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By MARY EVA CASSADA
Special to The News & Record
Ryn Morrison, a 42-year-old mother of five, hopes to run 100 miles later
this month, raise thousands of dollars for new school playground equipment –
and inspire school kids to get moving.
Consider 100 miles: the distance from South Boston to Richmond, a month of
your own puny three-mile daily jogs, nearly four back-to-back marathons.
Morrison, who’s run nine marathons and one 50K, said the Umstead 100 in
Raleigh on March 31-April 1 is a monster unto itself, requiring a grueling
training regimen and a huge outlay of time.
Right now, she’s doing 8-10 miles weekday runs, plus 20 on Saturdays and 30
on Sunday. She has a professional coach in Charlottesville, no training
partner, eats right and takes no pills, medicine or even vitamins.
And how does this paragon of fitness feel?
“Very tired,” she admitted.
Runners have 30 hours to finish the Umstead 100, during which it’s perfectly
acceptable to rest, medicate blisters and eat. In fact, it’s the eating
that’s throwing her. Unlike in marathons, where it’s the hydration that’s
key, an ultra demands regular caloric intake, preferably without the side
effect of making a jostling stomach queasy.
The hilly course is set up in eight 12.5-mile laps, which makes the ordeal
psychologically easier, she said.
Once night falls, runners have a companion, called a pacer, for safety.
The money
Morrison is an old hand at using her feet to raise funds: Twice before the
“marathon mom” has garnered between $3,000 and $3,500 (both times for
Washington-Coleman Elementary) by tying her running to pledges from
businesses and students.
This go-round, pledges are sought from businesses and Washington-Coleman
students plus pupils in grades 3 and 4 at C.H. Friend – those who will, in
August, merge into the brand-new South Boston Elementary.
The school system has set aside $50,000 for each new playground (the other
being at Cluster Springs’), but the South Boston PTOs want more, and
playground equipment is not cheap.
Beyond monkey bars
The playground equipment chosen isn’t like in grandma’s day (for starters,
there are no swings – too dangerous, not enough space) but includes
fun-looking contraptions to climb on, jump from and slide down. Actually,
there are two playground groupings per school, one for the younger set and
one for the older.
Halifax County Public Schools’ Dr. Melanie Stanley, herself a former P.E.
teacher, said the equipment typically will be used for recess, not P.E.
“This is not to say that the physical education teacher will never use the
playground equipment, because we have selected pieces that will help develop
upper-body strength, balance and agility,” she said in an e-mail.
In an era of chubby, sedentary children, playground equipment is seen not as
fluff but as essential.
“Research indicates that play is an important component of a child's
development. By providing playground equipment, we provide students with
opportunities to climb, explore and pretend. Recess is an integral component
in that during this time of free play, students have the opportunity to
develop cognitively, socially, emotionally and physically,” said Stanley.
As for the old stuff, “Based on an evaluation of the present equipment at
the four elementary schools that will be closed to form the two new schools,
it was deemed that new playground equipment should be placed at the new
elementary schools. We are currently discussing the possibility of moving
some pieces of equipment, but some of the equipment is outdated and not as
safe as the new materials,” said Stanley.
The pieces – which bear some resemblance to the playgrounds at Edmunds or
Staunton River State parks – may be seen online at http://soborunclub.tripod.com/playground/.
The finish line
While Morrison is wearing the soles off her track shoes, Washington-Coleman
kids are also in training – doing 100 miles in small increments.
Once Morrison reaches her goal, and the students theirs, the two will come
together for a medal ceremony much as they did a few years ago after a
marathon fund-raiser.
Morrison said her husband, friends and children – ages 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 – have
been supportive, though her husband, Robert Morrison, told her: “This is the
only one you’re ever doing.”
And what, for goodness sake, will be her next challenge? What’s left?
She’s been thinking about it, to no avail.
“Let me decide after,” she said.
Surprisingly, Morrison’s focus on the race course won’t be exclusively on
running, but on another sport: “That’s a Final Four weekend, and I gotta
listen to basketball.”
Pledges may be sent to Washington-Coleman Elementary School PTO, 1927
Jeffress Blvd., South Boston VA 24592. Or call 572-4273.
