Baby Mania

I had been feeling kind of anxious during my last few runs.  That, I suppose, is natural given that the Boston Marathon is just a couple weeks away.  Like most others planning on a spring marathon, I've been training for it for the last three months, and am about to enter the best phase of marathon training:  the taper.

My anxiety, however, had nothing to do with running.  I was looking forward to a much more important event that was imminent.  My baby daughter, Jayda Lynn Garcia, was born on Monday March 30th.  As you can see from the picture, mother, and baby are doing well.  It was a miraculous event that I've been blessed to witness several times in the last few years.  Jayda is our fourth child.  All girls.

It adds a great deal of perspective to my training to watch the 9 month marathon my wife endured through her pregnancy.  And the pain women endure during delivery dwarfs any little irritation one feels in the latter stages of a marathon!

I stay with her in the hospital from the time of delivery until we are able to bring the baby home.  That could make for an interruption in training, but my understanding wife encouraged me to bring my running shoes along and run from the hospital.  I'm grateful, because we are at Northwestern Hospital, right next to the Lake, and the Lakefront path.

As I look out the window from our room, in fact, I overlook the Chicago park District track on Chicago Avenue.  But rather than look forlornly at others running on the track, I got out to join them for a couple runs.  Amazingly, in fact, my training calendar remained unchanged.  Not that it would have mattered much if I didn't get to run. 

More than anything, running offers a great chance to get out of the hospital and reflect a little on the miracle of new life.  It's going to be crazy at our house for some time to come with four children under five.  All girls too.  So I appreciate the opportunity to get some time alone with my thoughts and the environment.  That's what running is all about for me in the first place, and it's great to get back to it. 

Running, I've always believed, is a great complement to your life.  It should not be your most important priority, but it can help you with all your other priorities.  Right now, my priority is to take care of our new baby, and help our other children adjust to the new baby.  Training for, and running,the Boston Marathon is something I've looked forward to for some time, and I'm excited about it.  I also know what I will be thinking about during those runs!

See you on the roads.....

Comments

[Alan Tieuli]

John:

Congratulations on the birth of your daughter. She'll be with you every step of the 26.2 from Hopkinton to Boston on the 20th!

I'll be in touch again post-Boston about having you run in our May 21 Chase Corporate Challenge at Grant Park. Would love to have you and your colleagues out there.

Thanks for sharing your love for our sport in your blog, and congrats again.

Alan Tieuli