One last race. One last 7 am wake up. That's what happened in early April, as Youth Run had the last race of the year at the Freret 5k. It was a triumph in that all the kids finished, and apparently had a good time (free froyo at the end of the race helps with that), and as always their enthusiasm for the race led them to overestimate their abilities. A group of the girls (as a reminder, they're all 3rd and 4th graders) were adamant that they could handle an 8-minute mile pace. This proved to be a lesson in their limitations (8-minute miles were not achieved), but that didn't stop us from having a blast for the whole 5k. While they were tired through the second half of the race, we played a game of "Next", whereby everyone jogs in a line and the last person runs to the front. It worked, and all the kids ran across the finish.
Like all good things that ultimately end, the goodbye was bittersweet. Last week we had our last Youth Run practice of the year, replacing running with a pizza party. Sure, health is a tenet of Youth Run, but what kid looks at a kale party as a reward? Cat from the Youth Run office brought coloring sheets with sneakers on them for the kids to decorate, and they really got into it. Though leaving Good Shepherd for the last time (regardless of whether or not I can do Youth Run next year, the school is moving buildings) was a little bit weird, I'm really proud of what the kids have been able to accomplish, and I'm extremely glad to have been a part of it. I've spoken a lot about the kids, but part of this blog owes space to my fellow coaches, Catherine and Hannah. I'm honored to have been able to work with them over the past several months.

April total: 10 hours
Spring semester total: 51
Year total: 92

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