Runners with a cause - and cool T-shirts! Go Team Shalva!
Abba - making it look easy!
YAY! Abba crossed the finish line as did Zia Em, Renee, Jes, Alisha and Mati and thousands of other runners. But mommy and Rob were the winners of the whole 2014 Jerusalem Marathon day: They managed to keep Lucas, Raia and myself alive and from completely melting down for about an hour while waiting for abba's Jerusalem 10k debut at the finish line.
Now this was more than a week ago and yet it hasn't made the blog yet. That is because, as you know, we babies have a way of driving a wedge between our parents and their computers and that was the case for over a week as I prevented mommy from posting my blogs.
So it is catch-up time now. I will allow space for abba to describe his experience and express his appreciation for those who supported his run for Shalva, my school:
Hi there,
I wanted to thank you again for your support in my 10k run for Shalva. I had a great time running this race and will plan on running the Half marathon next year.
I was very blessed to be running for team Shalva but your support was not only a blessing to me but more for the children of Shalva.
Shalva is a growing organization and are in need of your financial support to continue the great work they are doing.
On March 21, abba and our other friends tackled the hills, the heat and the hoards of runners during the race. But the true marathon was the one headed up by mommy with Rob coming to her rescue: somehow getting three kids - babies in strollers basically - to the finish line. Babies who, if they walk, demand to go their own way or flop to the ground in protest. Babies who are on the edge of a meltdown if their needs or desires aren't instantly met. And babies who apply the Law of Babies to all situations in which they find themselves.
Jes and abba - dubious about the run or
about babies arriving at the finish line?
And herein lies the true story. It all began when we were ushered into a hotel room the night before the race. What new discoveries awaited us! An entirely new room for our search and destroy missions! Bureaus upon which to climb. A TV and all sorts of outlets at our perfect height. And better yet, Lucas and I were to share a sofa bed which meant we could come and go without encountering those pesky child barriers that interfere with - but certainly do not prevent - our escapes from our normal beds.
Do not be deceived: This serene scene was short lived
That night, the eve before his big race, abba slept one solid hour. The rest of the night hours were interrupted by cries, whimpers, massive and invasive dumps and the inevitable rising of babies before the sun. And this all occurred in one small room where there was escape from neither sound nor smell. And then, when he arose, just as refreshed and full of energy as we were I'm sure, abba and mommy whisked us off to breakfast where they watched us annihilate the buffet all the while trying to prevent plates and glasses from flying or silverware, such as knives, to be mishandled. Never mind the humus embedded in our clothing and Lucas' swiping of abba's pineapples and almonds when he wasn't looking.
Then our parents escorted us the 20 minutes all the way to the starting line where we watched the endless stream of runners take off and Lucas nearly snuck into the start area with the Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat.
Zia Em, abba and Renee look chipper - before the race
We high-fived Alisha as she embarked upon her 10-ishK
And Rob swooped in to the rescue
Lucas waited for a golden moment to break through the bars
and start running. He actually had his chance when Mayor
Barkat cut through these very gates to start his run.
Starting line shenanigans including high giving Alisha as she embarked upon her journey:
After this nerve-wracking couple of hours abba was supposed to run the race of his life and mommy was supposed to, essentially, herd cats/babies along with Rob who helped the herding process. It took about 30 minutes to get to the finish line which should only be 10 minutes away. We made it with time to spare to see abba gracefully swoop into the finish line.
In the end, everyone was a winner, just some people were more weary than others, basically anyone older than 4 years.
Lucas stopped running his own marathon around
Sacher Park in order to get into the action as well
And then those weary adults shuttled us to the Shalva victory lunch where we ran about 42.2 kilometers around the tables in the auditorium as we wavered between hunger and indefatigable exhaustion. We ultimately found ourselves in a wreath of balloons that we dragged across the hotel and ended up somehow in the bathroom.
And in video where you can really appreciate the depths of us having lost control:
Where was Raia in all of this? Quiet and well behaved in her stroller making Lucas and I look very naughty and needy. Hmph!
