I received the following message on my birthday last month, and think this is just the neatest thing ever. It comes from Mrs. Nolan, an amazing woman who I got to know through her son at St. Rita and who I shared many a summer afternoon decorating her classroom, jamming to the Jackson 5, and trying to set a record for most consecutive roller coaster rides ever at Six Flags.

Happy Birthday Becky!!!
Had to send you a birthday message and show you how your blog inspired me to host a club at my school. Last year our PE coach started a running club at school. Every Wednesday during specials all classes would run together during their specials time. Their laps were recorded, leaders posted and toe tokens given. So when I was reading about some of the running clubs you visited it gave me this idea:

Running club goes global!

Calling all running club enthusiasts! Join us as we track Becky and her global adventures as she studies running cultures around the globe. If you are fascinated by your need for speed, your determination for distance and your love of the length of your run; come share your enthusiasm with other Williams Falcons. We will investigate our favorite athletes, track their own global experiences and use everything from snail mail to the web to connect with people around the world who share a passion for athletics!

So last quarter I started “Running Club goes Global”. This also promotes our mission to become an International Baccalaureate program. The kids loved it! So during our open house we shared with our parent visitors a brief summary of your adventures. And also added some information about our own running culture here at Williams Prep. See pictures below:

This is awesome, Mrs. Nolan, and so are you! I was so flattered and excited to see what you’re doing, and I’d love to spend some time with the club when I get back home. Many thanks to you and your students for sharing in my journey!