Back to School

In Colorado, it is that time again...all of the kid's are going back to school soon! As I write this, my youngest daughter is sitting on the family room floor getting her school supplies ready and putting them in her backpack. She will be entering middle school this year, so for one short year, both girls will be at the same school again. This also means that all of the teachers go back soon, and that means me.

I am getting so excited and looking forward to meeting all of my new students and starting out another fantastic school year. It seems, that in 5th grade, the entire first half of the year goes into working on building relationships: the students with each other, the students and me, and the parents of the students with me. Then the second half of the year, we all reap the benefits of this hard work. I work in an area of town that many students are not too familiar with something called a marathon, because they have other things to worry about besides the luxury of running shoes. And yes, that is a luxury. So last year I decided to introduce the concept of a marathon to them. We have a small, gravel path behind our school that measures .10 - and my students were given a log to record their 262 laps as they ran them. When they completed their goal, they received a medal and a certificate of completion. Many of them wore their medals around proudly. I look forward to doing this program again with my new class.

Sharing my joy of running is natural. They all share their lives with me, so I find it exciting when a student tells me they are going to try track or x-country when they go to middle school. I hope to not just pass on my love for running to one or two students, but to give them a tool that builds their confidence and tells them that if they are capable of setting a goal to run a marathon, they can do anything.

Not much to talk about...

The planning is fairly complete, even the details. We are still in need of two aid station captains and crews, but other than that, we are doing well. Oh ya, we could also use any volunteers that would be willing to help race day, or race weekend. You can either email me, or our volunteer coordinator for any of this if you are interested. We had a great committee meeting on Monday and got a lot done!

I am already thinking about going back to teaching in a few weeks, August 5th to be exact. If you are from somewhere else, that may sound early, but we get out in mid May here. I am excited to get a new group of students. It is so much fun to see how much a child can learn in one year. 5th grade is definitely my favorite: they are old enough to follow directions and they mature so much throughout the year, becoming very relational. At home I have a 6th and 8th grader this year, so they help keep me on track with the latest. Teaching is such a huge part of my life during the school year and so I am trying to have all of the big and little things for the race complete by the first week in August. I am sure there will be things that come up, but it will be manageable.

I am excited for race day. I am sure you are all getting ready for it as well. Let's hope for perfect weather, for Pasta in the Park, and the races. We have had a lot of rain, but it is slowing up. In most cases, the rain would not affect the races; however, it could put a damper on our dinner. I won't worry until the time comes.

10 Reasons to Run an American Discovery Trail Race

· 100% of the proceeds benefit non-profit organizations, including Pikes Peak Road Runners, Trails & Open Space Coalition, and Pennies For Nicoll Foundation.
· The course is absolutely beautiful this year with all of this rain.
· The live band, pizza, and beer garden in America the Beautiful Park will make for an unbelievable after party.
· All overall winners receive a cash award, and all age group winners will receive an award with a pair of Swiftwick socks.
· There are pacers for all ranges and abilities to help keep you on track.
· Jack Anthony, Santa Fe Trail Expert, will be running it…as well as speaking at the pre-race dinner, Pasta in the Park.
· It is a family event with a playground, fountain for cooling off, and kids’ races right in America the Beautiful Park.
· The marathon course is a certified Boston Qualifier.
· Everyone gets a finisher’s medal: marathon, half-marathon, and relay included. Kids get a ribbon and a special bag with goodies.
· It will be a whole lot of excitement and fun on Labor Day!

Virtual Running Group/Running Log

I have spoken about Travis, my friend and past race director for ADT. This year he will be running the ADT Marathon as his first marathon! I have also spoken about running groups and how beneficial they can be. Well, Travis has created a virtual running group for anyone running the ADT to join.

How does a virtual running group work? You either have to create a running log in Runningahead.com, or you may already have one. If you don't already have one, you can create a log for free. A running log in itself can be a useful tool, but not as much fun as a group. Check out the website. Once you have it all set-up, contact Travis at traviswaldrip@yahoo.com and he will set you up with the group. Have Fun!

Runner's World

I am excited to say that I have been working on an article with Runner's World. They will feature the ADT races in their September issue which will come out in August. The editors and I have been going back and forth daily, because of their deadline. They ask questions about the race, and I answer them. During this process, I have put together some photos for them. Some will be added to the website, but I thought I would put some on my blog for now. The one they will be using is not included, so it will be a surprise. Enjoy the photos!