So quiet was Raia that no photos of her were taken
until she got home
Not that she minded!
After all that non-running running around, Mommy has a new idea for next year: not just Run for Team Shalva, but BABYSIT for Team Shalva! She contends that running a marathon would be easier than herding the three of us to another finish line.
Mommy and Lucas Resolved: Eat more cake (and for mommy,
pick up running again due to said cake)
I Resolved: Continue to look cool for various photo shoots
I, as a baby, resolve this year to retain many of my useful baby qualities and to raise up my younger brother and sister in the same way. Despite the fact that we are all growing up and outgrowing some baby stages at various paces, I believe many of the things I've learned as a baby will serve me well throughout my life. And I wouldn't want to forgo the Royal Treatment we as youngsters receive. Not yet.
Abba meanwhile, has a different resolution. After three consecutive years of mommy running the Jerusalem marathon she has passed the torch: Abba is going to represent the family this year and take on the 10K on behalf of Shalva!
This year, since she was supposed to have a baby in January (not November, Raia), mommy assumed she would not be ready for a race by March 21. And accordingly, abba picked up the slack.
I hear that 10-kilometer races are challenging, but remember, even before I was walking I crossed the finish line of a full marathon! (Remember this?!) That would be 42.2 kilometers, abba. I suppose this year abba figured that running a 10K would be much easier than herding three kids to the finish line!
He is probably right.
Nevertheless, abba needs your financial support. (Mommy needs your moral support.) If you choose to donate to abba's cause, you are helping Shalva, the Association for Mentally and Physically Challenged Children in Israel, help others. Just this once I will allow abba to put this in his own words in my blog:
Hi There,
I am going to be running the 10K race in the Jerusalem marathon for an organization called " Shalva". Shalva is an organization that helps special needs children in Israel and provides, free of charge, therapies designed to develop the skills to be able to function in today's society.
My son, Daniel, has Down Syndrome and has been receiving the care he needs from this wonderful organization since he was born over three years ago.
Today I give you the opportunity to pour into the lives of these children and their families by sponsoring me in the Jerusalem marathon.
Thank you and may 2014 be a blessed year for you and your family!
Sincerely yours, Tony
Christmas day!
Abba running means that mommy drew the short straw. She somehow has to hustle three babies to the finish line, which is a good 3 miles from home. But we absolutely must be there to welcome abba, so she is going to have to figure out a way.
And that should probably entail some marathon training of its own. Good luck to both parents!
Mommy's biggest fans waiting, and bored, at the finish line
We came. We saw. We waited! And waited...
Running, I've learned, is not a spectator's sport. Especially when you are confined and strapped into a stroller as thousands of people sprint by you as free as birds.
Worse still is the task of wheeling said stroller through blocked off roads for hours in order to reach a finish line to be further bored by the non-spectator sport. Therefore, the victory of marathon day goes to abba and Jireh who accomplished something more difficult than running a half marathon in Jerusalem: They carted Lucas and I to the finish line in time to welcome mommy. Nay, to wait for mommy. And then to welcome her.
Kudos to abba and Jireh for most
successfully completing most grueling
competition of the day: Carting two babies,
two strollers, lots of baby equipment
to the finish line
And as we waited, mommy was out there setting a personal record (PR) for Worst.Half.Marathon.Ever. It wasn't her finest moment.
But that's okay. After all in the last few weeks, she's run full 26.2-mile marathons daily just chasing Lucas and I around, and for that she deserves a medal.
Nevertheless, mommy was spurred on to continue running in the actual Jerusalem race thanks to two major inspirations: Team Shalva and - a recent addition - the esteemed Joules Evans.
