I wish these pictures did a better job of showing us what the little guy will look like, but I guess we'll just have to wait. We are getting so excited! And we are almost half-way there, 19 weeks tomorrow.
Running Updates:
I am begining to think that I was completely foolish to have gotten myself into this mess. It is getting down-right hard! I don't know why I thought it would be much easier than it is?! Anyway here are my stats:
1. Weeks Training: 9
2. Miles Run: 203.65
3. Hours spent running the streets of Vernal: 33 hours (1,980 minutes)
4. Calories burned: 28,037
5. # of Runs: 35
6. Weight change: It's hard to tell. After my long runs I lose 5 pounds but then I gain it all back by the end of the day (I must be eating like a monster these days....) so overall, still the same
7. Longest run: 16 miles! and I almost died...literally... When I got home I could barely move and I got the cold sweats and felt like I was gonna vomit. Then my lips turned blue and Trisha got really scared. I thought it was cool but still a little concerning. I took a bath to warm up, drank water to rehydrate and ate some food. After a few hours my lips returned to their natural color and I'm still alive. I now need to come up with a plan so that I don't die on my next run, 18 miles, on Monday.
As hard as it is, I am getting so excited the closer I get to my goal. I know that the training is preparing me for race day and it will feel so good to cross the finish line!
Pregnancy Updates:
We are 17 weeks along and things are going really well (from my perspective). We are so excited to have a baby and as each day and week passes, we get even more excited! The baby is around 5 inches long and 5 ounces (says What to Expect When You're Expecting). Trisha is starting to show the begining stages of a baby bump which is good evidence that there really is a baby growin in there. We should find out in the next few weeks what type of baby we are going to have. Trisha wants a girl really bad but has strong feelings that it is a boy. I don't have a preference as to the sex, I just want a healthy baby. We are pretty sure we can feel the baby moving around in there a little bit and we, I mean I, can't wait til it's kicking all over the place.
*This reminds me of a funny story when my sister was pregnant with her first kid and we were walking home from church. We were talking and all of a sudden she dropped to the sidewalk. I guess the baby kicked her sciatic nerve. I laughed my face off and still laugh so hard everytime I think of it!
The joys of being pregnant from a mans perspective.
Church Update:
We have been in this ward in Vernal since we moved here in August and I never once complained that I didn't have a calling. Well, now I got one, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I have been called as a "Primary Worker" which means that I will be team teaching the CTR 6 class with two other guys in the ward. I think its fun cause I get to sit in primary and sing songs and play games and color and do other fun activities. However, I don't think its fun that kids these days have a serious lack of attention spans, they can't stay in their seats, they can't help but blurt out any and every story that pops into their head, they are always thirsty and always need to go to the bathroom. One of the primary boys told me that we need a craft during our lessons and after teaching last week I think he is right, the kids need some serious activity! It is going to be a challenge for me but I think it will be way fun too.
Work Update:
I still love my job! I am seriously troubled however by one particular gentleman who reminds me of the kid on Charlie Brown that carries around his blue blanket and a cloud of stink. Each day, at some point during my work day, I get this terrible smell in my nose that goes directly to my brain and initiates the vomit reflex. I look over and see this man sitting at the blood pressure machine. I go to the back of the pharmacy and only breathe when completely necessary and wait til he is gone. I then proceed to spray 1/2 of a can of Apple Spice and Delight Febreeze in order to mask the very strong aroma of campfire and urine. So my question is really this: Does it really get to a point where you cannot smell yourself? I just don't get it!!
That sums up my thoughts
I have reached a "mile"stone in my running. I have run 100 miles so far, 104.73 miles to be exact . It has taken me 35 days, 21 runs, and check it 17.25 hours to get there. I'm looking forward to the next 100 miles which should be done in only 3 weeks! Although I am really exhausted from all the running and look forward to days when it is not my main focus, I am so proud of myself. I am not at all the kind of person that would wake up early for anything, especially to go running at 6:00 am but I have found some inner strength and determination and I have been able to do it everytime I have needed to. I am also proud that not once have I stopped and walked during any of my runs. When my body tells me that I don't wanna or can't run any further, I tell it to shut up and keep on moving one leg at a time. That's how I get through every run, one leg at a time.
Yesterday was the end of my fourth week of training for the marathon and to help myself feel good about it I have tallied up my stats for the first 4 weeks.
Miles run: 76.58
Calories burned: 10,671
Weight change: 0 lbs.
I ran 10 miles yesterday and I feel like this is the start of the real training for me because it is about to get much harder than any running I have ever done. Good news is that I am 4 weeks down! Only 10 more to go!!
These are pictures that I took of myself this morning at 6:19am after I finished my run. It was wretched cold, but I keep pretty warm. I wear regular socks, soccer socks, two pairs of running pants, a long-sleeve thermal shirt, a hoodie, a rain coat, a winter coat and a beenie with a built in flanel mask! Most of my body remains warm, but some unfortunate parts do not. Usually my eyes water a lot cause its so cold. This causes ice formations in my eyelashes that continue to grow throughout the run. My nostrils and everything inside of them also freeze. My gloves, coat and beenie accumulate ice crystals. And because I run so early in the morning, I have to carry a small flashlight in my hand so that I can make oncoming traffic aware of my presence, if necessary.
The benefit of all of it is that I am going to accomplish an awesome goal of mine, I'm gonna be in shape, I'm gonna learn to get my butt out of bed and I'll have something to look forward to.
