#AbbottDash5K Competing Against Myself

At the ripe age of 43 (which might also be my waist size at this point), I decided it was time to put myself to the test and run a race.  After some "prodding" by my friend and colleague in my school district, I registered for the Abbott Dash to the Finish 5K Race.

I guess since I got called out on Twitter, I will have to join in the fun! J/K
Of course you can count me in!!! The #D1RunCrew will #Own the Abbott Dash this year. Woot Woot!

— Bryan Glover □ (@BryanGDIT) October 22, 2018

Friendly Fire Peer Pressure

I have been going to the gym regularly in an effort to improve myself mentally more than physically.  And I have been feeling a difference.  It keeps me going back.  Having a partner in my office, Elvis, that pushed me to keep going has been a big influence, also.  

Only in my 40s did I begin running at anything close to regularity in my life.  I was inspired by the push for improved wellness by Principal Sarah.  I have grown to love the days I choose to run through the park rather than using elliptical machines in the gym.  The park is beautiful; the run is relaxing and refreshing.

What's really great about my exercising for better mental health experience is the new ways of connecting with the people around me.  I learn about the importance of stretching.  I talk about the improving state of mind.  When you are doing something new, surround yourself with people who are smarter than you are at that task.  You will be happy you did.

"... it's amazing what you can pick up if you hang out with bright people."
Ebon Upton, creator of Rasdpberry Pi
from article "Making magazines", page 98, The MagPi, issue 75, Nov 2018
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My Only Competition

I ran the race.  I never expected to win.  My pace has consistently been about 12-12.5 minutes per mile.  Pair that with old knees and ankles, and there is no competition to be considered when thinking about my place at the finish line.

As I began the run at the start line, I started off fast.  I remembered wise words from Sarah about saving some energy for the uphill climb in Central Park, but I was pumped to be off and running.  I had my best friends tunes playing in my ears (see SoundCloud below).  I pushed past the moment I always get at the start of a run where it feels like I can't keep up with my breath.  I stabilized my breathing and my pace, and I was good.

At moments where I thought I couldn't keep running, I had other runners, folx on the side of the race cheering, some dank-ass break beats, and my desire to best my own time all working in unison to keep me from stopping to walk.  I finished this race with my best personal time and mile pace.  Unexpectedly, I ran an 11:37 mile.  Yeah, slow for some, but it was my fastest time since I started running (off and on) about a 6 months ago.  It was significantly faster than my time in the Run for the Wild at the Bronx Zoo about 8 years ago.  And no walking.  I was damn proud of myself.

All of this has me thinking about competitions in the classroom this morning.  They can be fun, but we need to help young people think more about how they can improve themselves, learning to compete against their own "pace" of work - whatever the task might be.  

Alfie Kohn writes frequently about the importance of intrinsic motivation and the research that shows that extrinsic rewards are ineffective at best, and at worst they are detrimental to progress and learning.  Dr. J. Stuart Ablon writes about this effect when working with young people to improve behaviors in his book Changeable. 

How can we create conditions for learning that inspire students to want to better themselves and value their learning experience, not a reward (i.e. grade) they might earn at the end?  

I would love to hear examples of how you have helped create conditions to inspire intrinsic motivation for learning.  How have you set the stage for students to want to learn more?