Natural Childbirth?

No, a marathon! But in the days leading up to the marathon, I seriously considered the answer to the question, “What would you rather do, give birth or run a marathon?” Childbirth was sounding pretty good. While this may seem like an extreme comparison, check out the similarities…Months of preparation, anticipation, joy, pain, changes in the body (you should see all of our quads and calfs...wow), changes in the mind. The confidence that setting and reaching goals each week can bring about. Charting progress to the inevitable…Even a due date. October 12, 2008. But on the day, waking up early, seeing an amazing sunrise while eating another peanut butter sandwich breakfast, something was different. We were running a MARATHON! The doubt remained until we actually started, which was 30 minutes after the starting gun! Apparently that’s what happens when 45,000 people are running in a race. Then it was just a run. Crossing the start and finish line are two of the moments of clarity during the entire race. The others involved seeing Bridget’s parents, brother, and friends (identified by a bicycle-riding, umbrella carrying turtle on a stick that you could see from 2 blocks away, no lie), and rounding corners to see my mom, brother, and friends Ying and Top yelling and taking pictures. Amazing how the rest of the 5 hours are just a blur of water stations, goo, and bananas. And hearing hundreds of strangers cheer me on by name to the finish, simply because CARRIE was written across my shirt. But we did it, together at the end, holding hands across the finish line. And it was over. 461 miles on our feet, 4 pairs of shoes, endless cups of coffee, beer, smoothies, $3,200 for the American Cancer Society, and countless memories. What an experience. As I fight my way through post-partum, I mean, post-marathon blues, I realize that the marathon wasn’t the end. It was merely a celebration of the entire journey. If we can do it, so can you. Set a goal and start going for it, one step at a time, even if you don’t feel like it. Find friends to help you, support you, love you. Live and cherish each moment, each struggle, each moment of ecstasy. Celebrate and live it! Thanks for all your support throughout it all! Peace.