Nothing like a surprise---10K road race!

(one of my fav teachers- we speak few words- but she is so nice!)

Surprise! Happy Birth---- NO way it is not a surprised party. Surprise you won 1,000,000 yen- no I didn't win a million yen. And NO big surprises that would spark any major change to my financial situation or my age situation- but more of a mental/spiritual uplifting surprise- a 10k road race. 

(thankfully numbers are pretty universal- but then they split girls and guys- using kanji so I was lost)

This race is completed every year and is a tradition of one of my schools- Jonan Chou- and the Kofu High affiliated with this school. Each year the Jr. High - runs a 10K or 5K - with 400 kids on the cycling road, and the High School does a 100K walk/run marathon. So this year I thought I would just come and enjoy encouraging students running- but after three teachers asked if I wanted to run- Of course I said "YES". (then looked at my clothes and asked to go home quickly to change. So I raced home (yes before the race), and changed into my sweet- Japanese teacher style- Puma Warm up and raced back to school. At 10 o'clock we stretched- and was energized by a cheer team- then was told- 10 mins we will start. AHH the nerves ran high-I figured I was running at the back- "to help the slower students" (because these kids are a good 7 years younger than me and also very small. 

(team ENGLISH- we ran together)

10:29- I walk around the huge group of girls (yes in japan they always separate gender), and said Good Luck- gambete, and was asked so many times- are you running? I said YES, I can! So, the last minute seemed like a million years, and with my uncertainty of this race in the heat and just the safety of all these kids-- BANG!!!

(the school from the soccer field- if you look- kids are in the windows- lots of em!)

10:30 the gun shot off- and we were off- About 200 girls and ME! Many running way to fast- to begin a 10k- (6.2) mile race, and many just shocked I was actually running. We ran up a hill over a bridge down to the cycling road- and ATSUI NE! It was very warm that day- the clouds were out so it was nice to not have the sun blazing us but the wind was very still!

As we ran this race- I was passed and did some passing- My goal was to finish in under 1 hour and run with as many different kids as possible- and Encourage every student!!! I found a few of my English friends- girls who love to speak English and we talked and ran- and then half of the girls stopped- and walked- I was surprised... IS this not a race? (but they do not prep for this race they just do it) so for their safety I say- walk if you feel like it! but I kept going- Then you could tell the boys were let off because they came in swarms and zipped past all the girls- not saying all boys are faster than girls but these boys were RACING- some girls were just doing this because they had to. I was in for both. So we kept going passing parents and them saying_-- EHHH- sensei??? HAII-Eigo no sensei desu! 

(owarimasu- the finish line teachers! how genki!)

Any who- as I was running with students I had this moment of realization (yes i did say that). I was cheering for all students who ran past- I was sweating with the students- checking on them to make sure they were ok-running with them in their immediate struggle-seeing them through the only ways I knew how (through easy Japanese and English encouragement and running). I was able to give and be apart of their lives- to struggle to see them through. It was a defining moment for me a moment that no matter the language barrier there was something we did together- running as a team as a group no one left out. It was so moving- and so hot- but so spiritual in that I felt the light of God through the students (whether they new it or not or believed or not- They are created by the same God I was- the are loved by the same God I am). They kept me going and faster than I thought- I finished in 45 mins- and then had time to go back and finish the race with more students (many who are by themselves- or looking like they were struggling). I just kept running- I was given energy from on High and enjoyed running and seeing kids smile and I know it is sappy but words can't express what I felt... It was a bonding unlike anything I could imagine. 

(again the school- I can just hear the kids- Ms Molly!!!!!)

Also, I was so bold to ask teachers to be in pictures- and show students basically hanging out of the windows- and the fun surroundings I saw while running and cheering for students

(the most ridiculous pic- of the teachers- they are funny!)

Remember: It's not all about you- I have been learning it lots- thanks kids!

~MOlly