Marathon Man: Josh Nefield runs with son in mind

JOSH NEWFIELD RUNS WITH SON IN MIND

Jason Klaiber

While out for an afternoon run early last June, Josh Newfield of Liverpool received a phone call that stopped him in his tracks and forever altered his course.

He immediately rushed over to the Crouse Hospital delivery room where his then-pregnant wife Amy had been admitted for observation after her blood pressure rose considerably.

What followed was a threeday waiting game, culminating in the moment Newfield refers to as “the kicker”: the instant a nurse suggested he retrieve some spare clothing and any other necessities, implying that he and his wife would be in for a long night.

At around 5:45 the next morning, after a 15-minutelong emergency C-section, the couple welcomed their first child, Benjamin Aaron, into the world.

Though the Newfields had an inkling that their son would be born at least slightly early, his arrival two months before the 40-week mark came as something of a surprise.

“It’s a nerve-wracking situation,” Josh Newfield said. “When you’re at that point in time, there’s nothing you can do to control the immediate situation in any way except for just being there as best as possible.”

Benjamin remained in the Walter R.G. Baker Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for 32 days, a “middle-of-theroad” length of time relative to other babies born just as prematurely, according to information his parents gathered.

Considering what could have been, Josh Newfield said he and his wife felt fortunate that they were able to conduct the anticipated car seat test for Benjamin after tallying not much more than a one-month hospital stay.

“When you find out that other families have come in literally every day for 120 days, it really just puts it in perspective and puts you in a different place mentally,” he said.

His excitement and thankfulness at the time were, however, offset by the feeling that the COVID regulations in place last summer were not the easiest to work around.

In the weeks after Benjamin’s birth, Josh and Amy Newfield were allowed only a fourhour visiting window in total. Also, if either of them signed out at any point and left the hospital grounds, their return was not permitted until the following day.

On top of this, only one parent was allowed into the NICU at a time, so they often ended up taking turns checking on Benjamin while the other wandered the University Hill area.

Despite any frustrations that stemmed from these regulations, Josh Newfield retains nothing but praise for the level of care administered at the Baker Regional NICU during that month-long

Newfield prefers to go out for a run in the summer heat and the colorful fall, while his favorite distance to cover is 6.25 miles. He also doesn’t mind “precarious” situations, like the time he sprained his ankle but continued on with a race until the finish.

stretch, calling the medical team there “amazing.”

He also recalls his nerves during the process being calmed by a familiar face—that of a NICU nurse who had once joined in on a scuba diving trip he led as a teacher for the National Aquatic Service.

Through the rest of that June and into early July, Newfield said the Crouse staff members answered any and all questions in depth while making rounds and altogether keeping tabs on as many as 65 newborns at peak hours.

“When they see a parent come in, they’re always available and ready to come and have a conversation with you to tell you how things are going,” Newfield said.

Though assistance was there at a second’s notice in the NICU, the 37-year-old father said the visits still mainly revolved around the parentchild bonding experience, which involved bathing, feeding and holding Benjamin in their arms.

To show his gratitude for the NICU, Newfield has begun promoting his story and the donation page for the Crouse Health Foundation in tandem with his long-distance running endeavors.

He assures that any financial contribution helps in the long run no matter the amount, as does the sharing of his

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Josh Newfield said he felt “jubilation” when Benjamin was brought home. Though the milestone scale as it pertains to crawling, walking and babbling has seen delays (an expected result of the premature birth), Newfield said his son is “relatively healthy” and a “loving-life type” who enjoys playing both his xylophone and mini piano.

CrouseConnects blog post detailing his efforts as a marathoner.

Running started becoming a more prominent part of Newfield’s life in the later part of this past decade, specifically in the wake of a pair of back surgeries. By that point, not only did he yearn to “feel fantastic” without the use of pills, but he also saw himself on the cusp of diabetes and liver troubles.

From there, the aim to restore his health and push his personal limits as a runner transformed into a passion. “It’s a form of mild escapism where you can take any stress of the day and put it beside you,” Newfield said.

He now runs just about every day year-round, regardless of whether the temperature outside is 15 degrees or 93. Often enough, if the day’s conditions seem right, he’ll bring Benjamin along in a jogging stroller for a fivemile stretch.

On April 17, Newfield crossed the finish line of the English’s Ridge Rumble 50K held at Green Lakes State Park in about eight hours’ time, thus completing his first ultramarathon. By the end of this fall, he hopes to have the Finger Lakes 50-miler and a 100K—which amounts to 62.14 miles—under his belt as well.

Community support through donations and emotional encouragement will, according to Newfield, propel him through the more challenging portions of future races, like any emergence of the “deep, dark mental hole” known in the world of running as the pain cave or the wall climbs, tire flips and quarter-mile sandbag carries associated with Spartan Race obstacle courses.

When things have seemed most grueling in the past, Newfield said the thought of his three-and-a-quarterpound son and those other newborns fighting for their lives in the NICU has been just as much of a motivator to put one foot in front of the other and get over another hilltop. SWM

Benjamin Aaron Newfield, pictured here with his dad, turned one this month. His middle name honors his paternal grandfather.Newfield lives in Liverpool with his family. He works in sales for the human resources and payroll processing company ADP.