This same weekend last year I was in the midst of marathon training. To be exact, I was
knee-deep-in-snow marathon training. We were training for the Big Sur marathon and had to run an 18 miler on a snowy morning. Well, it was most definitely the worst run of my entire life. When I say I was knee deep in snow - I was
RUNNING knee deep in snow. There were tears, curses, soggy socks, frozen fingers and an injured IT band. Brutal. I still get shivers thinking about it. As icky as that run was, I miss my running days. There is something about those early mornings where my mind would cleanse itself and my heart would pour itself out. While I was running I would frequently think about how life parallels running. We sprint, we run up hills - sometimes steep ones, we go for leisurely runs, we go for long runs, sometimes we are on runs where we just grit our teeth and get through it... you name it, running parallels life. The other night, I couldn't sleep as I dreaded facing 15 more weeks of an uncertain pregnancy - it hit me. My same perspective I frequently had while running, I didn't have while living. I started to apply our current life circumstances to a marathon- our last one in fact, Big Sur. For those of you who aren't familiar with the course, there is a 2 mile hill (yes 2 miles UP HILL) that occurs directly half-way through the race - Hurricane Point. Now first and foremost - it is the most beautiful course I have ever laid eyes on - 26.2 miles along the Pacific Ocean. But seriously - 2 miles up hill is 2 miles
up hill. There's no real way to prepare for that around here. You just do it. So back to not sleeping - it hit me like a ton of bricks that this "bump" in the road of pregnancy is similar to Hurricane Point: a challenging portion of the course - half-way through the event that will get the best of you if you let it. In order to get myself up that hill, I had to muster up all my determination, look over my shoulder at the amazing Pacific, distract myself with sheer utter beauty and not let that crazy hill over take me. We got up and over hurricane point and every other hill (and there were
SEVERAL - FYI it is known as one of the most difficult marathon courses) that day. But I couldn't think of the entirety of the course. I had to run aide station to aide station. Whenever I thought of the entire course, I wanted to give up - but I knew I could make it to the next aide station. So that's what my pregnancy has become - one small goal after another. My goal right now is 28 weeks. 28 weeks means my baby shower, means my mom being here for a week, means 3rd trimester, means spring break. Most importantly - it will happen in
March. I am so done with February (winter) and so incredibly ready for March (spring) -- at least that's how I see it in my book.
At the top of Hurricane Point (isn't it gorgeous!!?)
My pregnancy is my new marathon. One aide station at a time.
Along with my new perspective came the reminder of working on my Hope Project. I had kind of let this slide by the way side. Let's be honest. My mom is the REAL domestic diva. I simply take my directions from her - and since she and her sewing machine aren't here, there's not much I can do, right? Well today I got a little crafty. Yep. The girl the didn't own a glue gun until today went all artsy crafty and I decided to crackle the letters of Campbell's name for the wall in her nursery. I'll give you a little sneak peek now- but I am getting pretty excited for the finished product. (Oh and FYI - crackling really is about the easiest thing you can do - and it looks so cool when it's done!) I can't wait to get these displayed!!
So here's to the downhill of Hurricane Point, to March, to 28 weeks and to crackling=)
Adios February!
26 weeks! Oh and just in case you can't tell from the side view. I am wearing an OSU shirt. Why? you ask. (I'm so glad you asked.) Well just in case you didn't watch any TV whatsoever yesterday - they defeated the #1 team in the basketball nation. The Kansas Jayhawks. Yes - I am also a Jayhawk fan, but my blood bleeds orange (And apparently so does Campbell's - she is definitely her mama's girl - she was kicking something fierce yesterday!)
