thought I would do. I’ve always been (still am) terrified of heights, yet I enjoy rock climbing, rappelling and even rappelling into caves (Natural Well on Monte Sano is a freaky rappel and ascension!). I’ve even done a couloir and climbed a couple 14ers. Turns out, I had to grow up a little to start doing hard and dangerous stuff, and I'm still learning and have ton more to learn about facing my fears.  The point is, if you want to try to reach your goals- try it! And stop wasting time saying you can’t.

They don't give you anything this adorable just for running a marathon.
 I do think the food's better after a marathon though. 

*some people may point out that there are opt-out options for delivery such as pain meds, epidural etc. I don't have anything morally against those, but there was not way I was going to use them, especially the epidural- needle yikes! I did have one "medical intervention" though: I let them break my water after I'd been at the hospital about 8 hours. I did not want my water broken to induce labor, but I'm glad I let them do it at that point in my labor (I think I was 4 cm or something like that). 

A Summer of Not Running. . .

Life has seasons, and sometimes we get shoved into those seasons without really knowing why or having much choice. This summer, I was planning to get back into running the second half of the summer, but I found myself in Laramie Wyoming, working with a group out there called Solid Rock Outdoor Ministries (http://srom.org). My husband and I have both instructed rock climbing and backpacking there before, and they suddenly found themselves short on staff and invited us to come out for a month. We got to instruct two rock climbing courses (one to City of the Rocks Idaho!), and a large youth group course to the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park, and Pariah Canyon. These were awesome opportunities for us, and a great time to relax and get away from school, but not much time for running!

Since getting home in August, I've worked back up to 3 or 4 miles at a sub-10 minute pace, which is decent for me. But last week, I got some news- my running partner is moving! I'm still deciding and praying about doing a half marathon in November and then a marathon in December, but I really don't think the marathon is a good idea- I think I would need more training time.

In the meantime, there are several people in the process of adopting. If you're looking for someone to support, a friend of mine is doing a 10 mile SWIM to raise money for an adoption from China. You could check his story out at: www.patrickandpatty.blogspot.com

Other families currently adopting (not an all-inclusive list):
Jeff and Sheila Corbin
Nathan and Kimberly Neely: http://www.bringingthenationshome.blogspot.com/
Mike and Allison Barker: http://www.ugandainourhearts.blogspot.com
The Gygaxes


And then some pictures of my summer because that's what a blog is for, right? Posting pictures of myself. haha! I just think pictures explain better than words what I've been up to:

A Needed Rest

Since the marathon, I really haven't felt like running. I've tried running with the dog I'm "watching" during the day, and that's bun, but I really just prefer to walk. I'm also enjoying learning how to bike on a friend hybrid bike. It's fun and good exercise, but a little stressful- I'm always afraid I'm going to get runover, hit, or hit someone else!

I keep saying that I'm going to work on my arms for my sister's wedding in August, but I actually hurt my back a little bit playing frisbee. I jumped up for a catch in the end zone, but just barely tipped the disc and tried to readjust to catch it. I didn't, and I came down funny on my heels and then bounced onto my rear. I found out later that one of my former students caught it, and we scored the point! That was exciting, but it left me with a pain between my shoulder blades that made me catch my breath with any sudden movement or position change. Therefore, I took some time off.

I'm also having a lot of time alone with Ben at work. I get to do my Bible Study, read, and get ready for next year without having a million other things to do. Having this "quiet time" has been really good for me, and I'm really enjoying the time.

So, for the moment, I'm taking time off from "trotting for tots", but I am so excited to go to Wyoming for a brief time to staff some courses with Solid Rock Outdoor Ministries (http://srom.org/) where I was a student in 2007, worked in 2008, volunteered in 2009, and am now returning as a "guest" instructor. I'm so excited! This isn't exactly raising money for kids or adoption etc., but it is something that's near and dear to my heart. I'm passionate about people using their bodies in positive and useful ways. In our technological world, I think the body sometimes gets forgotten. I think it's ridiculous the way young people (and adults!) are so attached to their phones/ devices (for more read this: http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/family/articles/2011/03/27/on_call_all_night_can_leave_texting_teens_tired_out/?page=1)

  Also, it's amazing how quickly being in the wilderness strips people of their "crutches" and forces them to trust in the Lord- sometimes for the next step! Rock climbing often brings people face to face with their own insecurities and fears (usually in a good way).

