Marathon season is fast approaching, but how can we use this in school…
It might feel like we are stuck in the depths of a deep, dark and depressing winter at the moment but Spring is just around the corner. For most of us that means longer, greener days, a prolific amount of chocolate and a bit more warmth but for some of us, it also means marathon season is nearly here.
Right now, lots of TRC runners will be out in the dark and cold, putting in the miles around their work and home life. Preparing their minds and bodies to achieve a goal that most people can’t understand. Spending the best part of a year, training to be able to run for over 3 hours without stopping, just hoping that your legs will hold out till you cross that finish line…seems a bit crazy when you put it that way doesn’t it?
However, there are thousands of inspiring stories that come from these events, try watching the London Marathon coverage on the BBC without feeling inspired and motivated to take on a challenge of your own. Hearing what pushes people to push themselves, what drives them to tackle something so mammoth is one of my favorite things to do!
When we think about these big events, we may think of the professional names, the fast runners but the true stories of inspiration come from the general entry. The everyday folk, the mass of ordinary people striving to do the extraordinary.
It is not about the people with shoe deals but the ones who pull out a pair of dusty running shoes in trepidation from under the stairs, when one morning they open up their inbox to find a message telling them they are in. Shocked, apprehensive and excited for what is to come.
So how can we use these stories, of everyday people, of your staff and colleagues to help inspire your children to keep moving. To understand and appreciate wellbeing through movement.
One of the simplest and easiest ways is to get them to speak to their class and in assemblies. Let the children know the scale of what they are working towards , the discipline it will take and the work they will need to put in place to reach it!
You can link it to your curriculum lessons, support them with fundraising, and host your own mini marathons. The options are endless and the memories you will give the children will last forever.
I still remember being in year 2 and one of the other children’s dads had run the London Marathon. He came into our assembly with his medal and the big Flora foil blanket. I still remember that to this day, is it why I run now? Who knows, but it must have left a deep imprint on me to remember it all these years later.
Imagine giving that gift to even one child, by showing them the things we are capable of – even when it might not look like it at the beginning.
“The miracle isn’t that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.
”John Bingham,
teachersrunclub.com 