My First Marathon - The Race (Part 3 of 3)

 

So many people have asked me about how things actually went the day of the race, so I thought that would be a good end to this series. The night before, I had a meal of zucchini with pasta sauce, veggies, chickpeas and walnuts along with three generous portions of homemade sour dough bread! After enjoying this delicious meal, I went to my friend's hotel room because she had a bathtub and we did not in our historic boutique hotel. The reason this is important is because I took an ice bath! This is not the most pleasant experience in the world, but I have done a few now, and it truly helps with inflammation.  

After that invigorating experience, I went back to our room and began setting out my racing gear. I then did some yoga poses and headed to bed around 10pm. 

I set my alarm for 4:45 am but turned it off and slept for another 15 minutes. I then got up and put on my clothes, followed by warming up my knees with heating pads and moist washcloths for about 20 minutes. While I did this, I engaged in meditation. Once again, I visualized what it would be like to cross the finish line. I imagined how I would feel and sat with that for awhile. I then ate my normal banana and peanut butter for breakfast! My body is used to this routine and I was able to eliminate before the race! Super important! :) I headed out and arrived at 6:30 am with the race to begin at 7:30 am. 

Anne' and I warmed up with some morning yoga by the river as we watched the sun rise. It was absolutely beautiful! 

I packed the things I take on every single run --- I did not want to deviate from what I was accustomed to having on my runs. So I took my handheld Nathan water bottle with the pouch holding some Stinger Energy Gummies, three ibuprofen, my earbuds, and a maple syrup gel. I also wore my belt that holds my iPhone. I stashed a Noka Superfood Smoothie in the pouch of my shorts for my nutrition. I have not done very well with GU and Gels. They make me nauseous and I have even thrown up before after having a GU. The Noka works well for me when I am on my long runs. It is real food that I am used to having. I highly recommend! They are quite a bit larger than a gel, so you have to have a way to stash it on your run. 

Before I knew it, it was time to line up at the gate! Oh how I love this energy! Anne' and I pushed forward. I felt confident and a sense of exhilaration! We took off and Anne' and I enjoyed the course! We passed corn fields and then went into the cutest neighborhood. The support of this race is incredible and we appreciated all the cheers, high fives and signs along the way! One couple even provided Mimosas for the runners! I loved the humor! I had some of my superfood smoothie at about mile seven. This is also where they had GUs available so I went ahead and snatched one just in case! Additionally, I had water in my water bottle that I sipped along the way and was careful to make sure I drank gatorade at each station that it was available in. We kept a great pace and suddenly we were running up the hill that signaled we were getting close to her half marathon finish. We walked quickly on part of the hill and picked right back up with our running. In what seemed like no time at all, we saw the sign for me to split off from her and we said goodbye as we parted. The first half just flew by and I was feeling very strong! In fact, I thought to myself, "the best way to train for a half marathon was to train for a marathon because it wasn't nearly as difficult for me this year." 

I was afraid my husband would not know where to find me since we split off, but my fear was in vain as I rounded a corner and saw him standing there with our dog and the signs my students from school had made for me! This gave me a jolt of energy and filled my heart with such love and appreciation! It just meant so much to see him there and to see their signatures and words of encouragement! 

At this point, I had more of my superfood smoothie, a stinger gummy and put in my earbuds. Now one of the things I love doing on my long runs is listening to audiobooks and podcasts. So the book I decided to listen to for the second half of my marathon was the book Endure by Alex Hutchinson. This was very much on purpose! I was listening to a book about how people can endure more than their minds are willing to accept. It was awesome and kept my mind occupied with the research on precisely why I could finish this run! 

This part of the race was very quiet. We were off the roads and onto the Katy Trail. The runners thinned out significantly from the half marathon. The trail was beautiful and I enjoyed the peacefulness. I came to the bridge crossing the river and that was another hill to conquer. I had taken all of my Noka Superfood Smoothie and knew that I needed more fuel for that hill. This is when I had my maple syrup gel. It was definitely nice running down that hill, but I knew that meant I would also be going back up again! When I got to the turnaround at mile 19, I thought I should go to the bathroom since I had continued to sip my water and stop for Gatorade, and I needed to fuel again. Good thing I snatched that GU, because that is all I had left besides my Stinger gummies. As much as I hated to take that GU, I did (and it did make feel a bit nauseous, but I worked through it). Sadly, stopping at the bathroom was unnecessary as I had been sweating everything out. Rats! I wasted time on that! 