For all these reasons, I'm thrilled to be asked back to SROM for a short time. I'm hoping it will help me refocus on teaching as ministry before I go back to teaching in August.

More later!

Gloria

Greg and I in Wyoming at Solid Rock during my year as an instructor!

   

Me rapelling as a student in 2007!

To finish is to win?

Perhaps I will think of more to say later, but below are some random thoughts and pictures from the race.

The difference between adopting (or parenting period) and running a race is that in any race, the finish line is an obvious end. Parenting never ends.

But thank goodness for the finish line of our marathon! The race was hard and painful. (I know some of you are thinking "duh!"). The race was touted as a "good for beginner's" race. We discovered that they meant a good beginner transition race for road marathoner's who wanted to start running trail. oops!

I definitely did not run the whole race- there were several uphills that I walked because of fatigue. The only injuries I sustained were cuts on my shins and a severely stubbed big toe. No falls!

But, I know that ya'll don't want to hear all about it- you want pictures! So here they are. . .

Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed!

Some freebies we scored since the race was delayed a half an hour . . .

Finished! For the first time ever, I believe that to finish is to win. I used to think that was cheesy and lame (and sometimes it still is), but when I was on about mile 21-23, I began to realize that just getting to the finish line would be a feat.  

Only Marathon runners (vs. Half marathoners) got smiley faces so runners could scope out the competition . . . right . . .

Me- not sure how to stand up right anymore . . .

Dirt Line! Except- it wouldn't all wash off.



My poor toe! I don't know if you can see that huge blister, and the purple toenail isn't showing up well, but trust me, it's been getting more and more purple and swelling!

Going the Distance. . .

This is it!
The last day before my very first marathon!
And, of course, I feel like I've done everything all wrong the week leading up to it. Almost all the advice the books give I've done wrong. For example: avoid stress. Fail! I had three schools' report cards to turn in Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Ben left for Chicago on Tuesday etc.
Sleep well: oops! Remember those report cards? I was up until 4 am on Tuesday sending the first set out.
Don't lose weight the week before the marathon. If anything, gain weight. Oops again! I've lost a pound or two (probably because of the stress). Leave it to a marathon to make me upset about losing weight- gosh!

But, this post is not for me to complain about everything I've done wrong. I've actually been thinking about how people seem to think that running a marathon is so daunting (which it is!), but, when I think about possibly adopting someday- that seems terrifying! The decision to adopt is huge, and must be terrifying if you stop to think about all the ramifications of the decision. What if the child doesn't fit in well with the other kids? What if we're not the right parents for the child/ children we adopt? What if we don't have the finances to support this child well?

And then, once adopting parents decide to adopt, there's the months and months of paperwork, home inspections etc. I obviously don't know everything involved, but if any of you out there are impressed that I'm running a marathon, please stop to think about the people you know who have adopted or are trying to adopt- they are the ones really going the distance and for the best reason on earth- to bring love and health and light into the life of an abandoned or orphaned child. In my mind, that is really going the distance.

If you feel inspired, please consider donating to making one part of that decision easier: the finances. If you'd like, you can make a check out to Kingdom Life Christian Fellowship memo: Adoption Marathon. You can mail the check to me at 2505 D Toll Gate RD, Huntsville AL 35801 or to the church's accountant Dennis Cox, 6027 Pulaski Pike Road. Huntsville AL 35810. All donations go directly to adopting families.

If you think about me any time between 7 am and noon tomorrow, please pray for my running partner, Naomi, and I; I can guarantee that we'll need all the help we can get! Also pray for or support those you know who are in any part of the adoption process.

Thanks!

PS- This is not my first race for adoption- it's actually my 4th! See below for the past three years of adoption racing! (in no particular order)

This is pretty much how I feel about the marathon- anxious!

Race for Liberty!

Team Adrianna with (almost) my whole family!

I Heart Adoption Triathlon at the Sprint Triathlon and later at the Frantic Frog

Just a random picture that makes me feel better about my younger brother informing me that I have huge thighs :)

Gloria

To Run a Marathon . . .

I did it. I bit the bullet and paid my entry fee for the Rock Creek Scenic City Marathon on May 21st.

I signed up the day after the McKay Hollow rain-out. At first, the disappointment of not getting to run the McKay made me want to give up, but then one of my running partners, Naomi, called and wanted to see if I would run the training program with her because she felt undermotivated without a training program to keep her on track. She expressed my feelings exactly. I knew I wanted to run a marathon, but I was scared by the thought of all those miles by myself. So, Naomi calling was the perfect motivation for me to go ahead and go for it!

