Fun Stuff On The Horizon

Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I love talking about my running, and my races, and my track workouts, and how far and fast I've run, and whether or not I got a PR or won an age-group award.

I love it. I'm proud of what I do, and I like to share that, and I also love that I've been told many times that people find it inspiring to read about what I'm doing.

But I have three running-related things on the horizon that are NOT all about me, and I'm so incredibly excited for both of them.

First up is the United HealthCarehalf-marathon in Providence next weekend - the kickoff to the Triple Crown Series of races.

I'm really excited for it, but I am most definitely not racing this one.

What I am doing is pacing a friend. I wouldn't go so far as to say I've been coaching her through her training, but I have helped with training questions and offered lots of encouragement and support, and it's been so fun to see her making progress along the way.

We're hoping for a PR - for her, not me - at the half, and I can't wait to get out there and run with her and hopefully help her to that PR. I think seeing someone else accomplish their goal is going to be just as, if not more, rewarding than my own accomplishments.

It's going to add a whole new twist to the race report, too, and I'm really looking forward to writing about the experience. I run with the running club when I can, but I'm mostly a solo runner, and have always been a solo racer, so this is uncharted territory for me, and I'm sure I'll be learning a thing or two.

After that, I'm embarking on something that I'm so excited about, I can hardly stand it. I've been given the chance to facilitate an afterschool running club at a local elementary school!  It's been in the works for a while now, and I'm still hesitant to write too much about it, just because all the details aren't completely finalized, but it does look like we're going to be moving forward.

I kind of fell into this opportunity, and I have no coaching experience whatsoever, but I've done my research, and came up with some plans that were very well-received by the school.

And I may not have any coaching experience, but I definitely have a love of and enthusiasm for the sport, and can't wait to get out there and get those kids running!

And speaking of kids running - I'm finally committing to getting out for regular runs with Gabe and Dante, in the hopes that we can all run a 5K together sometime this summer, or early fall.

They both love running at the Youth Track meets during the summer, and I'd love to have the experience of running a race with them, if it's something they want to do. I'm not going to force them, but when I mentioned the idea, they both seemed pretty excited.

We went for our first run this morning - a 1.5-mile loop around the neighborhood. Dante is definitely cut out for distance - unlike most kids, he's not so eager that he sprints at full speed for the first 1oo yards, using up all his energy. He's happy to jog at a comfortable pace - and I know it's a comfortable pace, because he talks the ENTIRE TIME - no worries about him running so fast that he's gasping for air.

Gabe prefers the 'run as fast as I can for 100 yards, come to a screeching halt, complain about how tired I am, and then resume sprinting' routine. He repeats this again and again and again, until, by the time we've gone 1/4 mile, he's about ready to collapse.

I worked really hard to try to keep him to a more moderate speed when we went out this morning, though, and he did do a little better, but still spent the second half of our run talking about how tired he was. 

Some other snippets of conversation from the approximately 20 minutes we were out there -

"It's freezing!"

"Oh my god, I'm SO hot!"

"Water is good because it gives you energy."

"What is that smell?"

"I want to send the Easter Bunny a thank you card."

"Running really makes your knees tired."

During one of our walk breaks "This is called a rest walk, right?"

"When we get to the big hill, we're going to stop and walk, right?"

"Are we going ALL the way around the neighborhood?"

"I can't believe how long we've been running!"

As we headed up the final incline to go home, Gabe was dragging his heels, complaining how tired he was, and telling us that he couldn't possibly run any more.

And then I said the magic words - "run this last little stretch like it's a race."

He suddenly perked right up, picked up his feet, and ran up that hill as fast as his legs would carry him.

I suspect he may have inherited my competitive streak  : )

Comments

[Laura]

What an awesome opportunity for you! I thought about doing that at the elem school where I worked in NY but it never came together, I'll be excited to hear more about it!

[Wes]

haha Dante and Gabe are so funny. It's cool that you are encouraging them in exactly the right way.

[Nicole]

Oh, I so love this post. My little one thinks she is a runner now and I can't wait for the day that we can really run together.

I am really looking forward to hearing more about the after school running club. I would so love to see that at happen in the Narragansett school system too.

[Michelle]

If it goes well, I'm hoping to do it at some other schools in the future!