I had to walk up part of the hill and back over the river. I was a bit tired, but I never hit a wall, and nothing cramped up on me. At mile 20, I told myself, "this is just a Saturday morning run left! You've got this!" When I hit mile 22, a surge of emotion hit me and I got very teary-eyed. At this point, I actually said outloud --- "I'm really going to finish the marathon! I'm F-ing finishing this marathon! This is just a Monday night run left to go! Easy!" At this point, I switched from my audio book to my inspirational music playlist. It includes songs like Brave - Sara Bareilles, Times Like These - Foo Fighters, This Is Me - Keala Settle, Good As Hell - Lizzo, High Hopes - Panic At the Disco, We are Warriors - Avril Lavigne, What If - India.Arie, Love Myself - Hailee Steinfeld, to name a few. 

At Mile 25, Anne' and her daughter Theron came running up to me with hugs and they ran a few feet with me! That was an amazing boost! I got to what I thought was the end, only to have to make a turn and run some more! LOL! I then caught a glimpse of my husband and that finish line and began to book it! I was ALL smiles! I felt amazing! What an incredible feeling that is so hard to put into words! I finished in 5 hours and 3 minutes. I was hoping to finish in 4 hours, 59 minutes! But man, I will take it! I did not think this was bad at all for a person who has only been running 2 1/2 years and completing their first marathon. 

Then after the exhilaration, I limped to the stretching tent and got some ice for the knees. I got hugs from my crew before they took off, and then slowly walked over to ring the giant cowbell while eating my banana. 

WHAT. A. RUSH!!!

Not wanting to cramp my legs up for four hours on a ride home, we stayed another night and left in the morning! Once I got back into Kansas City, I went to have some bodywork done and promptly left to make it to our parent teacher conferences that began at 4:30pm that night. I walked (not limped) right in, a very happy principal! 

People ask me how it felt to finish. My reply is "Accomplished, sore and hungry!" The next question they ask me is, "Would you do it again?" My response? "Absolutely!" :) 

 

My First Marathon - The Mindset (Part 2 of 3)

 

So we left off at the mind/body connection in Part 1. I neglected to share a couple of important components regarding my training. Along with all the things I wrote about, I was also taking very good care of my body with bodywork. I was going twice a week to F.I.T. Muscle and Joint and getting soft tissue work, blood flow restriction therapy, dry needling and exercises assigned by the awesome Alex Beltrame. He also let me use these incredible recovery boots after my runs! They are the bomb diggety! 

Additionally, I got some massages along the way from the beautiful Jocelyn Costa, visited my amazing Sports Doc Isaac Combs, in Lawrence and saw my chiropractor, Dr. Taylor Phipps! I engaged in strength training sessions three times a week with my long time friend and trainer, Denise Sarver and used the heck out of the Sally McRae App. I wanted my body to be in the best possible health! 

Having confidence that I was taking the very best care of my physical body that I could, helped me to approach the marathon with a positive mindset and spirit!

I began my mindset work by going into meditation and envisioning myself as a marathon runner. Having read all the books I shared in Part 1, I knew that I was doing everything possible to have my body physically ready, but I also knew the most difficult work would happen in my mind. 

I engage in daily meditation. Sometimes it is just a few minutes, and sometimes it lasts for 30 minutes or more. During my meditation as I was training, I would see myself crossing that finish line. I would practice feeling what that was like. I could see the facial expression I would have, and feel the accomplishment I would feel. I would practice in my mind what it might feel like to want to give up along the way, and how I would overcome that. I gave up my negative self-talk about my ability as a runner and began telling myself that I was an excellent runner and that I had been a runner all along, and just didn't know it. I gave myself kuddos for meeting my goals, increasing my mileage, and hitting new times. Similarly to Deena Kastor, my positive self talk and flipping negative beliefs about myself helped me to better handle disappointments and tough runs. She explains in her book, Let Your Mind Run,  

"By identifying a thought that was holding me back and replacing it with a new one to help me forward, I undid years of self-destructive thinking patterns that had left me unhappy and injury prone. And I built better mental habits that not only propelled my success but also prepared me to handle setbacks and challenges." 

The crazy thing about this process is that it not only increased my confidence as a runner, but it increased my confidence in other areas of my life and I have just been happier! Running makes me happy! :) 

(Screen shot from Bank of America Chicago Marathon Facebook Post, that includes Deena Kastor along with the incredible Emily Sisson, Joean Benoit Samuelson and Keira D'Amato) 

Another part of this mindset work revolved around the concept of pain. I know that our brains can play tricks on us and I had read the research regarding pain. In fact, I used to think the saying, “No pain, no gain” was just horrible! However, through the process of training for this marathon, I now have a new appreciation and understanding of pain. Last year as I was training for my first half marathon, I was terrified that if I felt pain, something in my body was broken or damaged. This caused me to stop doing what I was doing...running. Now that is kind of the purpose of pain, right? To make you stop? You put your hand on a hot stove, you get some pain, and you stop putting your hand on the stove. That is one way our pain protects us. But having the strength to endure pain can also produce something beautiful. For example, the pain of childbirth. Honestly, through the pain of my divorce, I gained my life back and eventually gained the husband I kept. ;)  There was a price to pay, but it was worth it. Similarly, training for this marathon was not easy and there was definitely a price to pay, and it definitely involved some level of pain. With the help of my medical and running experts, I learned to recognize when it was ok to run with the pain of my runner's knee (inflammation) without doing any damage, and I learned when I should let my body rest. Through this entire marathon experience, I came to understand my body more intimately and came to understand my mind/body/spirit connection in an entirely different way. It is SO POWERFUL. 

