Let’s rally and brave the winter TOGETHER!
The purpose of this article is to get your creative juices flowing when the weather is disagreeing with you and your kids’ desires to get out and RUN!
Best thing to remember is this:
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BAD WEATHER
…ONLY THE WRONG CLOTHES.
(I am living proof of this when I travel in the winter-time…)
I need to preface this by saying that:
- I (Kara) am in Southern California and am fully wrapped in a hoodie and gloves when it drops below 70. We all are out here. It’s ridiculous. Just watch the local news for 3 minutes. You will get a good laugh. It’s all true.
- Some regions’ inclement weather comes in other forms: Ridiculously high winds, fire, and extreme heat, etc. These hints and tips work well with these types of weather as well…lousy weather is lousy weather is lousy weather.
- This article highlights the vast differences in policy and the importance of knowing your school policies regarding indoor vs outdoor activity.
- I hope hope hope that our coaches all over the country will share their super-creative ideas for how to make 100 Mile Club® work during these Frrrrrreeeezing Winter Months. The possibilities are endless.
- Snowshoeing anyone?
OK.
First and foremost, you MUST get outside whenever possible and actually log real one-foot-in-front-of-the-other MILES. Bundle up and make it happen.
No whining. No complaining. No excuses. These wild weather miles can sometimes be the most memorable and fun!!
That said, sometimes this is TOTALLY not possible, in which case you must make sure you keep the spirit and journey of 100 Mile Club® alive and progressing.
Here is the biggest and most important thing:
MILES. WITH. INTENTION.
Miles With Intention is a very important concept whenever you are modifying 100 Mile Club® away from its purest form. These kids are on a mission, they have goals, and know when the journey is being cheapened, dismissed, or trivialized. Make sure you are honoring the journey ALWAYS.
There is a HUGE difference between…
“Ugh. Whatever, I’ll just give you guys a mile for this today.” <–this is no good.
VS.
“Ok guys, today because of this weather we are going to have to tweak 100MC a little and run <x number of> laps in the gym and then we are going to _______ and this will count as a mile providing you are working hard and having fun. We will be back outside as soon as we can…I promise.” <– Do you see and feel the difference? So nice and supportive, and still honoring the journey and intention.
Using the Miles With Intention concept during inclement weather will keep your journey real, meaningful, alive, and fun, even if you have to do 100 Mile Club® in the hallways or change up the activity once in a while. Always try and start your modified lousy-weather session with some running/walking if you can…
Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
1. Mark a path (or 2 or 3!) INDOORS in the hallways or outside under awnings. If you have stairs, put these cool stickers on the steps or make little signs to post around… This can be super fun! When else can you “run” in the halls??!
2. Check out these fun little dance breaks! Compilation Credit: Kaylin Bertsch, who is a complete genius for pulling these all together. Count each song 1/4 mile, take a break between subjects, and have a little fun. If the weather is lousy or the day is dragging, inject these little videos in to the day.
3. Do some relays in the gym (if you have one). This is a great link to some ideas for relays that can be done indoors or out.
4. Count a mile for every 20 mins of alternate Moderate to Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA). This is just a nice rule of thumb. Adjust to meet your needs and remember “MILES WITH INTENTION” always.
5. Share ideas with us in our Coaches group or on our FB Page or on Twitter using the hashtag #100mileclub.
100 Mile Club® Coaches: Visit COACHES CORNER and explore the standards-based activities we have curated for you, and share your ideas for utilizing the MILES WITH INTENTION concept during inclement weather in our FB Group…please! We are ALL in this together.