I want this marathon to help raise funds for my church's Adoption Fund, which was very appropriately started by the younger kids at our church. Despite the fact that we are a small church, many families that go to our church or are in contact with us have adopted. At least one family is currently in the process of an adoption.
Would you join me in raising support for those who selflessly open their homes to children in need of a family?

If you would like to help, write a check to Kingdom Life Christian Fellowship with Adoption Marathon in the memo line. You can either hand this to me personally or mail it to the church at: 6027 Pulaski Pike NW, Huntsville AL 35810-1122 (c/o Dennis Cox). All monies will go directly to the Adoption Fund, which will, in turn, go directly to adopting families :)

Why am I running a marathon?
I'm afraid I don't really have a great answer for that. I have plenty of 'reasons':
I'm goal oriented, so it's a good way to continue getting enough exercise without paying for a gym membership (possibly the single biggest thing I miss about college is the free gym. . . ).
A marathon seems like the sort of thing every jogger/ runner should want to do. I mean, it's kinda prestigious, right?
I don't have a "bucket list", but it seems like if I did, running a marathon would probably be on it.
I'm not exactly doing it to prove to myself that I can. In fact, having run an 18 mile training run with Naomi, I'm pretty confident that I won't have a big problem.
It's a good time to run a marathon- before kids, before knee replacements, before winter etc.
Running/ jogging is more fun after a few miles. Long distance is actually more enjoyable for me than shorter distances.
So why, exactly? I don't really know other than the sortof reasons listed above, but it's in less than two weeks!

Ain't no April Fool!

On April 1st, I finally accomplished what the weather denied me on March 26th- I completed the 2011 McKay Hollow Madness race course!

Call me foolish, call me committed, call me crazy, call me stubborn, but I just decided that I needed to run the course and finish my commitment. There was one other ulterior motive, which I will mention in my next post :).

So, just to give a not so brief update on the run, I did do most of it by myself. A friend ran the first 3 or 4 miles with me, but she decided that she did not feel well enough to run with me, so after some encouragement and a warning against creeps, she returned to the parking lot by "the shortest route possible."

The first five miles felt really good. The second five miles felt okay; in fact, I think I ran a bit faster where I could on the second 5 miles, and the last 5 miles went okay. Mentally I did fine the whole time, but I did have to take a few rest breaks on the last 5 miles and definitely hiked the steep section on McKay Hollow Trail. The course was still very clearly marked with flags and caution tape at all the major intersections, so finding my way was quite easy.

Trail running has cured me of the stubborn mindset that I used to have: I used to believe that if I had to stop and walk then I didn't "really" run the mileage. Now, I am not at all ashamed to say that I hiked the steep uphill parts of Panther Knob, Warpath Ridge, Natural Well, and McKay Hollow. In fact, I don't think I could have run all of the trail. Overall, I finished in just under 4 hours- a 45 minute improvement over our first "run/hike" through.

Below is a list of my "random thoughts" as I ran. Running allows for a lot of those- especially running by myself.

• Squirrels are very noisy.
• Hammer gel goo is the nastiest thing I've ever put into my mouth while exercising. Including bugs.
• I'm glad the trail is so well marked- I don't remember going this direction last time.
• uh-oh. I'm pretty sure my blister protection just moved.
• Squirrels are probably the loudest animals in these woods. They sound even louder than deer.
• I hope I see some deer.
• I hope I don't run out of water.
• yep. I definitely have blisters. or the skin has just worn away right there.
• I like cliff shot blocks. much yummier than Hammer gel.
• God, please help me finish X like 1000!
• I hope it doesn't get dark while I'm out here.
• It's a nice day.
• The flowers are quite pretty.
• The biggest casualty from today is probably going to be poison ivy- it's everywhere!
• Do these trails ever dry?
• At some point, Gloria, you might just want to give up going around the puddles and just run through the mud.
• I can't believe I rappelled into Natural Well- what were we thinking?
• oh look- deer!

Below are some random pictures somewhat related to the run:

   The Nasty Stuff from the Run

Some decent, although a bit too chewy running snacks:

Some really yummy running food: 

The offending blister area- this is after some recovery time. . .  

If you look closely. both my second toes are discolored and bruised . . .

Mud from the trails. . .