Runners aren't Great at Sitting Still

Last weekend I was given the incredible opportunity to fill an item on my bucket list.  It's an odd item- one that probably most people don't have.  But it was:  Take the Road Runners of America Coaching Certification Class.

Thanks to good friends & an awesome boss, I had the opportunity to spend 18 classroom hours learning how to be a run real live, certified running coach, thereby scratching off one item from that list of mine.

A funny thing happens when you put 30 runners together in a contained space.

Thankfully the RRCA knew who they were dealing with.  They designed the curriculum to have "frequent breaks" and made the curriculum interactive.  However, since most of us were endurance athletes, it wasn't enough.  There was a lot of getting up, moving around, stretching, sitting on therapy balls, and blurting out.

As a behaviorist, I enjoyed observing how my cohorts struggled with sitting still and raising their hands before speaking. In all honesty, it made me feel at peace to know that most runners are like me; hyperactive.  As one of those people struggling to sit still, it sucked, and was really hard work!  However, after 18 hours, I can honestly say, I know a LOT more about running than I did before.

Next up...passing the freakin' test!