Thunderbolt

I can tell that the seasons have changed. I'm becoming so tired at the end of the day. Giving up coffee has been a good thing, though. I may be tired, but I'm not edgy. Ran a good eight miles this weekend. I had no desire when I started the run, by about midway I was into a groove and I finished with decent results. Cut down a dead tree in the back yard and stressed about money, so it was a typical weekend for us here in the Malchus house. We watched "Finding Nemo" for the first time and I cried my eyes out. The next night, Sophie told me she was afraid I was going to die. Where did that come from? I was a little thrown, at first, but I tried to assure her that I wouldn't be dying anytime soon. I guess it's normal at her age to start thinking about these things (I guess it's also normal for her to whimper through the night because she's afraid of mosquitoes in the bed... but that's another story). I spent the weekend polishing a new lette...

I was listening to the radio this morning and the commentators were broadcasting from Columbus, Ohio. They were speaking to John Glenn as he drove from Cleveland back to Columbus. And at that moment, I was in Ohio, in a car driving down 71. I could feel the hot sun through the windshield that made me want to take off my coat, and maybe open the window a crack, but not too much because there was already a frigid chill in the air. I could see the gold and red leaves along the highway and the brick buildings that were built up on either side of the roads. And there weren’t a lot of cars. It was normal traffic. You drive 65 miles per hour and you get somewhere. The time it takes to get from Cleveland to Columbus is, sometimes, the same amount of time it takes me to drive the 30 miles it takes to get to work. This sudden wave of feelings stopped me in my tracks. I was there. I wanted to be there. For about five minutes I thought, this is a sign. Should we move back to Ohio? Now I...

Every time I help put Sophie to bed (she likes us to sniggle her for 5 minutes), she and I go over all of the things she did at kindergarten that day. I didn't realize how much I enjoy this part of our day until tonight. We had just finished watching the Vice Presidential debate and it was time for bed. Soph and I cuddled in her bed and I thought she would go right to sleep. While laying there in silence, I suddenly felt like something was missing. I wanted to hear what she did that day. I say that like I'm surprised because there are times when I feel like I'm the world's biggest crank and I have no patience. But at these times with Sophie, I really love hearing how much she is learning and how she is interacting with her classmates. I am so proud of our little girl. She has really embraced school and is doing excellent in her class work. We’re so lucky to have Sophie in our lives. You couldn't ask for a more loving daughter. And she's such a kind bi...

Opted to get a little more rest this morning and I didn't ride my bike. That turned out to be the right choice as I'm ready to run tomorrow morning. The rest of the day was fine. Julie expressed concern about whether I might be able to finish the marathon. She wasn't as concerned about the physical parts as much as the mental challenges that I've been feeling this time around. The more I think about how I performed on Saturday and the stupid way I ate and drank that day, the more I know I can complete the marathon. I just have to be smart and my body will let me do it. And I know that come that day I'll be jacked up and ready to run. I need to stop thinking about the fundraising. I've done what I can and whatever money comes in, so be it. I know there are so many people out there that want to help and probably can't. I know those folks are sending prayers and well wishes to us for Jacob's health. In many ways, that is more important. I honestl...

The recovery from yesterday has been difficult. My legs feel like cement and my upper body aches. Let's not talk about the knee. Celery. That's what it sounds like. I'm thinking I should call my self the Rice Krispies Man. All I do is snap, crackle and pop when I walk. I am beginning to think I should have waited to run this second marathon. Maybe I should have done it next year. Maybe never. The time commitment is so hard. And my body is wasted. I don't have the energy I want... need to spend with the kids on the weekend. I don't have the energy to be a quality husband. At times like this, when I'm feeling drained, I feel like I should have just run the half marathon. I mean, I can practically run that in my sleep, now. And the money's not coming in. *************** And just as I wrote the previous woe is me passage, I went out to the living room to watch some of a Discovery Health Channel show that featured two people with CF. One, a 22 year...

Boy, I started out great this morning. I ran alone for the entire run (except for about 20 minutes when Robert tagged along with me). Relaxed and feeling very smooth, I thought the run was going to be a breeze. I began with a 5/1, but took it relatively slow. I wasn't pushing myself to break any records. And the first 10 miles went by without a hitch. In fact, I felt strong enough to switch up to a 6/1 for the last four miles. Then my stomach stirred up a riot and my run broke down. First there were the gas pains (reminding me of that incident last year... for those of you who've read this blog for awhile, you know what I'm talking about). I was able to get through those pains, but then I got a stitch in my left side that prevented me from running at all. The last three miles were tough. Oh, they weren't unbearable, but they took a long time and sapped all of my energy. I wound up walking the lat mile. It was a let down, for sure, but not as disappointing as...

Heading into tomorrow's 16-mile run, I feel calm and relatively carefree. 16 miles? Big deal. Of course, ask me tomorrow and it may be a different story. Jake has been feeling better and his cold seems to be almost gone. Sophie didn't get sick at, thank goodness, so I believe our house is almost germ free. Then again, I've been feeling run down all week. Perhaps it's time to kick coffee again. With the nights getting longer and the mornings starting to chill out, I can't afford to get sick, especially as we head into the colder months. Okay, it's decided. No coffee until the end of the marathon. Then I shall bathe in a tub of black gold, filled with cream and sugar! Now that was a little gross. So, not only will I be aching from my run, but I'm pretty sure my body is going to go through withdrawal at about, say... 3:00. No new donations. I just did a rewrite on a script, so I'll take time to compose a new letter this weekend. Aloha