My running journey began when our daughter was about seven months old in the spring of 2009. I was teaching Middle School and High School English at the time. After talking with the Math teacher across the hall, Mrs. Tvedt, about a local 5k that she organized. I thought, "I can do this" and downloaded the Couch to 5k app.
The training was less than stellar to say the least. I really had no idea what I was doing. I bought a pair of Nike shoes from Shopko that looked cool and were on sale. I purchased black, flowy cotton pants and a pink cotton shirt to wear to run the 5k. The app timed running and walking intervals. I would head out to the west of town and out a ways for 10 minutes at first and then up to about 45 minutes a week out from the scheduled 5k. My shins often hurt, I was out of breath, and everybody in town kept telling me how great it was to see me walking out there. Didn't they know I was running not walking? But, I knew that I had a training plan and I trusted the plan.
To my surprise, though, I really started to enjoy my runs after work 3 to 4 times a week. I was enjoying the time to myself and my husband was very supportive. I was actually looking forward to the 5k. That Saturday morning, I sat in my car for awhile, nervous and unsure if this was a good idea. It was raining and cold; therefore, I had every excuse to just turn around and drive home. But, I had paid for the race and my students and the teacher from across the way, were all going to be there. So, I put my headphones on, sucked it up and went for the run.
The rain quickly exchanged itself for humidity on the run and I regretted my cotton clothing choices (sorry, cotton pees, but wikable fabrics are certainly the better way to go for running). The course was an out and back. And, I was about one mile in when one of my current students, a sophomore whose Mom was the band teacher, came back and said, "Good job, Mrs. Walder!" And, as a huge testament to what I have come to know as a very remarkable young man, he made me feel good. So much so, that seven years later I remember it.
Regardless, I remember finishing around 43 minutes. I certainly had earned that half of a banana.
Today, I pushed my 40+ pound, two year old in a local 5k for fun. We were slow and it was hot enough that I had to stop and take off my son's jacket at one point in time, but this one decision to do the "Couch to 5k" program seven years ago has changed our family's Saturdays. Since that first 5k, I've ran one full marathon, about 20 half marathons, dozens of 10ks/ 5ks and a few random, other distances.
And, every time that I run, it is hard. I have to work at it. Many times, when I am laying in bed wondering if I really need to get up and run, I ask myself, "Is this something I really need to do?" And, of course, it isn't. I choose this.
I don't need to run. Running doesn't come easy. My PRs (Personal Records, I know the lingo now after seven years) are not stellar compared to most of my age group.
This whole attempting to run thing, for me, takes effort-- a lot of effort.
The run today took us by the Estelline School and my mind started to think to my school. How much of what many of my students do everyday takes work? Not just pronoun-antecedent agreement or finding the lowest common denominator, but everything. I was fortunate, in school, I didn't have to work. It wasn't until I was taking graduate work that I learned to really study well.
So, I think about kids that have to get up and get themselves ready for school. The kids that hope their lunch account has money in it. The kids that don't have the example in front of them for personal hygiene or other self- care. The kids that wish Mom or Dad or Grandma or Uncle or somebody would be there at the end of the day to ask about their homework, help them read their "book baggies" and make them supper. Life takes effort. Not only do many of our students come to school with more concerns that as a school "we" could ever "fix" for them, but they still choose to come to school.
We have to help them continue to choose to come-- and although it starts in elementary school, it continues every fall for every student. As a school district, we have to make sure that from the first bell to the last bell, the only place that they ever want to be is with us-- at school. We need them to chose us and we don't have seven years to get them "hooked" on school. We have days.
Somehow, we have to help our students find the intrinsic desire to be at school even if it takes effort. We need our students to see the value and trust the process of education. And, we need to remember that feeling of support that we needed when times are tough for us and we doubt ourselves, too. We need cheerleaders just like my student from years ago. Especially, as many educators are like me and didn't need to study or work at school. We loved everything about school. So, it's difficult for us to even imagine what it would be like to not have that love. Running helps me to remember that feeling my students have.
I encourage you to find something like this that does the same for you. Something you need to work at everyday. Something that puts you in many of your students' shoes. And, if you have something like this, please share what makes helps you to continue to connect with your students.
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