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26 posts for 26 miles
26 posts for 26 miles
11/4/2017 0 Comments Mile 20. The WallMost people have heard about The Wall and undeniably most Marathon runners have had the experience. The 20th mile of a 26.2 mile trek is usually when a runner’s body begins to rebel against the punishment it has been enduring. How do some push through the wall? Freeman’s epilepsy has presented us with a different Wall. Almost every evening, after Freeman goes to bed, he hits his Wall! Nothing can prepare you for the heartbreak and fear this causes! Yet Our family pushes through every time. Freeman has a wireless monitor on his bedside table. It allows Leanna and I to hear when he is having a seizure. Freeman’s seizures are horrific for a parent to experience, let alone from a monitor 50 feet away. They begin with a sudden gasp. Freeman then begins to choke. He makes loud noises as the convulsions prevent him from getting a full breath of air. It always wakes us up! I then start my all-to-common race to save my child...
The twentieth mile doesn’t sneak up on you. Every runner knows what lies ahead. The best way to prevent the wall from stopping you in your tracks is to acknowledge that it exists. I begin to prepare early in the race. Your body needs to have a steady stream of nutrients and fluids to replenish those being robbed by every mile. Gel, goo, water and Gatorade are your best bets to lower the challenge of the wall. The only other recommendation to help is to get acquainted with the wall before the race. Long runs are important for establishing endurance and pace for the race. However, runs longer than 20 miles are excellent for preparing you mentally to overcome the wall. I am confident in saying that running is 90% mental. These long runs help your mind experience the fatigue and disillusion that hit you at that point of a marathon. Again, preparation is the key to most successful races. The wall is just a brutal reality check on how well you have prepared! Freeman’s room is 40 strides and 25 stair steps away from my pillow. I am well conditioned on this path. As I near his room I can hear Leanna comforting Freeman over the 2-way radio “Daddy’s on his way. You are going to be ok!” Freeman’s seizures fortunately never last longer than 30 seconds. Yet that half-minute seems like a lifetime. All that I want is for my son to stop his convulsions and begin breathing again. I have found stimulation helps him regain control from the evil seizure bastard. I scratch his scalp and rub his hands while telling him he will be ok. It is grounding to have a 24-hour day boil down to a 30 second episode. Similar to the marathon, Freeman has always pushed through. After his convulsions, Free is not aware of his environment. Lately he has had a 2nd violent seizure that grabs control of his arms and legs. He thrashes against his bed to make the evil seizure bastard stop. At this point he is becoming alert and he starts to whimper. Let me tell you, a parent should never hear their child whimper and cry as often as Leanna and I have heard Freeman. After every episode, before I leave Freeman to go back to our room, he always says “Thank you Daddy.” The Wall is a scary moment that everyone needs to prepare for in their Marathon. However, proper nutrition, hydration and training can reduce the impact the wall will have over the last 6 miles of the marathon. Epilepsy provides it’s own version of the Wall. So much preparation and experience boils down to one moment, the seizure. Freeman is the toughest kid in the world, having pushed through his wall more often than-not. I hate the evil seizure bastard and one day we will rid him from the world. Until then Freeman and I run against the Wall. I will always smile when I reach my Wall at 20 miles. It is a joke compared to the wall Freeman faces. I will run strong, never allowing my body to rebel. I will always think of Freeman and know I have the strength to push through.
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