I coached a running club over the last 9 weeks. The kids were totally awesome and it REALLY got some of the kids into running. One of the kids ran his first 5k recently and ran it in under 28 minutes. Another one of my kids participates in our middle school's track competition (ok, he did that last year before I ever came along). I love that they love this!
There is one student in particular that I have known for a while. She is smart and sweet and I was excited to see her signed up for our running club. She ran some, walked some, but never gave up. I was pleasantly surprised that she eagerly registered for a 5K trail run with me. *I* hadn't even ran a 5k TRAIL race at this point, but I thought, "This will be great! K and I can do this together!" And we did.
Street runs are easy for me, trail runs... not so much! BUT I wasn't about to let K know that this would be a hard run. I wanted her to experience her first race with the giddiness we all do. I wanted her to have the stomach nerves (a little), experience pinning on her first bib, listening to the announcer, and starting the run. I wanted her to know what it's like to wonder why in the world you're running! I wanted her to remember there is a finish line. I wanted her to proudly wear her first 5K shirt. :)
Race Day: My teacher friend and I show up pretty early. We wait a while in the car and then decide to get out and warm up. As we are walking I hear "Can I join?" It was K. She had been there well before we and I was thrilled to see her. Fast forward to the race. I had told her if she wanted to run, we would run, if she wanted to walk a bit, we would walk. I was staying with her to the end. I could sense the nervousness... maybe it was mine. The race begins. We ran a good while, over mud, through mud, around rocks, uphill. We ran. We ran. We decided to walk a little bit. I kept telling her to walk fast lest her body start cooling off and use more energy to warm back up. I was constantly saying "You can do this!", "Walk fast or trot!", "You've trained for this! You're half-way there!" I thought of every positive thing I could say to motivate K. She AMAZED me.
Let me say that this trail was not easy for experienced runners, let alone beginners or first time 5K'ers. I was and AM so proud of K for her strength; mentally and physically. As we neared the end of mile three and rounded a bend I said "K, your mom can see you now... we are running to the finish line!". As if on cue we hear "My baby!!! My baby!" or something like that, I couldn't hear her mom clearly because I was yelling, too. We had a good pace and about a tenth of a mile from the finish I began to YELL, "SPRINT! SPRINT! SPRINT!" and she did. Her legs being longer than mine, she finished before I did by a second. I was laughing from yelling "Sprint", and I realized, I was tearing up. Her mom was there, at the finish line, throwing her arms around her telling her how proud she was. She had done it. Tears. Finished. Pride. Yes, I can!
I told her all along it didn't matter what anyone thought, it mattered that she was proud of herself. Today as we both sported our race shirts at school I put my arm around her and asked how she was, "Sore!" she responded. "Are you mad that I pushed you?" I asked. "No!" she said. We both smiled. She was proud, but I think I am prouder.
We don't do anything alone. She pushed me in ways she will never know. I spoke to her the words I needed to hear myself. I needed to know that what I was doing mattered to someone. I needed to feel successful; not for myself but in helping someone else.
K is going to middle school next year. I am losing one of my students, but I just might be gaining a running buddy!
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