Why I Love Running, and Why I Introduced It To My Students

When I graduated University, I promised myself two things, one being that I wouldn't ever stop reading, and the second being that I would continue staying active. Throughout university I took English classes that encouraged me to read, and I spent my summers bouncing around in the ocean that kept me beyond fit. Knowing that I would no longer have jobs that I could sneak away from to spend endless hours buoying through the Atlantic I decided I needed to find something else. That something else became running. 

Running quickly became a big part of my life. I introduced my dog to it, and she would jump up and down when she saw my running shoes getting pulled out of my closet. I introduced my friends to it, and we began to sign up for races together. When I moved away from Wilmington and moved to Baton Rouge, I joined a running club, and some of the closest friends I made in Baton Rouge, I met through running. 

Pictured: Zela and one of my friends in Baton Rouge, running the Turkey Trot through downtown BR. 

When I moved to South Africa, I was worried that my running would take the back burner, but instead I fell deeper in love with running. I began to reflect on what running means to me, and why it has become such an important aspect of my life. 

To me running is a way to 

- relax after a long day

- get energized in the morning

- relieve stress 

- help myself generate new ideas and lesson plan

- make new friends

- stay active

- allow myself to eat whatever I want 

- be proud of myself

- motivate myself to work harder

- continue to have a goal in sight

- become strong

- get myself away from watching TV

- become a better person

When I first came to South Africa, a Peace Corps Volunteer who had already been in the country for two years told me that the best way to keep myself motivated is to implement plans that you are already passionate about. To me, that was running, so I decided to start a running group after school once a week. I wanted to give my students that same joy that I got out of running. I wanted my students to have something to be proud of. 

As some people already know, I struggled to get my female students involved due to the lack of sports bras available. Once donations of sports bras came in, I began to see my female students become even more motivated than many of my already involved male students. 

I have one female student in particular that embodies the entire reason why I started a running group. She was one of my students who was struggling in class due to problems that were effecting her outside of the classroom. On the one side she would never interrupt class, but on the other hand, she never got involved in class either. I would find her staring out the window while I attempted to hold class discussions, and other times I would have to track her down and keep her after school to finish half completed assignments and tests. 

Once I gave her a new pair of running shorts, and a donated sports bra, she threw herself into running. She was always the first one to show up for running club, and would encourage the other students to join in. She also showed me the route she ran when I wasn't running with her. 

Although she continued to struggle in school, she began to open up. She took pride in her running, and would speak up more in class. She started getting involved in other activities, like when there was free time in the computer lab, and started coming to girls' group. I saw her hanging out with her peers more, instead of sitting on the sidelines during lunch. 

This is why I wanted to introduce my students to running. Running motivates you, empowers you, and gives you courage. It makes you feel like you can take on any challenge. I wanted my students to be able to have this feeling, especially the ones who are struggling in school. 

Being Sick in Peace Corps: This one's for all those worried momma's out there

Friday morning I woke up with a pain in my lower back, but knowing my mattress I just passed it off as sleeping funny, took some pain pills and went to work. Seeing at it is December, it's almost time for school to let out and work to be done for the Christmas holidays and I didn't want to miss out on precious time with my students and coworkers before I left for Cape Town for vacation. But as the day wore on, my back continued to ache, and I continued to try to ignore it. It was Friday and I was looking forward to a good weekend back in my preservice training village with another peace corps volunteer and my boyfriend. Around five in the afternoon my boyfriend arrived, and we went out to enjoy dinner, and the beginning of the weekend.

On Saturday morning we woke up early to head out to my preservice training village to meet up with my host family. Luckily having my boyfriend with me it would be a three hour drive instead of a five hour taxi ride. I had complained to my boyfriend earlier that morning that my lower back was hurting, and he stated that I should go to the doctors, but knowing that would put us off track for visiting my host family, I took a few more pain tablets, and we were on the road.

We arrived in Matlerekeng around 1pm. I introduced my host family to my now steady South Africa boyfriend. My host brother later commented “You'll probably be angry with me saying this, but I love that you have a South African boyfriend, because that means you can stay in South Africa forever!” I snuggled my host nephews, and kissed my host siblings who I had missed terribly in the past few months. We all got changed quickly, to get ready to go to a wedding one village away. 

 

 

Pictured: My boyfriend meeting my host nephew, Dumi. 

As the night wore on my back continued to be in pain, but I continued to dance at the wedding, and enjoy the food and ciders placed in front of me. Living in the city had made me miss the village weddings filled with dancing, food, and laughter. We chatted with each other, my host sisters filled me in on the gossip, and my host brother continued to ask me advice on asking the girl he had been crushing on for months. 

Pictured: My host brother, Frans, and my boyfriend during the wedding

Pictured: My host sister, Lea, myself and another PCV, Koko.

 

Pictured: My host brother, myself, my boyfriend, and host sister. 

Pictured: Enjoying the wedding festivities.
 

Around eleven it began to pour with rain and everyone began packing up their things. My host siblings were filled with excitement to go out in the city to see a DJ show, but from the rain and my back I told them I would pass and see them the next morning.

The next morning I woke up to excruciating back pain. Whenever I rolled over I hurt, and I couldn't warm myself up. I shivered in pain while my boyfriend rubbed my back hoping the pain would go away. But at 5am, when I started puking he carried me to the car and began the long drive back to site.

I messaged my host siblings, telling them that I was in pain, and was going to go to the hospital (I had warned them already that I wasn't feeling well). When we pulled into my house, Clayton walked me to my bed where I called Peace Corps medical. I told them my symptoms and that amount of pain I was in. They quickly told me where to go for treatment and explained that they would fax over a letter to the hospital so I wouldn't have to pay the hospital fees.

Clayton then helped me back out to the car, and drove me to the hospital. Once admitted, they began administering fluids and explained that I had a bladder infection as well as a fever. They gave me pain meds and antibiotics, and after a few hours, they sent me on my way. On my way home, I called Peace Corps, and told them the diagnosis as well at the medication that I was put on.

Later that week while I was recovering (and after 72 hours of sleeping with moments in between of vomiting and snippets of Futurama), I skyped my mother to tell her how I was feeling. She explained how when she searched sick in the peace corps, all she found were links to PCVs dying in service, and explained that she was worried sick that I was slowly dying of dehydration. Although death does happen in Peace Corps (remember, death can happen anywhere), ailments are treated and Peace Corps Volunteers do get better. I just wanted to post this blog to ease the mind of other worried parents.