Sometimes it’s fun to feel like a superhero. I kind of felt like one a few times this week at school when I was telling the kids why Spiderman was wearing a medal (my medal from Pumpkinman 70.3 last weekend). I didn’t bring in the medal to show off. I brought it in to show them that I did it – and that I persevered. I had told them about this race last year when I signed up for it.

One of the signs on my classroom wall says “Progress Beats Perfection”. I point to that sign several times every day. Sometimes schoolwork is hard, and kids would rather give up than get things wrong a few times before they make progress. I love to show them, in as many ways as possible, that when things are hard, we try harder, we work harder, and we eventually make progress toward our goals. So I told them about the triathlon. The first question from every class: “Did you win?” Hahahaha, nope. “Did you come in second? What place did you come in?” They were so confused when I told them that I didn’t know, nor care what I placed. My competition was only against myself, and my place in this race as compared to my last one, showed that I had, in fact, made progress in my training. That progress is all I care about – for myself, and for them.

Now, time to start making progress on my running for Marine Corps Marathon!