Hills & Homework

As an educator, each day is filled with obstacles and events. Some days everything runs smoothly, all have their homework, and paperwork flows effortlessly under your pen. During some runs, the course is flat, your muscles are limber, and you find yourself not wanting to stop at the appointed distance for that day. And then there are the days where you are sneezed on, bombarded with questions, and the lesson overall misses it's mark. These days are very similar to those where the wind cuts across your face instead of pushing behind you, patches of ice make even a slow pace dangerous, and after a mile, you're ready to call it a day.

But, as with teaching, you have to persevere, because the benefits will always outweigh the negatives.

Among the challenges and accomplishments of becoming a runner- besides the numb feet, chafed skin, and sore muscles in places you didn't even know you had muscles- are little things called hills. Some are little, some are not. It's all a state of mind. As with most things in life, preparing yourself to do hill workouts is similar to getting ready to welcome a new class. There are several steps you can follow to prepare yourself to tackle your first and second upward slopes.

* Don't look directly at the hill! By using the corner of your eye and by estimating in your mind how long it should take you, the  hill becomes manageable and obtainable. In the same manner, don't look ahead at the students who are going to be in your class. If you don't look, then everything should fall naturally into place when you employ tactics that ensure success, and eventually you will reach your goal...teaching out of the corner of your eye isn't always beneficial, but you can squint once in a while.

* Don't assume that your legs will automatically know how far to climb. Some legs have minds of their own, and they willingly turn around when you least expect it to head back downhill. In the same manner, stay true to the course of educating a large variety of diverse learners and learning abilities. If you don't keep pushing them to succeed, if you don't keep chugging away at that sidewalk, then it's way too easy to quit.

* Last but not least, remember that when it feels like your legs are solid rock, that your lungs have hardened and won't expand any further, and that this whole running things just isn't what it was cracked up to be, if you open your eyes at just the right moment you notice that you have made it to the top after all. Looking back at where you've come from, and remembering the pain and fear of failing, elation fills your soul. You have overcome the hill...when a not so spectacular day of teaching is nearing the end, after several students have forgotten their homework, are talking non-stop, or you have given up teaching how to factor binomials, one student may raise their hand and simply say, "Thanks, teacher. Now I get it."

Ah, hills and homework. After a day like today, I think I will go for a run.

Spectators

Many years ago (but perhaps not that many) when I ran long distance track in high school, I thought it was great that during training I could run 5 mile stretches through Van Saun Park and other parts of Paramus. As I chugged through the suburban neighborhoods, I felt my body stretch and pace as best as it could. I think one of the best aspects of the training run was that when I returned to the gym at the end, all of the football players were usually coming in from practice at that time. One of my crushes was part of the team, and he would always smile at me and tell me what nice legs I had or what a great job I had done. Gasping, and drenched with sweat, I would smile vapidly at him until he walked away with the rest of the team. It made the next day's practice that much better for me to look forward to.

After high school, I didn't do much running. I hiked, biked and walked. My walks would take me hours to complete as I explored my town from one end to another. Rollerblading and other sports kept me in relatively good shape, as well. I was toned, but not overly so. I had firm quads, but not in a rock hard way. I enjoyed the attention I received as the owner of a 20 something year old's body. I was happy with the frame God gave me, and I still am, even after having three kids and losing the taut teenage stomach I vaguely remember.

And then I discovered something even better than my crush's compliments or young guy's appreciative leers: spectators.

The energy of the spectators who gather to watch their friends and family run at races is infectious. Although it's usually just myself and my older brother, the feeling of being surrounded by so many excited people cheering you on makes the whole event that much better. Even if the rest of my body isn't perfect, my quads have become my favorite part of my body- I love wearing running shorts to show them off. I am so proud of their shape and of how hard I needed to work to get them to look so toned. It makes the last 2 or 3 miles of a half-marathon that much more achievable to look down and to see those reliable limbs pushing and stretching over the pavement. The feeling of running across the finish line and hearing the roar of the spectators, anonymous as they may be, makes the pain and soreness of training for the big day worth it.

I can't wait for my next race. I have a new pair of shorts that I am looking forward to running with. :)

A Positive Change

Two years ago this summer I was hanging out on my mom's back porch, watching the kids swimming, when I noticed how trim my sister-in-law, TT, had become. I knew she had started running with my older brother, Bob, but until I saw how petite and toned she looked, I hadn't realized how much good the running was doing for her body.I looked down at my own body, still a bit doughy from my third child, and I vowed that by the following summer I would be running with her.

When I began to train some weeks later, I thought it was great that I could jog for a song, then walk for a song, and repeat that pattern for 30 minutes without keeling over. At the time, it was great- for me. Over the next few months, I decreased the amount of walking until I was jogging for two songs at a time, then walking for one minute of another song. I noticed my legs becoming more sleek and I loved it. Also, I wasn't gasping for breath, and instead had developed a measured breathing pattern.

With excitement and trepidation, I signed up for my first 5K. I ran long distance in high school, but that was several years ago. (Okay, more than several, but who's counting?) I was nervous that morning, but I pinned on my bib and my game face and took my place in the crowd. Twenty-nine minutes later I crossed the finish line and the euphoria carried me through the rest of the day.

I wanted to do it again.

Now, two years later, I am able to run for 2 hours and 16 minutes at a time, although not all of the time. I take short thirty second walks just to rest my shins, and then it's off I go. During the week, I will take my dog for 3 or 4 mile runs, something we both enjoy. Although I haven't been able to shrink my bones to my sister-in-law's size, I definitely feel more toned overall. It's a tremendously incredible feeling to have come so far, and  I have completed four half marathons with several more planned. I have also made the commitment to begin training for a full marathon, scheduled for May 5th, 2013.

I read somewhere that only 1% of the world's population have completed marathons. I want to be part of that elite group. I know it's going to be tough, this training. Already, my knee tends to be sore after a longer run, but I am so excited and determined. I feel that accomplishing this marathon will be one of the greatest things I can do for myself, besides bringing forth my three miracles into the world. Wish me luck.