Never say never...

I often tend to follow up my "I never" statements with "well, I guess I should never say never." Mainly because I can easily think of a many times "I never" statements eventually turned out to be just the opposite. I still can't believe I was in the Army Reserves for 8 years! However, I really did think I would NEVER own a minivan.

When presented with the dilemma of two impractical cars for a growing family, we decided we would keep my car for commuting and trade in Christopher's truck. This decision had been especially hard for Christopher because he loves his truck. The truck has moved us many times and we couldn't have done half our home improvement projects without it. This new car would need to do everything: 1) have lots of flexible cargo space 2) easily seat over 5 people w/baby seat 3)transport a dog 4)get decent gas mileage 5)be within our budget and 6) be on the smaller size.

This list narrowed us down to a SUV or Minivan. Even though we talked about just looking at smaller SUVs, we were both doing minivan research on the side. When I stepped inside that first minivan (which is the one we got), I just knew we had found our answer. It was like it was designed by someone who had the exact list of requirements as me! I finally understood why people actually buy minivans.

Now this doesn't mean I can't believe I bought a minivan. I still look out our front window and think no way is that minivan mine. But, it is. So, I guess I can add another thing to my never say never list.

Here it is:



Christopher also took more pictures, which you can find at Flickr.

End of the Road

Here's the final installment of my marathon series. In the previous blogs, I talked about the build up to the event, my support crew, and Bob. Now, I just want to share with you my experience. Many times over the course of my training, my mom remarked to me and to others that she didn't think I was having any fun. I have to admit, some of those training runs were far from fun, but the marathon...that was very fun!

No one had quite warned me about how the race starts. Those of us in the "open" corral (read: not really fast) are jammed in shoulder-to-shoulder. Some people sit in groups on the ground while they wait. They were a bit of a tripping hazard. However, the biggest tripping hazard was what they left behind.

From where I was, I couldn't hear the starting horn. In fact, I had no clue the race had started until the man on the PA system told us. Slowly, we all started to move forward. That's when I noticed all the bottles, sweatshirts, etc. lying on the ground. People were kicking bottles left and right. I tried to shuffle my feet. I didn't want to go down before I even crossed the starting line! Actually, I did almost fall down within the first mile or so. They place rugs over parts of the grates on the bridges. There was a wrinkle on one and I tripped. Fortunately, my athletic prowess and balance (okay...luck) kept me from falling.

Kristina ironed my name onto the front and back of my shirt. From watching the races in the past, I knew people appreciated me cheering their name. That is a MAJOR understatement. Hearing people cheering your name and telling you that you're looking good (even when you are suffering) provides a major boost. I made an effort to say thank you or acknowledge when people called my name. That definitely contributed to the "funness" of the marathon.

During the entire marathon, people (especially children) would reach out for high-fives. If I was near the side, I would slap all hands within reach. At the 20 aid stations, volunteers handed out gatorade and water. They would call out our names and to cheer us on. Several times, I would just shout out "Thank you, volunteers!" to which I would receive more cheers. When I crossed, the halfway point, I lifted my arms and shouted, "Yes!" The man on the PA called out my name and said I was doing a great job.

I loved being able to see my family at Miles 9, 18 and 22.5. I know my breaks may have cost me 10-15 minutes on my finish time, but I wouldn't trade those moments for an hour off my time. They're love and support was another boost, and watching my dad cheer so loudly for all the runners going by was also fun. By around Mile 22, I was starting to feel pretty hot and tired. Knowing that my support crew was going to be only half a mile ahead helped push me along. I can honestly say, that despite the heat, the pain, and the convulsing muscles, I was actually enjoying the experience.

The emotions I experienced when I crossed the finish line are hard to describe. I almost felt like laughing, crying, cheering, and collapsing all at the same time. I did none of those in the emotional confusion. ;-) I received my medal, and they took my picture. I was done!

