Picking up from yesterday –
So, I’m all “sure, I can hold these kids back” Bahaha. Sorry, I just had to laugh one more time, because this idea truly is preposterous.
Thankfully, the person in charge totally knew the human chain was actually necessary, and she rounded up more volunteers for us. As the day went on and the kids came our way, I learned that generally, they push and shove their way forward. They are not patient.
If they saw other kids at the start line, they wanted to be there too! Forget this whole different heats business.
As I explained to the children in a fun, overly-dramatic way while we were waiting, “I know. I know, it’s soooo hard! Every time I do a marathon, I’m always antsy and ready to just get this thing started already! I waited and waited the months to get here, training along the one. Today’s my day. It’s my moment. I’m ready to go right now. So, I get it.” (I do.)
I followed that up with, “but in order for you to really have your moment and be able to go across the finish line with space to take it all in and revel in it, you gotta let people go in heats. Otherwise, it’s gonna be a mess. You’re gonna trip over each other [of course pantomiming this stuff as I’m saying it]. And it’s gonna be rough. You waited all this time. I know – I know you can wait 5 more minutes.”
That talk and energy and logic sort of, kind of worked. But kids were still wildly impatient. They kept wanting to go. In the end, I might even be a little glad that I was the on-deck area instead of the start line, because I heard the impatience level was even worse at the start itself!
So, basically my day was spent doing my very best to basically placate impatient children over and over and over and over again – which was totally fine with me. I was an elf at Macy’s Santaland. I have spent many a day saying the same information over and over while trying to entertain bored and/or antsy, impatient kids.
I also tried reinforcing the messages of the program. I kept asking what they learned about exercise or nutrition or themselves during this marathon. They generally seemed to get pretty into that.
And this is where I’ll pick up tomorrow.