Inspiring The Youngsters

Almost a week ago Sunday I had the great honor of speaking to a small group of 9-year-olds about running a marathon. With very little knowledge of what kids at 9 years of age are like, I was very nervous. I spent most of the day Sunday trying to prepare. I decided that I would try to speak mostly in Russian. No, not as a joke. All of these kids were children of Russian immigrants like me (except that all of them were born in US), and all of us could use a little more language practice.

When I walked into the little classroom, the chatter did not die down, and I was thankful. I was very afraid of the cold expecting silence staring me in the face. Instead, I could hardly finish a sentence before little hands shot up in the air with questions ready. The kids wanted to know everything, and the questions anything and everything you could possible think of—silly, and thoughtful, and funny.

• How much money can you win?
• Is the trophy 7 feet tall?
• Do you get annoyed by little kids holding out drinks and orange slices along the course?
• Do you have to pay for the water along the course?
• How old do you have to be to enter in a marathon race?

As I was leaving a little girl stopped me and said, “Was it fun?” Her question made me feel sad, as I realized that I forgot to tell them how much fun it was to train for and run the Adirondack Marathon, and how much fun I am having right now training for Boston.

Talking to the kids was a very rewarding experience, and I hope they will go watch the Boston marathon this year with a renewed interest.