School ended 15 minutes earlier, but 178 teenagers crowded the hallway outside Liberty High School's Main Office. <\/p>\n
Wednesday was the second day for the school's Liberty Fit program, an after-school club that trains students and their families to run the Helvetia Half-Marathon. The students who run aren't typical athletes. Most had never run even a mile. But one by one, they listened as health teacher Laurie Jenkins made her pitch. Then they signed up. <\/p>\n
When I first wrote about the club last school year, I couldn't believe that Jenkins was that persuasive. No way a teacher would have convinced me to run 13 miles in high school, I thought. My mom used to write notes to excuse me from running a mile in PE. <\/p>\n
\"Are you serious?\" I asked junior Tony Lopez. \"That's the only reason? A teacher asked you?\" <\/p>\n
But over the next few months, Jenkins sent me emails, suggesting I join the Liberty Fit crew. With this year's club still five months away from starting, she ended an email about a grant the school won with, \"The invitation is still there to come join us. :-)\" <\/p>\n
Jenkins is a lifelong runner who will run the prestigious Boston Marathon for a second time this year. Maybe marathons have taught her the power of enduring. Though I demurred several times, she continued to invite me to run with the group. Even if I didn't come to every practice, she said, she believed I could become a runner. <\/p>\n
She wore me down. I wrote the club's starting date in my calendar and decided to try running with the students at least once. Wednesday morning I started begrudging my pledge. Fat snow drops splatted against my windshield as I drove to Hillsboro. But Jenkins has a power -- the kind that could convince a Southern girl like me to scamper through the snow. <\/p>\n
By Wednesday afternoon, the snow had disappeared, though, and I stood in running pants as Jenkins delivered this year's pep talk. Pacing is important, she told us. <\/p>\n
\"You never want to come in from Liberty Fit tired,\" she said. \"It's not fun when you're tired, and it's not correct.\" <\/p>\n
We set off. \"Twenty minutes,\" I thought. \"I can do this.\" <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Link: School ended 15 minutes earlier, but 178 teenagers crowded the hallway outside Liberty High School's Main Office. Wednesday was the second day for the school's Liberty Fit program, an after-school club that trains students and their families to run the Helvetia Half-Marathon. Continue reading
\nLiberty High School begins after-school running club Liberty Fit<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"