Courtesy of Kristin Clark
Kristin Clark
In training for her 17th marathon, Rachel Simpson was prepared to log many miles in all sorts of weather.
But she wasn’t as comfortable with sharing selfies and other social media posts about her training, which was part of her participation on an all-teacher team that will be running the Boston Marathon on April 16.
Simpson, who teaches physical education at the Wilson School in Clayton, is one of 17 teachers, selected from a pool of more than 1,600 applicants, who will be part of the Hyland’s Inc. training team. Kristin Clark, a librarian at Ballwin Elementary School in the Rockwood School District, will also be a member of the team, and both had to publicize their progress on social media.
“It was challenging, because I’m not a huge social media person to begin with," says Simpson, who ran the Boston Marathon in 2008 and 2010. "So it really made me reflect on my teaching, my running, my experience as a coach for the Let Me Run program and Girls on the Run, and I think it’s changed my perspective."
Courtesy of Rachel Simpson
Rachel Simpson
She adds, “Here, I was given homework that really made me think, and it helped me relate to what our students go through. For me, it really pushed me out of my comfort zone, but in a good way. We need that as adults, and I don’t think we always get that opportunity.”
As the only teacher in the group who coaches for Let Me Run, Simpson says she hopes her public posts and participation on the Hyland’s team increases awareness for Let Me Run, a program aimed at “preparing boys for the long run” by boosting self-esteem and encouraging self-expression and goal-setting, among other objectives—including training for a 5K.
Courtesy of Rachel Simpson
Rachel Simpson and her Let Me Run team
Each member of the Hyland’s training team also received an individualized training schedule from well-known running coach Mike Ehredt. The personalized plan is a first for Simpson, who had always relied on generic plans offered online to train in the past.
“It just felt like the perfect time to get excited about another marathon,” she says. “It had been a couple of years since I’d run one, so this seemed like a great opportunity”
Clark said she looks forward to connecting with other educators who share her passion for running in a few weeks. (She and Simpson have already met and run together at Forest Park.) In addition to her job as a librarian, Clark serves as the program director and a coach for the Girls on the Run program, which is similar to Let Me Run, at her school. Personally, she has run 13 half marathons.
Courtesy of Kristin Clark
Kristin Clark and her Girls on the Run team
The Boston Marathon will be her third full 26.2-mile race, and Clark says the social media sharing also added to her training experience.
“This really made me think beyond the miles and more about the mental part of the journey and everything that goes into training for a marathon,” she says.
Clark, who has a 5-year-old daughter, says time management has been her biggest training challenge. She found room for longer runs in her schedule with the help of her husband, family, and friends, and hopes she’s passing on a lesson in goal-setting to her students, as well as showing them the positive power of social media.
“I’m taking this love I have for running and trying to share it with others,” she says. “It’s an awesome lesson to teach kids about being good digital citizens and how to use digital technology in a productive way.”
