Striding for Success
Faculty Running Club Pursues Team,
Individual Achievements
By: Dana Cazan
and Alex Holachek (March 16, 2006)
You might be inclined to think that the most difficult thing
Ms. Karin Tooze has to do is teach her students correct methods of paragraph
analysis. But you’d be wrong. This English teacher, who less than
six months ago had never run seriously for any distance in her life,
has been training diligently along with other faculty members in
preparation for this week’s Shamrock Virginia Beach Half Marathon.
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“I ran last Saturday. In the rain!” said Tooze enthusiastically,
intimating that hanging participles have nothing on her grueling
practice runs. But Ms. Tooze, and the
eight other teachers on her running club show no signs of slowing
down. “I’m inspired by the determination of the other teachers,” Ms.
Tooze said. “Determined” is certainly an apt adjective to use
when describing the GMHS faculty running club which includes
leader and Spanish teacher Renata Carvalho, technology specialist
Eileen Backofen, science teacher Eurica Chang, English teachers Melissa Raeder, Bridget Dean-Pratt, Pam Ricker-Spicer and Alissa Mears, and ESOL teacher Grace Rissetto all of whom will be running
Sunday. Other club members are math teacher Jennifer Jayson,
Spanish teacher Suzanne Planas, and social studies
teacher Holly Oppman.
It is common knowledge that teachers work consistently for long hours
during the school week, hence the surprise when Ms. Tooze smiled
and stated: “I look forward to getting up on Saturday mornings,” a
time usually reserved for sleeping in and relaxing for working Americans. |
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English teachers Ms. Karin Tooze,
left, Ms. Melissa Raeder,
center, and Spanish teacher Ms. Renata Carvalho are all smiles
following their Veterans’ Day race in Washington, DC,
a few months ago. This Sunday the three, along with other Mason
teachers, will be running a half-marathon in Virginia
Beach. (Photo by Colin Tooze)
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It
is this healthy optimism possessed by her and other teammates that encourages
each of them to pursue such a physically demanding sport even when conditioning
instigates pain. A sense of accomplishment
and a “runner’s high” have also been denoted as prime inspiration when
their tired legs stride along the Capital Crescent Trail in Washington
D.C, regardless of the weather.
Ms. Carvallo, the only really experienced runner of the group—she
sometimes runs to and from George Mason from her home in Washington, D.C., leads the running group and serves as a great example to
her fellow runners, who typically like to run together in a pack. The
Spanish teacher founded the club this year after running solo for many
years. She is a “great motivator” according to Ms. Tooze, an example
of the value of dedication to the sport. Ms. Carvallo somehow managed
to coax teachers who had never before felt the exhaustion and elation
of completing a run anywhere as long as thirteen-plus-miles- long to
join the club.
After striving to do their best at each group practice,
the members travel to the local Starbucks in anticipation of enjoying
quality time with their friends, conversing about personal lives over
fresh coffee and bagels. Friendship
is one of the prominent rewards of the program, along, of course, with
the health benefits and endurance that have greatly increased in the
competitors. Yet, one can not overlook the immense satisfaction they
obtain at the end of a grueling practice or race. As
Tooze genuinely said, “There’s nothing like the end of a run.”
Tell us
what you think.
E-mail lassogmhs@hotmail.com
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