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+--- Thread: ...and then there were two (/showthread.php?tid=765)
...and then there were two - marathondan - 10-07-2006
Sorry, time for me to be an unashamed proud dad and post a few photos of Naomi Kathryn, who arrived on 29th May.
1. 45 mins old
2. With big brother Luke
3. Nearly 4 weeks
...and then there were two - marathondan - 10-07-2006
Now a little bit about the birth. Sorry to bore you, but (a) it's my only topic of conversation at the moment, and (b) it does have some relevance to my future running plans.
Naomi was born by emergency caesarean section after detection of fetal tachycardia a high heart rate. Wed noticed this at home using a portable fetal heart monitor (yes HRMs do serve a purpose!) and by the time we got to hospital the rate was literally off the scale of the instrument more than 240 (previously it had been around 140). We left home at 3.20 pm, drove about 15 miles to Reading hospital, and by 4.44 she was born.
The docs initially thought the high heartbeat was due to an infection, but the rate didnt come down, and after an ECG they diagnosed supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). We were assured that this could be managed with medication, but there were a few days of real worry as they tried several different treatments to bring the rate down including the highly technical "dunking babys head in icy water for 10 seconds" (they did that three times). The SVT wasnt causing her any problems as such, but we wondered how long her heart could take the stress.
After a few days and various drugs the SVT began to abate, and after 10 days or so she was down to only about 6 hours SVT per 24 hours. We were initially told that she couldnt go home until shed been SVT-free for 48 hours, which seemed an impossible task, especially since one of the drugs seemed to always send her back into SVT for an hour or so. But after a couple of days we were told that since she was suffering no ill-effects, we should "take her home, treat her like a normal baby, and bring her straight in if she turns blue." I do like a simple plan. That, plus the five doses of medication per day (orally, thank goodness).
And thats where shes at now, at six weeks today. Shes thriving, and we have no idea whether shes suffering any SVT or not we still have the heart monitor, but amazingly havent been tempted to use it once. Later this month were attending a clinic with the cardiologist, who will discuss longer term plans. It seems theres a decent chance that she will grow out of it without the need for surgery.
So, what does this have to do with running? Well, obviously it means I havent any time to do any a situation that for once Im entirely happy about. Actually Ive squeezed in two half-hour jaunts since the birth hard going, but satisfying.
But furthermore, I had been thinking about doing London 2007, and more generally whether long-distance running is a sensible sport to pursue, compared with say swimming or cycling. Now having spent 12 days in the special care baby unit, in the company of some people in far worse situations than ours, its occurred to me that it wouldnt kill me to do a charity marathon once a year and put something that I enjoy to good use. Destroying my hip joints may save a life.
So Im hoping that in the next few months I can prove to myself that I can find the time to train for a marathon. It seems that in late summer / autumn, Berks / Bucks borders is the place to be, as I have four half marathons (Burnham Beeches, Windsor, Henley and Marlow) within 10 miles of me in consecutive months. BB is already out due to other plans, but I hope to do two of those four. Plus the Runners World events diary reveals seven 10Ks, a 10 miler and a 5K in the area before the end of the year - a smattering of those would be nice.
Suffice to say this is currently all in my mind - no miles have yet been logged. But hopefully the next time I pull on my Asics it will be the first step on another big adventure.
Cant let Naomi have all the fun.
...and then there were two - El Gordo - 12-07-2006
Awwww....
Congratulations, Dan.
...and then there were two - stillwaddler - 13-07-2006
Brilliant news Dan, many congratulations, babies are just wonderful and I'm so glad that her condition is settling down. I'm amazed you are thinking about running at all, but if you do do London next year put me down for a tenner.
...and then there were two - marathondan - 13-07-2006
stillwaddler Wrote:I'm amazed you are thinking about running at all
You're making me feel guilty now...stillwaddler Wrote:but if you do do London next year put me down for a tenner.
.. but thank you for that!I do seriously fancy doing it, and I seem to think that I can without dereliction of my family duties... Meanwhile, I logged a really perfect late-night urban 4.5 miler last night - everything just felt great - and there's a chance that the Burham half might be back on for me (only 5 weeks away). We'll see how things go.
