Mercedes Marathon

The Mercedes Marathon is a race run here in Birmingham every February. This year it is on Sunday, February 12. I am running as part of a relay team on behalf of Jonathan in an effort to raise funds for The Bell Center. Many of you have asked if you could help us. Many of you have prayed for our situation, some have brought meals, and some will donate blood for his surgery. Another way you can help is to donate financially to the Bell Center in honor of Jonathan. You can do this online by going to http://www.firstgiving.com/wakm. If you do not care to give financially, please continue to keep us in your prayers. You might want to offer up a prayer for me on February 12 ... that I do not pass out! I have not trained adequately and am still experiencing some post-partum discomfort. Given the fact that I have run for 18 years of my life, I feel confident I can complete my leg of the race - just not very quickly.:) And, there really is no need for any more drama in our lives - like me collapsing along the way... Ha!

When Jonathan was born, one of the first contacts mentioned was Betty Bell. Frankly, from the perspective of a parent with special needs, she is a godsend, a saint. She has devoted her life to helping children with developmental delays. I cannot tell you how much hope and encouragement I receive from taking Jonathan to the Bell Center twice a week. Every time we go, a PT, OT, Special Educator, Speech Therapist, or Nutritionist works with him for an hour. Not only does Jonathan benefit from the therapy, but I receive education as well as encouragement. The people there are so loving and remind me that Jonathan is a baby first and happens to have Down Syndrome second - he is a child to be cherished and Down Syndrome does not have to define him.

Betty came to visit us in the hospital. We were so upset and discouraged at the time. She was positive, upbeat, and supportive. She told us about the Bell Center and her history as a nurse. She gave us an idea of what to expect with Jonathan and was a great listener. She provided hope when we did not have any.

My dad used to run in the neighborhood and I would go with him. My brother and I would run in races at my dad's company picnics. I have always loved running. I went out for track my eighth grade year in middle school. I started running cross country in tenth grade. I wanted to stick with sprints in track, but my coach told me that the best fit would be long distance. How I hated to hear that! I dreaded those long, hard, grueling work outs! However, I did fit the bill since I had more endurance and heart in long distances than speed in short distances. I was so competitive that I would train on my own in the summers and run with the boys during the season to push myself as hard as possible.

I remember one race we ran at Furman. Toward the middle of the race, I started falling further and further behind. I had been feeling really tired and could not understand why my body would not cooperate with me. I kept pushing and finally collapsed. I got up and tried again. I fell down. I kept trying to reach the finish line but could not quite make it. I finally did. I would find out later that I had been in oxygen debt as a result of exercise-induced asthma. Selfishly, my true concern was finishing number one on my team, not so much beating the other teams. I did not want to lose my status on my own team. I had missed the point of cross country - running as a team, not as an individual. That was how competitive I was. The remainder of the season was spent battling this fatigue and I never quite peaked in my "running" career.

I continued to fuel my passion for running through coaching in my first year of teaching. I had the privilege of assisting my high school cross country and track coach. I loved it! After teaching a few years at Mountain Brook, I was given the opportunity to coach again. I still miss it terribly to this day! Since high school, I have continued to exercise by running. I would either run on my own or with the runners I coached. However, in the back of my mind, the fear of pushing too hard was always present. I ran workouts, competed in road races, etc. but my motivation was purely selfish - stay in shape, don't lose face, etc.

We have an elliptical machine in our basement that I use to train on when I cannot run in the neighborhood. I often exercise while reading or listening to music with Jonathan in the swing next to me. Just thinking about getting to run on his behalf gives me a thrill and so much energy! I feel so excited to run with real purpose, for someone other than myself. I can say this time I truly do not fear hurting or pushing myself too hard. In fact, I almost welcome it. I cannot wait to hurt, to push myself, to feel the blood pumping through my veins. We have been through so much and it has put my fears into perspective. I will not be running for myself - to stay in shape, prove a point, improve my time. I am honored to run for my son - to raise money for an organization that helps individuals "peak" in ways that are truly important. I want that for Jonathan. My running is no longer just about me.

Please join us.

Julie