Team Shalva was comprised of really cool people from around the world who decided to raise money for Shalva in exchange for the grueling opportunity to run around Jerusalem's hellacious hills. This year, Team Shalva more than doubled from last year! There were 250 runners including several of my friends from around J-town like Alisha Wallenstein, Kathryn Morgan, Steven Taylor and Mati Shoshani. Shout outs to them AND to all the people who supported mommy and these runners. You are all awesome! Shalva was able to raise 1.3 million shekels thanks to you! I think that's about $350,000. Wow. I will not take my superior care for granted tomorrow as I head to school at Shalva.
Here I am high-fiving Jacques Fragis of Team Shalva
after he finished the half marathon!
Abba and I
Then there was Joules from Cincinnati, who we only met a few days ago but she is friends with my girlfriend Hallel and Gaby, her mommy. Joules proved to be a super-duper running partner and an inspiration on many levels to mommy during the run. First of all, it was like running with a celebrity since Joules' pink spiked hair was recognized by anyone who is friends with Gaby on Facebook (and there are many) or who read the Jerusalem Post that morning, where Joules was featured.
Secondly, Joules is an intrepid defeater of cancer. She is connected to a network of other conquerors who are now living large and sincerely. Therefore, running with Joules was an intentional enjoyment of every moment from soaking in the Jerusalem vistas, enduring the agony of the city's never-ending hills, and experiencing the sense of accomplishment of crossing a finish line simply because you could -because you are alive.
Starting line.
Kilometer 15 (of 21)
Kilometer 15 (way too much exhilaration going on here)
Hours later, and still smiling!
And that my friends all transpired on a sunny but cool enough day in Jerusalem. A perfect day for a race - whether in or out of a stroller.
Kathryn supported "Team Daniel" - a small part of Team Shalva.
And I supported her in spirit, while asleep, in her first 10K!
(Remember - not a spectator's sport!)
Mati and Steven added some pride to Team Daniel.
And their fans waited less than we did!
The running continued right away as mommy chased
Lucas around the post-race party. After 13 miles.
Ouch.
It's all mommys fault. Really, if anyone is to blame, mommy is the culprit, the designer of her own fate. I say that in response to her and abba's complaints that, when let loose, all Lucas and I do is run.
We take off.
In opposite directions.
We never ever stay put in one place for more than two seconds.
In fact, without looking back, we just surge forward with all the speed we can muster!
Usually toward streets or parking lots.
This fact was discovered during our recent weekend away. Due to beautiful weather we spent our whole weekend outdoors at a kibbutz near the Dead Sea. If we weren't held or strapped into a stroller we would simply run. No amount of toys or people could tempt us to stay in one isolated and safe area. And nothing could hold us back, except for that stroller with the straps or being held in a vice grip by some adult.
Mommy and abba complained about having to spend the entire weekend chasing us. But honestly, this is what we were born to do. And that, my friends, is mommy's fault. Let us review the evidence:
Dec. 10, 2009: Mommy runs a half marathon. Nine months later I am born.
March 25, 2011: Mommy runs a full marathon. Nine months later, Lucas is born.
It is simple: mommy's actions while we were en utero are now causing some dire consequences. Some 13 miles with me and then a full 26 miles (42.2 km) with Lucas - what can you expect from us but to run like small lunatics? So much so that mommy was too tired to really run, as in train. However, we probably helped her get in about 10 unofficial miles of running in one day. In circles. Exasperated, drained and feeling like a wrung-out wash cloth, mommy decided on our drive home to change all the rules. TV has now become completely acceptable if not highly encouraged in our home. Any show that would captivate us and cause us to sit still for even 15 minutes straight would be ushered into our home on a red carpet. When we got home, mommy and abba immediately implemented this new rule and plopped us in front of the TV praying we wouldn't move for at least 2 days. It was a nice sentiment.
Now lest you think that this half marathon coming up on Friday is a harbinger of more Jansezian runners to come, it is not. However, it does mean that Lucas and I will only glean even more running adrenaline! We plan to greet mommy and her friends at the finish line. Perhaps we will run there!
We'll keep you posted! Thanks to everyone who donated to Shalva via this exciting run!
When we weren't running ourselves, we found other means to do so