Thanks for the good wishes everyone.
...and then there were two - Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man - 13-07-2006
I didn't have babies about the house when I started running (instead I had big lumbering teenage hulks - come to think of it, that's maybe why I took up running)... erm, but I think if I can remember back that far, I was heavily into cycling at the time. That had to go as a serious past-time, but I kept cycling to and from work and that did me the world of good. Especially after a long night of teething and screaming (not to mention the baby)... to jump on the bike and crash into the back of a bus as I fell asleep on the downhill section was always a good way to freshen myself up a bit
meh...
Just enjoy your babies and don't worry about the guilts from not running. Babies aren't babies for long, but running will still be there when you're ready
...and then there were two - ljs - 14-07-2006
Yep, I add my congratulations as well MD. Well done to all of you. It is now two years since my daughter was born (she has a bigger brother) and I agree with SW they aren't Babies for long, enjoy it!!
...and then there were two - marathondan - 08-08-2006
Yesterday I received an email titled "Flora London Marathon | Entry is now open!". Today I will go out in search of Marathon News. I can't say yet whether I'm going to do it, but more than a hint of the buzz from 2005 is coming back to me. To be part of a pageant with 35,000 performers and a million spectators...
Or to put it another way, as many have said before, it's just about the only sport in which everyone competes in the same field as the world champion.
On the running front, I've managed three or four short runs in the last couple of months. I did think about doing the Burnham Beeches Half after all, as Naomi is settling into an evening routine and I have an hour or so per day (sometimes) to call my own. But I have to confess that I'm having too much fun doing family stuff to apply myself.
The Windsor half has been full for some time, so in order to fulfil my promise of doing two of the four local halfs, I'd better enter Marlow and Henley in Oct and Nov. I've since also discovered Wycombe in July, so next year a really nice goal would be to do the full set of Wycombe-Burnham-Windsor-Marlow-Henley, all decent local HMs and arranged monthly from July to November. That would tide me over between London 2007 and training for 2008!
Ah well, it's nice to have some idea of where you want to go - even if you end up somewhere else.
That really is a crap philosophy. That's why I'm not a philisopher.
...and then there were two - El Gordo - 09-08-2006
Good to hear from you again, Dan.
I received my annual Marathon News the other day. Haven't dared open it yet. I've always said that I'll never do the same mara twice, but I suppose it would be nice to end where I began with another London sometime.
This all presupposes that I've not finished running already. It's been a while, but I'm 5 days into my health drive and feeling good. All I need now is to shed a couple more pounds and I'll be out there, unintentionally terrorising "the vulnerable" as they are now called.
Earlier in the year, when I was more optimistic, I'd pencilled in Burnham and Windsor. Burnham's out of the question now -- too soon -- and you tell me that Windsor is full. Oh well. Perhaps I'll try to make it to Marlow or Henley too. Will have a better idea in a month or so.
...and then there were two - marathondan - 15-08-2006
andy Wrote:I've always said that I'll never do the same mara twice, but I suppose it would be nice to end where I began with another London sometime.Wow, that is forward planning - already pencilling in London 2050! You are very organised.
Anyway, the medium-sized news is that I've just sent off my application for London 2007. Of course the ramifications could be huge, but for now the news is only medium-sized. The possible scenarios are:
1. I don't get in, and by then I think training for marathon is a bad idea right now. Plan of action - stay on the sofa and open another beer.
2. I do get in, but by then I think training for marathon is a bad idea right now. Plan of action - defer till 2008, ditto on the sofa / beer front.
3. I don't get in, but by then I'm still up for it. Plan of action - get a golden bond place and start sending out those begging sponsorship emails.
4. I do get in, and by then I'm still up for it. Plan of action - obvious really. Plus I can run for any charity I like.
Either way, I'm not rushing into any training straight away... will do my best to get Henley and Marlow halfs on the calendar to kick start me. I (hypothetically at this stage of course) will probably do the Hal Higdon beginner's schedule, as I won't have time for anything more advanced - although I might start a month early and then fit in a few more long 'uns before the race. Anyway, that's all a long way off...
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