Still Running

On November 14th of this year I completed my fourth half marathon. It was not that it was more difficult this year but it was definitely a different experience training. The luxury of time to train is not what it use to be. Long periods of free time are more rare with Stella at this age. Not only that, but I have learned that when you have a infant it seems that when you do have free time you kinda like to spend it doing nothing.

I few years back I was training for my first full marathon. The race fell on the same day as my mom's birthday and it gave me the motivation to push my half marathon training to the full 26 mile run. There was a day in that training, I can't remember which day but I know it was a long run and I know it was at mile 14 that I was thinking to myself how great it was to have Belinda's support. I always knew I would take Belinda to be my wife, but it came to me on this run that I would propose to her at the end of my marathon after I crossed the finish line. I thought it was the perfect analogy to life and our marriage.

A few days later I saw on the news that there was some guy who proposed to his girlfriend in a very public manner and I asked Belinda what she thought about public proposals. Her response, "Don't really care for them. I think they should be a little more private."

I scratched that idea real quick. Moving on.

Somewhere along my training this year I had another great idea. On the last mile before I crossed the finish line I would have Belinda pass me Stella and I would carry her across the finish line with me. It would be great and I could say that she ran in her first marathon (OK, OK, "participated" in her first marathon). I already was visualizing the photo finish and how I would post it on the blog. I was already drafting my blog post on the symbolism of carrying her across the finish line.

Yeah. Apparently I should have let Stella in on the plan that way should wouldn't have caused everyone to run late due some last minute diaper changes and wardrobe malfunctions. I had been looking and looking around for them but never found them in the last mile. Once the race was over I borrowed a phone and learned about Stella's antics. We missed each other by what must have been five mins.

I'm letting you know now Stella that even though I did not propose to your mom after I finished my big race I did propose. What that means for you is that since you did not cross this finish line with me this time you will cross one with me in the future. Got it? Good.

And try not to have that face when you finally read this and learn of my idea. Try to look more like this when you were excited about the meal we had after the race.



I had to find a reason to post this photo just for the funny grin she is making