By MARY EVA CASSADA
Special to The News & Record
Ryn Morrison, a 42-year-old mother of five, hopes to run 100 miles later this month, raise thousands of dollars for new school playground equipment – and inspire school kids to get moving.
Consider 100 miles: the distance from South Boston to Richmond, a month of your own puny three-mile daily jogs, nearly four back-to-back marathons.
Morrison, who’s run nine marathons and one 50K, said the Umstead 100 in Raleigh on March 31-April 1 is a monster unto itself, requiring a grueling training regimen and a huge outlay of time.
Right now, she’s doing 8-10 miles weekday runs, plus 20 on Saturdays and 30 on Sunday. She has a professional coach in Charlottesville, no training partner, eats right and takes no pills, medicine or even vitamins.
And how does this paragon of fitness feel?
“Very tired,” she admitted.
Runners have 30 hours to finish the Umstead 100, during which it’s perfectly acceptable to rest, medicate blisters and eat. In fact, it’s the eating that’s throwing her. Unlike in marathons, where it’s the hydration that’s key, an ultra demands regular caloric intake, preferably without the side effect of making a jostling stomach queasy.
The hilly course is set up in eight 12.5-mile laps, which makes the ordeal psychologically easier, she said.
Once night falls, runners have a companion, called a pacer, for safety.
The money
Morrison is an old hand at using her feet to raise funds: Twice before the “marathon mom” has garnered between $3,000 and $3,500 (both times for Washington-Coleman Elementary) by tying her running to pledges from businesses and students.
This go-round, pledges are sought from businesses and Washington-Coleman students plus pupils in grades 3 and 4 at C.H. Friend – those who will, in August, merge into the brand-new South Boston Elementary.
The school system has set aside $50,000 for each new playground (the other being at Cluster Springs’), but the South Boston PTOs want more, and playground equipment is not cheap.
Beyond monkey bars
The playground equipment chosen isn’t like in grandma’s day (for starters, there are no swings – too dangerous, not enough space) but includes fun-looking contraptions to climb on, jump from and slide down. Actually, there are two playground groupings per school, one for the younger set and one for the older.
Halifax County Public Schools’ Dr. Melanie Stanley, herself a former P.E. teacher, said the equipment typically will be used for recess, not P.E.
“This is not to say that the physical education teacher will never use the playground equipment, because we have selected pieces that will help develop upper-body strength, balance and agility,” she said in an e-mail.
In an era of chubby, sedentary children, playground equipment is seen not as fluff but as essential.
“Research indicates that play is an important component of a child's development. By providing playground equipment, we provide students with opportunities to climb, explore and pretend. Recess is an integral component in that during this time of free play, students have the opportunity to develop cognitively, socially, emotionally and physically,” said Stanley.
As for the old stuff, “Based on an evaluation of the present equipment at the four elementary schools that will be closed to form the two new schools, it was deemed that new playground equipment should be placed at the new elementary schools. We are currently discussing the possibility of moving some pieces of equipment, but some of the equipment is outdated and not as safe as the new materials,” said Stanley.
The pieces – which bear some resemblance to the playgrounds at Edmunds or Staunton River State parks – may be seen online at http://soborunclub.tripod.com/playground/.
The finish line
While Morrison is wearing the soles off her track shoes, Washington-Coleman kids are also in training – doing 100 miles in small increments.
Once Morrison reaches her goal, and the students theirs, the two will come together for a medal ceremony much as they did a few years ago after a marathon fund-raiser.
Morrison said her husband, friends and children – ages 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 – have been supportive, though her husband, Robert Morrison, told her: “This is the only one you’re ever doing.”
And what, for goodness sake, will be her next challenge? What’s left?
She’s been thinking about it, to no avail.
“Let me decide after,” she said.
Surprisingly, Morrison’s focus on the race course won’t be exclusively on running, but on another sport: “That’s a Final Four weekend, and I gotta listen to basketball.”
Pledges may be sent to Washington-Coleman Elementary School PTO, 1927 Jeffress Blvd., South Boston VA 24592. Or call 572-4273.