What Motivates You?

This weekend's race marked the 12th race that I've participated in since I began my first ever winter series back in November 2016.  Upon completion of the winter series I decided to take on a trail race series; something that was completely out of my comfort zone, especially when my record on the sidewalks of Waukesha hasn't been so great.  July 14th marks a year since my epic spill that sidelined me for about 6 weeks.  I had been about halfway through training for my first 10k when I caught the sidewalk wrong with my foot and did a superman across the sidewalk landing hard on both knees (giving road rash an entirely new meaning), scraping my face across the sidewalk and catching myself with my right hand, resulting in a small chipped bone in my hand. Don't worry...I saved my phone in the spill and lived to tell the kids that I was teaching that I was being chased by a Pokemon.  When they asked "Which one?" I responded with, "I'm not sure, I turned around to look and that's when I fell."

The trail race was a huge step out of my comfort zone, but a way for me to take a risk and try something new.  After committing to the the trail series I ran back to back weekends in June to complete my first 8k and quarter marathon.  I signed up for the quarter marathon just 4 days before the race.  I figured that if I did that, I didn't have enough time to to talk myself out of it.

At this point, you're probably thinking I'm a runner and that I've always been a runner.  That statement couldn't be farther from the truth as I grew up playing softball and was a pitcher.  The only running that I did was training for endurance for pitching which usually averaged around two miles.  Anything farther was an anomaly and probably had to do with me being upset with a boy.

One thing that I enjoy about the races that I participate in is that you get to meet new people.  While racing this weekend at Fox River Park, I engaged in a conversation with a young girl at about mile 2.  She was running by herself and I offered some words of encouragement.  Those words of encouragement turned into a pretty extensive conversation.  She shared that she was headed into 6th grade next year and that she was running with her family.  I also learned that she went to the same grade school that I had attended in Kindergarten.  In talking with her I was also able to recall running with her sister and her dad in a previous race.  I shared that when I run with my family members we get competitive and the last person to finish has to buy lunch.  (There's no question that I'm the one that ends up buying lunch!)

That's when she asked me, "What motivates you to run?"  

She caught me dead in my tracks.

I laughed and said, "That's a really good question?"  

I wasn't prepared to answer so I asked her in return, "What motivates you to run?"  

Her response back was one word, "Snacks."

I had a few takeaways from this experience:  This is not the first time that a younger learner has asked me a question such as this to drive me into deep reflection.

1.  There is nothing more important than leading with WHY?  I was caught dead in my tracks without an immediate response as to why I was running.  When it comes to leading in education, it is important to be equipped with your "WHY?" at any turn or move that you make.  In regards to a building, that means having a very clear vision of where you're headed and how you're going to get there.

2.  My "WHY?" of running was to do something that I never dreamed was possible.  It was an extreme step outside of my comfort zone.  My first 5k turned out to be a bucket list item that I nearly made myself sick to get out of.  Since then I have been able to conquer things that I never had imagined were possible.  Just a month ago, a quarter marathon was only a pipe dream.

3.  Let your passion drive you.  I could never have accomplished what I did in my longer races without my passion (and the help of endorphins) leading the way.  That is what #LiveLAP is all about. To this day, I'm not quire sure how I completed those races without training for them, in back to back weekends.  It's truly a "Pirate's life for me."

4.  Don't stop.  Don't let anything or anyone get in the way of your dreams.  Make them your own and make them a reality.  I might have failed to mention that just three years ago I was afraid to work out and run in front of others.  Conquering this fear has given me a whole new sense of confidence that I never had growing up.  "Teach Like a Pirate" by Dave Burgess has impacted my life in more ways than I can count and I am very appreciative of the support network that comes with it.