My only regret is that it took me so long to realize I am a runner. The good news is, if I make it to my goal age of 103 years, I have 51 years left to keep running! I am absolutely hooked, and cannot wait for my next marathon. Heck - who knows what else might be next? My marathon experience taught me there is nothing holding me back. I got out of my own way. 

Dr. Amy Casey - Principal - Lover of Her People

I must write a biography as a MAESP Distinguished Principal Honoree. Of course I have writer's block and the biography is due on January 8th. I thought if I blogged about it, it might come easier. So bear with me and thanks for your help! :)

Who is Amy Casey as a leader? What do I want the world to know about me? The following are things I find myself saying to others on a regular basis. Maybe if I explore these sayings with you, I can introduce you to Dr. Amy Casey.  

"Be present. Love your people. Seek first to understand and then to be understood. Be the change you wish to see. Celebrate diversity. Embrace a growth mindset and the power of 'yet.' Have an attitude of gratitude. If we can't live it, it is difficult to teach it. Give 110%."

Be present ~

If you walk into my school, you might find that I am the "gingerbread woman." Catch me if you can. I do my best to be in the trenches. My absolute favorite thing to do as a principal is to be in classrooms observing how what we have been working on in professional development time comes to life with our students. I love conferring with students and asking them, "what did your teacher teach you today?" There is nothing better than hearing the student responses that are a tell-tale sign of the incredible teaching and learning taking place daily. 

I want to be there during difficult times to support my staff. I want them to know that they are not alone and that we are in this together. When my teachers lose faith and feel they can't do something, I want them to know that they can, and I believe in them. I want to support my teachers and grow them as leaders. 

I want my students to know me. From "good morning" greetings, to classroom visits and lunches with students, or crazy dances in the hallways, to lots and lots of hugs, Dr. Casey is here. She is here when you need that hug, she is here when you celebrate your academic growth, she is here when you are so overwhelmed with life and unable to control your emotions. She is here. She is present. 

Love your people ~ 

I love my school and my people. And yes, I tell them that. I tell teachers that I love them. I tell students that I love them. Because I do. And this love is not a fluffy, surface level, "puppies and rainbows" kind of love. This love is the kind that holds people accountable, while lifting them up…not tearing them down. This love is the kind of love that says, "you may not have gotten it today, but I believe you will get it tomorrow." This love is the kind of love that says, "I am not looking for perfection, but I am looking for the best you can do." This is the kind of love that nudges people to fulfill their potential rather than pushing them over the edge. 

Indeed, love is patient and kind. It is not rude or arrogant. It does not insist on its own way. While I have not reached mastery in this endeavor, it is how I strive to lead. I am a human being and on occasion that humanness just comes right on out. However, when I have done my best to lead from this place of love and have a human slip up, I find that my staff and students are much more inclined to forgive me. In love. Because what goes around…comes around.

This love that I have for my learning community is all about connection. I feel connected to my staff, students and family. They are my "village," my "tribe," my "family." 

My top two "rules" as a principal are - 1) Be nice to kids. 2) Be nice to each other. This is how we begin to show our love for our people. 

Seek first to understand and then be understood ~ 

People have different ways of seeing things and that is ok. But if we are constantly trying to make our way known, we aren't really listening. We are exercising a fixed mindset, rather than a growth mindset. If we are constantly trying to defend our point of view as the "correct" way, we have closed ourselves off from others and have closed opportunities to grow together. We put a wedge between us. Some of my best ideas weren't my ideas at all! They came to me from listening and trying to understand others' points of view. 

I have also found that as I am willing to listen to others first, and truly embrace what they are saying, they are more likely to reciprocate. This is the stuff that true Professional Learning Communities are made of. 

Be the change you wish to see ~ 

This is huge. If I don't like the way things are going, as a leader, I must take a look at myself. I am a mirror of those I lead. Are my teachers completely stressed out and overloaded? What have I done to cause that? Am I giving off stressful energy? Am I expecting them to be all zen when I am a mess? Then it is up to me to make that change in myself, first. 

