Just Keep Running

Sitting in an ICU bed 10 months ago, I couldn't sleep.  I couldn't even close my eyes because the swelling in my brain was enough to have 4 Neurosurgeons say that they would operate.  The doctor who happened to be on that night agreed to check my neuro "status" each hour.  If anything changed - like if I couldn't remember my name, date, or touch my nose- he would cut me open.  How could I sleep when I might wake up and be told I was going to have brain surgery?  Or worse, not wake up at all.  I laid there visualizing what I wanted my brain to do all night long.  Amidst the frequent review of my name and date, I thought of some things I wanted to do once I made a full recovery.  One of those things was run a 5K race.  Yesterday, I did just that. 

The picture is me and my little loves before the race.  The boys are there too, even though Owen decided to hide from the camera.  I love this next photo because it was taken with about a half mile to go.  When Owen saw me, he jumped out of the stroller and started running along the street.  It made me feel so good that he was so excited. 

I am so thankful I was given the chance to run.  I had never run 3.1 miles, nor did I love doing it.  But my goal was to run the entire race and I did.  A friend asked me after if I had taken first place.  "Yes"  I told him.  I absolutely did. 

Two nights before the race, I was having some anxiety about how I was going to run that far since my "training" fell off the track with a sick baby.  I laughed out loud when I realized that I have had 3 babies.  Of course I can run 3 miles!  Any situation can be about birth when you are a birth junkie like myself.  All that HypnoBirthing has to offer for birth was applied to my prep and run.  It was fabulous. 

I have so many amazing friends and family who run marathons and such.  They are all amazing and an inspiration, even though I think they all need therapy.  It is clear that running can become an addiction.  A few hours after the race I felt so exhausted.  It hit me that I had a grand total of 7 hours of sleep over the past two nights.  I guess I will have to run just one more race to see if I can get more sleep and  run faster.  Just one more......