Taper

After logging in 647 miles, 2 boxes of GU, 10 pairs of shoes (4 if you don't count the 6 pairs from Boy O), 1 new stroller tire and countless cheerios dropped along the way-Family O can (in theory)  now enjoy some extra time in the evening and sleep in a bit longer on Saturday morning-we are officially 'tapering' down our mileage and resting our bodies for the marathon.

With 26.2 miles looming ahead and just 2 weeks away, I enter the taper with equal amounts of excitement and trepidation. There are countless things my mind is focusing on to worry about.  How will we handle spending the night in one hotel room and waking up in time to feed & clothe the boys- not to mention walk to the course in time for the 7 am start?  We've never run a marathon with strollers, so how long WILL it actually take?  I hope I don't bump into anyone with the front wheel....I hope Baby O doesn't need a diaper change...I hope we don't get a flat tire...I hope I can handle the major hill at mile 16.5 and I certainly hope I can handle the downhill portion pushing a stroller.  But most of all I hope that I can keep my wits about me, stay upbeat and finish strong with my family. 

On the other hand,  I am excited. I am excited to show Boy O how to put the tracking chip on his shoe.  I am excited to get up when it's still dark out and walk to the starting line.  I am excited to chatter nervously with those fellow runners beside us. I am excited to hear the gun shot, run through the city and listen to all the people cheering, the bands playing, and read the t-shirts with inspirational stories/funny sayings.  But most of all, I am excited to, along with my husband, push our sons and ourselves to the limit and finish together.

I started running marathons at the beginning of our adoption journey which was a marathon adventure in itself.  There were many times throughout the process when I compared it to exactly that, saying that I was at mile 23 and had 'hit the wall' so to speak.  In my mind, I had stopped moving my legs and my face was streaked with tears.  Then I would hear in the distance, sometimes from a complete stranger, "Hey, keep it up, there's some water ahead-you're almost there!", and I would start to focus again on one foot in front of the other.  It was still hard and I still stopped and walked every once in a while, but I made it. 

So it is fitting that I end this adventure with another marathon to mark not the end of the journey but the beginning of one crazy adventure as a new family. Even though the novelty of the stroller has worn off for both Boy and Baby O, I sincerely hope that they can look back at this experience and know not only that 647 miles of perseverance and determination is what it takes to complete a marathon, but more importantly it is the same perseverance and determination that brought us together (and they aren't too angry that they spent 647 miles in a jogging stroller).