Second Wind

They say it takes 7 weeks to make things a habit. While it hasn't yet been 7 weeks, we all seem to be getting in the habit of getting out on the road for our daily runs. It's becoming a routine and one that I don't dread but look forward to at the end of what has lately been, a very long day.

Now that I am into my second term teaching, I can see how last term I was really just getting into the routine of things. This term seems to be going much smoother for me. While I work with great co-teachers, these last couple of weeks I really feel like I am making headway in the classes and being an effective and creative teacher. Recently, I have been being much more diligent about making sure homework is turned in, spelling tests are administered and punishments are doled out (instead of making empty threats). While I know these points are making a difference in my student's performance, it means more work. On top of this, we have a lot going on with all the new books that have been donated to the Foundation for our libraries. Running in the evenings gets my mind off work for an hour; relieving my stress.

As Meg and I ran this week, we talked about discipline problems in our classes; discussing what has worked and what really hasn't been effective. Discipline in an Indian classroom with an American as the teacher is often a precarious routine. While it is illegal to hit students, most teachers still do to maintain authority in the classroom. With 70 students in a class, things obviously get out of hand. I don't, under any stretch of the imagination, feel comfortable with hitting students so I have to find more creative ways to illicit their cooperation. On Friday, I put my new disciplinary plan into action - if homework was not brought in in my 9A class, the students would be picking up garbage from the school yard. One girl brought in the assignment. We went over her homework and I gave her one on one help while the rest of the kids picked up their trash that they prefer to throw on the ground; both in the classroom and outside it. Let's see if they bring in Monday's homework...we might have a really clean school yard after next week if not!

More training news to come...it's time to lace up my shoes for a long run....

Week 2

It was a long day; Thursday's are always long for me. In and out of chakras and auto-rickshaws, feeling as if I'm traveling the length of Surat district. The moment I got out on the road though, I felt better. Meg and I are still running in the evenings and for the first time since I've been here, I could see the stars.

Today we ran 2.5 miles at race pace - we don't really know what that is exactly so we just ran at a comfortable pace. The sparkle of stars above us and the sound of crickets in the sugar cane fields entertained us as we ran. The amount of traffic on our "Sugar Cane Lane" is so less at this time of night (I just used and Indian phrase right there. What is happening to me!?); just us, the trucks empty of their sugar crop on the way back home, and bicycles coming at us in the pitch dark. It's a perfect end to a long day.

But, I have another cold - India has completely killed my immune system and I'm exhausted from the long day. Will post more after our long run tomorrow! Happy running everyone...

The Week 1 Endurance Test

It's week 1 and I've already decided that I hate running in the mornings. Lyndi and Drew seem fine with waking up while it's still dark, running through the smoke of villager's cooking fires and sprinting past parked trucks with their drivers either fast asleep at the wheel or looking out their windows at us in incredulous wonder. My feeling is, mornings are for cups of coffee, the newspaper and struggling with my sari.

Meg and I have decided to run in the evenings. It gets dark early here, same as most of the world right now, so we are often jogging towards fast approaching darkness.

We took a new route tonight that took us through the migrant worker's tent village across the river. There, exercise is not something one chooses to do for their health. I wonder if staying 'fit' even crosses their minds. Staying fed is their driver. They work hard in the sugarcane fields all day, the women bend over their wash at the river; beating the life out of their clothes to clean them - why would they want to run on top of that? The crazy white girls are providing some entertainment, that's for sure.

It's still week 1 and I'm feeling pretty good. My legs haven't reached the leaden stage yet. Maybe that won't happen, but I'm guessing it will...

Until next time...

Hitting the Pavement

When my roommate suggested I start training with her for a marathon my first thought was that it was a great idea. We started running during the summer season, before monsoons, and after a few weeks we realized that no matter how early we woke up, it was just too hot to continue it. Then monsoons started up and it was raining nearly 24 hours a day for a good long time. At this point I thought training was a crazy idea.

A vacation full of food in Nepal prompted me to reconsider the marathon training option. That, and we have decided to make it a fundraising opportunity for Nanubhai. The hope is, that people will be interested in reading our daily blogs on training, have an interest in rural education in India, and want to sponsor us to run. Soon, there will be a link on the Nanubhai website (www.nanubhai.org) to this blog and Lyndi, Drew and I will write about our training experience and our experiences in India.

We started yesterday. I always hate getting back into the habit of running. The first weeks are terrible and you want to give up. The weather is cooler, that's for sure, but conditions are still tough. The pollution levels, even out here in the rural areas, are intense and the roads we often run on, not more than a one lane, pot holed path full of stray rocks and buffalo dung. But, it's beautiful. The scenery is constantly changing and running through the villages as they wake up is always an experience.

Completed day 2 today. Muscles are sore from running twice yesterday and probably not stretching properly. Is it time for a day off yet?? Lyndi is a rigid trainer so...probably not. That's what I get for training with an experienced marathon runner...wish me luck.