If I want others to be inspired, then I must be that inspiration. If I want others to be innovative, then I must be innovative. If I want others to be committed to our work, they must see my commitment. If I want our students to see adults who look like them at school, then I must be committed to diverse hiring practices. If I want staff to remain calm when students are dealing with trauma in their lives and are acting out, then I must remain calm and understanding. 

This is my greatest responsibility as a leader. I must be the change. 

Celebrate diversity ~

Not embrace. Not tolerate. Celebrate. I see myself as a champion for diversity, social justice and equity. Diversity encompasses race, gender, abilities, religion, sexual orientation, age and thought. How boring would it be if you went to color a picture and every crayon was the same color? It would be very difficult to create a picture of a sunset. How boring would it be if everyone thought exactly like you? There would be nothing to discuss. However, because some people are a certain color, a certain gender, a certain religion, etc., they experience advantages and privileges that others do not. This gets in the way of an equitable education for ALL students. It has been my life's mission to ensure equitable education for ALL of my students. But that begins with the attitudes and beliefs of the adults who work with our diverse students. Want to know more? Here is a link to my dissertation. 

https://mospace.umsystem.edu/xmlui/bitstream/handle/10355/35258/CaseyEffCulRes.pdf;sequence=1

Embrace a growth mindset and the power of 'yet' ~

If you believe you can, you will. If you believe you can't, you won't. This is how powerful our mindset is! Before all the buzz of growth mindset came along, I was pretty sure I learned the most from my biggest mistakes, and there were no wasted life experiences. Now we have research to back this up! We actually learn more from our mistakes than we do from getting a "right" answer. It is not that I am not good at division...I am just not good at division, YET! Perseverance and embracing the "power of yet" are vital skills for us to teach our students if we want them to be successful. And not just for them to be successful academically, but successful in all areas of their lives.  

Have an attitude of gratitude ~

Have you ever been around a person that complains about everything? It just sucks the life out of me. It is very difficult to move forward in a productive manner when people are grumpy and negative about everything. To the best of my ability, I try to find the positive in every circumstance. It doesn't mean that horrible and sad things do not happen, and that you shouldn't feel the emotions of being sad or angry at injustices. But how long do you stay in that place? Can you shift your attitude to think about the things you are grateful for? (This takes me back to being the change you wish to see...) See how much better that feels than being in a perpetual state of complaining?!

If we can't live it, it is difficult to teach it ~

This feels a little bit like "Be the change you wish to see." But it is more than that. When I decided that I was going to pursue becoming a principal, I had been a music teacher for 12 years. The reason I wanted to become a principal was because there were things happening in education that I wanted to change. I was not able to to make those changes as a teacher. I needed to be in a position where I could make those changes possible. 

I had experienced a successful career as a music teacher, but I realized I didn't truly understand what general education classroom teachers faced on a regular basis. How could I lead as a principal if I didn't truly understand the challenges of my staff? I was actually advised that it didn't matter. I was told I had strong leadership skills and that I would make a fine leader. That was not good enough for me. I felt that if I was going to be a good leader, I needed to understand what faced the people I was leading. I needed to walk in their shoes. So I became certified to teach elementary First through Sixth grade. I ended up teaching 5th grade for a year before I became an assistant principal. This was one of the best decisions I made as an educator. It gave me such insight that I never would have had, had I not pursued this! 

This happened again when I was given my first principalship and had to oversee district special education self-contained programs in my building. I did not have a lot of experience with more intense special needs. I reached out to our special education director and asked him to send me to trainings and help me to be a better special education leader. Another great decision I have made as an educator. 

This comes to play in our teaching as well. If we want to teach our students how to be better writers, we need to have a writing life. If we want them to be better readers, we need to share from our reading life. If we want to help them become better mathematicians, are we utilizing the 8 mathematical practices in our own lives? It feels hypocritical if we are not. How can we ask others to do something we are not willing to do?  This is why doing our own assignments before asking students to do them is such a powerful practice. 1) We have walked down the road before them. 2) Our metacognition about our own experience will be helpful as we understand the mental path we took to understand the concept. 3) We can anticipate mistakes and misunderstandings that might occur with our students. This practice of "living it before we teach it" makes for powerful and authentic learning experiences for our students and staff alike.  

Give 110% ~ 

I realize this is mathematically impossible. My point is, always give your very best at everything you do. Show up. Get it done. Persevere. It works better if you are having fun. Love the thing you do, or don't do it. Or if you must do it, at least pretend to love it. (Stop complaining and see "have an attitude of gratitude.")

So there you have it ~ 

This is my essence. I have accomplished several things along the way, such as presenting at numerous conferences, serving on a number district committees, getting my Ph.D., while being a wife and a mother, a bandmate and a Pound instructor. But I don't know that people will remember any of those things. I do know that my people will remember how I made them feel. And I hope you have left your encounters with me feeling valued, loved and cared for. Now please pass it on.