Well, that's it. I won't be writing anymore about the marathon...at least not about this one. I am positive I will run another marathon (this statement will stress out my mom, I'm sure). When? I'm not sure. I'll probably try to get better at my 5 & 10k paces and do a half marathon, but I will be back! However, I now have a much more important marathon to start...one that lasts a lifetime...parenthood!

I have several other marathon pix on Flickr.

Christopher

Welcome to the Baby's Room!

We took a video of the baby's room to show you what we've done so far. It's nearly done. Just a few finishing touches, but quite frankly, he'll probably arrive before we get a rug and a seat cushion we like. Despite my silly commentary, I think you get a pretty good idea of what the room looks like. For those of you who get this blog via email, I'm not sure how the video will work for you. You may have to visit the blog website. Maybe there'll be a link in the email.

Here's the video. Hope you enjoy it.



Christopher

Baby Update

I had a doctor's visit today. I'm nearing my due date (Oct 25) and was hoping that the baby would be arriving soon. Though I am slowly progressing, he doesn't see the baby coming before my due date. In fact, I might not see this baby before November! My next appointment is on Oct 30th, and he said he would probably let me go until November 4th before he would induce me (however, some other recent news might change that). Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but I was not prepared for my next bit of shocking news....

I was concerned that I might be leaking amniotic fluid, so he had us go over to the hospital for quick ultrasound. Good news is that everything looks great. We were happy and on a little high from seeing the baby again, when the nurse mentions that according to her measurements the baby weighs 10lbs 10oz. WHAT?!?! Since I don't have gestational diabetes, she wanted to measure the baby again. Second measurements were a bit better (still shocking), but estimates the baby at 10lbs 3oz. They called the doctor and he still wants to wait to see me until Oct 30th.

Now I knew the baby was big, I could feel that, but I never imagined that big. When I got home, I started researching macrosomia (or large baby) right away. There are increased risks to the mother and baby, and research "suggest that induction actually increases the cesarean section rate without favorably altering perinatal outcomes." So, for now, I guess the doctor's plan to wait is the best one. One glimmer of hope- research also shows that ultrasounds don't always accurately predict weight (it can be off 1lb plus/minus). Here hoping for minus!

Christopher's reassuring comment was, "think about it, a third of your weight gain is just baby. When you deliver the baby you will be losing 10lbs right then!" Good try, but I'm still scared.

What about Bob?

This is the second to last installment in my Marathon series. Last time I wrote about my support crew, but I left out one person, Bob. I had never met Bob before Mile 21. He and I struck up a conversation. We were both in pain and suffering from the heat. So, we decided to stick together and help each other out.

When I tell people I'm not sure I could have finished the marathon without Bob, they usually say something about how we probably pushed each other. Actually, that's not what I mean. In some ways we encouraged each other, but at the same time, we could tell each other it was okay to stop and stretch or walk. If I hadn't met up with Bob, I wonder if I might have been one of those people on the sidelines receiving medical help. Sometimes, I can push myself pretty hard when left to my own devices. I think Bob helped keep me from overdoing things.

You can see some photos of Bob running next to me at the marathon photo site. He's the guy holding the beer in the air. I'll try to explain that in my last entry.

Christopher

I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends and Family.

My next installment of the Marathon series focuses on my support crew. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know what a key role Kristina played in helping me train for the marathon. However, for the actual event, she called in reinforcements. I was lucky enough to have Kristina, my parents, and our friend, Tatiana, out cheering for me. Later on, Ken, a former student, joined the team from a satellite position.

The night before the race, my athletic supporters (sorry, couldn't resist!)...i.e., Mom, Dad and Kristina made signs. Kristina was smart enough to choose a color (blue) that most other people don't use for their signs (usually white or some sort of neon yellow color). I could easily pick them out from the crowd, and I was able to join my "curb crew" with ease.

The signs also came in handy as a source of shade. The temperature was approaching 85 degrees, and there didn't seem to be a cloud in the sky. This photo was taken at Mile 18 as the sun was starting to get to me a bit. Note the sunglasses tan line. The curb crew was always ready with towels to wipe sweat off my face, water to drink and pour on my head, and body glide to help with chafing.

