Well, hello 3rd trimester!

As a runner I have always held the self-delusional notion that I am impervious to "regular" pregnancy afflications.  I floated through the third trimester of my first pregnancy fairly effortlessly (until they put me on bedrest- that wasn't too much fun).  This pregnancy - well - let's just say it hasn't been quite so effortless.

Discomfort is a runners medium - without it - they couldn't break through to the next level.  Pregnancy, too, is about handling various levels of discomfort: some physical, some mental.  For me, the mental is more menacing.  Not that I'm complaining, but if I were to complain (remember - self delusion!) this would be my Top 5 list:

5. Victoria's Secret has conspired against me
to deliver catalogs of scantily clad swimsuit models daily - sometimes two catalogs a day.  Not exactly the ego boost I look for every day when I come home from work, absolutely exhausted, with a 2 year old in tow. Where are the "Big Bellies Rock" catalogs? (hmmm...now that is an idea!)

Where are all the big bellies?

4. Sam Summer also has arrived ridiculously early
this year. Normally, that would be a cause for celebration (it is my all time favorite drink) - but for now, I will just dream about that cold, lemony, taste....

Mmmmm....

3. There are no less than 3 major national running events
from February to March in NEW ENGLAND! THAT NEVER HAPPENS!  (Snowshoe Nationals, Masters Indoor Track Nationals, and the National Masters 10k Road Championships).

Masters Championships...IN NEW ENGLAND!

2. Leg cramps and tiny bladder syndrome.
 The OB says my leg cramps are due to dehydration (well, yeah, I'm a teacher in a tough school who is allotted 2 breaks a day - as much as I would love to drink the recommended amount of water, I simply can't without the luxury of bathroom trips).  So....I live for the that wonderful 2 day period known as the weekend when I can drink all the water I want, and go to the bathroom whenever I please (yeah, it's the little things!)

Yes, I dream about unlimited access to a porta potty

1. Drumroll please......The Boston Marathon.
I will totally admit that I get cranky every year that I am NOT running Boston.  I love everything about the Boston Marathon - the hoopla, the expo, the training, specatating, but most of all...running it!  I'm not complaining, remember, but if  I were to complain, right? The fact that my runs are waddles at this point doesn't help that cranky state (sorry friends and family - the gloom will be over the day after Boston!)

The Grandaddy of all marathons...

When I take a (non-hormonal) look at my "rants", I arrive at the conclusion that what I am merely asking for is a day of: a stellar run at  Boston, while sporting a sexy little number from Victoria's Secret, while simultaneously running SnowShoe Nationals, setting the National 3000 indoor masters record, winning the National 10k Road Championships surrounded by an  unlimited supply of water, Sam Summer, and porta-potties.  Is that too much to ask? An entirely rational request, of course!  Isn't that what every pregnant woman dreams of?

Yes, runners are different indeed.  My rant list is probably not typical of your pregnant third trimester woman.  Perhaps other female runners felt the same during their pregnancies.  I'll try to stay a little more rational.

I also know nothing can bring the happiness that bringing a new little life into this world can bring.

A porta potty in my classroom would be nice, though.

Moments That Define

I observed two races recently that caused two particular runners some angst, but also an opportunity to define their "moment".  The first was the widely publicized "lap short" 2 mile of American middle distance star Jenny Simpson.  The second was a friend of mine - a star on the local scene - who went the wrong way while leading a local race.

Both events resonated strongly with me - as I have had the misfortune of experiencing both at various times during my 25 years of running. (umm....maybe more than once?)  Once at an inter-club Cross Country meet with team money on the line, I led early and went off course.  I think the entire squad of the biggest rival club at that meet called me back on course. (I still hold those ladies - #GBTC - in such high regard!) I get so caught up in the moment when I run that I could be running through Babylonian Gardens or the lost City of Atlantis and I wouldn't notice where I was! (yes, it is always 110% my fault when I go off-course!).  In 2011 I took a stab at the American 40-44 indoor 3000 meter record and asked no less than 3 friends to count laps aloud for me as I was so afraid of stopping a lap early! (been there, done that!)  I managed to complete all laps of the 3000 that day!

Running is a somewhat unique sport in that you can't pin the blame on your team mates, the referee, the crowds, etc.  Ask an NFL player why they lost the game? The answers will probably run the gamut from the QB's passing game to the Referee who needed glasses.  Ask a runner why they stopped a lap short or went the wrong way and they will most likely respond with a shrug, perhaps an "I was caught in the moment" - but very rarely will you hear them blame it on somebody else.  Perhaps because it is such an individual sport, runners place the onus on themselves.

I asked my friend what happened.  Classy response on two counts - he said he went the wrong way (he had been in the lead) and that the second place male called him back on course. What he did not say was that it cost him the win, the series lead, and some cash.  Do I remember who won the race? No.  Will anybody? Probably not.  What people will remember is that he handled the incident with class.

Jenny Simpson was on her way to setting the American Record in the two mile.  Kicking a lap early, she thought she was finished one lap too soon.  She realized her mistake, and gave it all she had to finish the race.  Her post-race interview and the poise with which she handled the mishap probably won her more fans than if she had set the American record.  Do I remember who won? No.

Then there are others, who chose to handle their moment differently.  Nancy Kerrigan notoriously became a household name with her "Why me?".  Mary Decker Slaney and Zola Budd are remembered for their track entanglement, and Slaney ripping off Budd's bib number.  Suzy Favor Hamilton (amongst other things that won't be discussed in this blog) is remembered for falling on purpose when she realized she would not medal at the 2000 Olympics in the 1500.

Character.  Jesse Ownes said, "It all goes so fast, and character makes the difference when it is close".  Running so often mirrors life.  Every day we are faced with major and minor setbacks.  Often times, the lessons learned on the oval carry us through and help us cope.   If we have the character to handle racing mishaps, then the blips that is our daily life are nothing; and vice-versa.  Imagine a society where young people extolled the virtues of Jenny Simpson instead of Kobe Bryant? (yeah, I know...keep dreaming.....)

Until such day, I will hold those purveyors of misfortune in the highest regard, hope they hold their heads up high, and know that in the end, all that matters is how you ran your race...and your life....and not where you finished.

When your moment comes, be it in the sun or in in a thunderstorm, how will you be defined?