It started out lots of fun. The boys were up, happy and fed early and we made it to the starting line in plenty of time for the race start at 7:30. We found a great parking spot a block from Liberty Park as well. Max was fascinated by all the other jogging strollers, the hundreds of other runners, the mayor, the balloons, the music, etc. Ben had his doggy-ears hat on. We looked all cute and ready to go.
We walked/jogged along the three miles, with JB getting ahead of me with the stroller as I got stuck behind a running gaggle of girls (kind of like the sisterhood of the running pants). But we made it across the finish line together at the Gateway. Our time was 37 minutes, 7 seconds. Not bad for no running training, just walking everyday.
At the end of the race they fed us bananas, chocolate milk, hot dogs and other delights.
We then waited by the finish line among the huge crowd to see JB's brother Jeff, sister Sarah, and her fiancee Joe finish the half-marathon. We cheered loudly as they crossed.
They amazed me with how far they ran in so fast a time.
We thought we could get a ride back to our car with one of JB's family members, but it wasn't working out very quickly so we decided to walk back. Good idea for him (he's tough and buff) not for me. By about a mile in, the dusty wind was blowing into my eyes stinging my contacts, my quads were burning from the unexpected amount of jogging/walking, and I was starting to feel really sorry for myself.
Then it happened, the bloody part of my story. Max had been clutching his new toy tape-measure all morning, and when he pulled out the tape part it sliced his finger. He started to drip blood all over and he and I both panicked. I couldn't get him to hold still so I could put pressure on the wound, so we stopped a policeman directing traffic along the race route and asked for a bandaid. He brought one from his car but Max was still screaming and wouldn't let us put on the bandaid. I was freaking out about the constant drip drip of blood pooling into the stroller, staining his pants, and almost getting on to baby Ben. But I didn't know what to do. If I took him out of the stroller there would be no getting him back in, and I did not have much strength left to carry a 39-pound toddler 1 1/2 miles back to the car. JB finally got Max to hold a blanket we had under the stroller, and that helped stop the blood and comfort Max. (It's a St Louis Cardinals blanket, already red so that's good!) But once Max calmed down I got teary-eyed. I have the worse imagination and I really started to think that he needed stitches or a tetanus shot or something. Despite my worst fears, it turned out to be a long but shallow cut with no need for stitches or drastic action.
We made it back to the car finally around 11 or so and I was quite happy the car was still there. If it had been towed or stolen I would have been a wreck. Ben started to squeal on the way home after being so good all morning. He was sitting in the fullest diaper! Once we got that diaper changed, a bandaid on Max's finger with some Neosporin, lunch and naps, we had a great rest of the day. JB smoked some ribs and we had his family over for the feast. Max had three ribs, I had several -- I tell you there's nothing like good food to cure the ailments of a bloody 10k.
PS I just talked to JB. He's not sore at all, and is rather surprised that I am. He wants to do the half-marathon next year. I'll wait by the finish line for him.
Then it happened, the bloody part of my story. Max had been clutching his new toy tape-measure all morning, and when he pulled out the tape part it sliced his finger. He started to drip blood all over and he and I both panicked. I couldn't get him to hold still so I could put pressure on the wound, so we stopped a policeman directing traffic along the race route and asked for a bandaid. He brought one from his car but Max was still screaming and wouldn't let us put on the bandaid. I was freaking out about the constant drip drip of blood pooling into the stroller, staining his pants, and almost getting on to baby Ben. But I didn't know what to do. If I took him out of the stroller there would be no getting him back in, and I did not have much strength left to carry a 39-pound toddler 1 1/2 miles back to the car. JB finally got Max to hold a blanket we had under the stroller, and that helped stop the blood and comfort Max. (It's a St Louis Cardinals blanket, already red so that's good!) But once Max calmed down I got teary-eyed. I have the worse imagination and I really started to think that he needed stitches or a tetanus shot or something. Despite my worst fears, it turned out to be a long but shallow cut with no need for stitches or drastic action.
We made it back to the car finally around 11 or so and I was quite happy the car was still there. If it had been towed or stolen I would have been a wreck. Ben started to squeal on the way home after being so good all morning. He was sitting in the fullest diaper! Once we got that diaper changed, a bandaid on Max's finger with some Neosporin, lunch and naps, we had a great rest of the day. JB smoked some ribs and we had his family over for the feast. Max had three ribs, I had several -- I tell you there's nothing like good food to cure the ailments of a bloody 10k.
PS I just talked to JB. He's not sore at all, and is rather surprised that I am. He wants to do the half-marathon next year. I'll wait by the finish line for him.
1 comment:
Wow, I'm quite impressed you took on a race with the whole fam. Good for you!
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