WARNING: The photo below has been deemed by some to be so sweet that diabetics risk going into a coma!

The support crew didn't only provide logistical support. They also gave tons of moral support. I could definitely feel the love out there. Kristina, my rock throughout training, was just as solid on race day, and she made sure I got plenty of kisses. Who needs power gels when you've got those to motivate you?! ;-)

All in all, I saw my main curb crew 3 times (miles 9, 18 and 22.5), and saw Ken twice (miles 22 and 26). It felt good having them out there supporting me, and I always got a boost after seeing them. So, a huge thank you goes out to Kristina, Mom, Dad, Tatiana, and Ken. Click here for more support crew photos

Christopher

How Sweet It Is...

This is the first in a short series of entries regarding the marathon last weekend. Naturally, I'll start with the events leading up to the event. The first thing is the HUGE surprise I received on Friday afternoon. While working with students in my office, someone brought me a big fruit bouquet! It looked so delicious; I wanted to eat it right then and there. It was full of cantaloupe and honeydew slices, strawberries (both with and without chocolate), pineapples, and grapes. When I looked at the attached note, I was thrilled to see it came from my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew. They wanted to make sure I carbo-loaded in style! When I got it home, I took these photos (click on them to see larger versions). What they don't show well is how large this thing is...or how heavy. It was at least 2 feet tall and the fruit spikes were stuck into a head of lettuce. We had to take it apart to get it into the fridge. It took 3 storage containers! By the way, the fruit was delicious!!

Later that evening, we went to pick up my registration stuff (bib, shirt, goodie bag, etc.). That was pretty fun and not as difficult as I thought it would be. No waiting in line. Later, we drove to the airport to pick up my parents, who came out to lend their support...more on my support crew in another blog in this series.

Saturday, we enjoyed spending time together as a family and preparing for the marathon the next day. The support crew worked on their signs, which would come in very handy (a little foreshadowing for a later entry). I also received an email from my South Dakota support crew. My very talented 17 month-old nephew sent me his first email and this photo to show his support. He said I was going to be the "bestest runner."


More on the support crew and Marathon Day coming soon...

Christopher

Work Baby Shower

The library threw me a surprise baby shower today. For some reason, I was oblivious to the setup happening right in the next room. I wasn't even suspicious of all the people showing up at the library around the same time. I honestly thought they were stopping by to ask about Christopher's marathon (and then disappearing in the back to talk to other people). I also wasn't even tipped off by the last minute collection development meeting that needed to happen at 1:45.

So, needless to say, I was speechless when I went in the back room (pen and paper in hand) not to find a meeting but a baby shower. Everyone said they could tell how surprised I was by the redness in my face.

I was touched by everyone's effort in pulling the shower together- they really did a nice job. I also thought it was nice that the shower was not only attended by library staff but other faculty in the college and the president and vice-president.

The best part was hearing everyone's stories on how they nearly slipped up. The winner goes to my colleague, Suzanne, who accidentally sent me the email she was sending to everyone titled "Surprise Baby Shower for Kristina" and then was able to get someone from IT to stop the email before it ever arrived in my in-box.

Reason 1,325,423 why I love my wife...

Kristina is hugely supportive of my efforts to complete a marathon. In fact, I frequently remind her and tell others that I could not do this without her. Throughout the past 16 weeks of training, she has only missed two of my long runs (one for illness and the other weather). In the beginning, she provided support via her bicycle. Over the past 5 weeks, her pregnant belly has prevented her from riding her bike. Instead, she now drives and meets me at strategic points with water, towels, and words of encouragement. While she does do some walking, she has spent hours sitting around reading while waiting for me. After my long runs, she does stretches with me to make sure I do them all...I often cut corners on stretching. For a lady with a big, round belly, she's awfully flexible! :-)

Last Sunday when she told me she couldn't believe I had run 20 miles, I honestly felt that it wasn't that unbelievable because I've had her there to help me all the way!

Christopher