Racing the Basel 10K

It is not often that you can begin a story, “The first time I ever visited Switzerland, I raced a 10K.” Well, for me, this line rings true. Last Sunday was my first time to ever make a visit to Switzerland. Along with this exciting accomplishment, it was also my first time to ever enter a 10K road race with over 530 competitors. And to add a little more icing to the cake, it was also my first time to ever win an international road race. :) By now, you are probably wanting to hear the rest of the story, so here goes…

Beautiful Basel

It was a chilly September morning in the beautiful city of Basel, Switzerland. Runners from the surrounding regions came pouring into the city, eagerly anticipating the start of the Basel marathon, half marathon, and 10K. Crowds wearing brightly colored spandex, fluorescent warm-up jackets, compression socks, racing flats, wristwatches, and headbands filed in and out of the registration arena. I breathed a sign of relief amongst these exercise-loving, morning-happy runners. Though I may have been thousands of miles away from my home in West Virginia, I knew at once that I had returned to my people.

BFA Teacher Team!

I stood in line with about 12 other BFA teachers who had all decided that they too would like to be part of this ambitious racing endeavor. As we waited to pick up our registration packets, bib numbers, and complementary draw-string bags, I nervously glanced at the clock. It was less than 25 minutes until start time and none of my teacher friends showed any inkling of wanting to go warm up for the race. In fact, it seemed to me that they were all just going to walk to the start line and go. What about a 20 minute warm-up jog, dynamic stretching, form drills, changing shoes, and pre-race strides…what about everything I was ever taught to do before a race? I tried to calm myself down…“this isn’t college, there’s no points, no scoring, no prize money. This is just to have fun. I’m not going to warm-up. I’m not going to change my shoes. And I’m definitely not going to do any drills. Besides, I’m sick. I caught a cold last Friday in school and I shouldn’t be racing anyway. I’m just going to go have a jolly fun time and jog it.”

Well, this attitude lasted a good 6.7 seconds. As soon as I saw the start line with the hundreds of people lined up to race, I knew without a doubt what I was going to do. I was going to try to win the Basel 10K.

By now, it was too late to change into my racing flats, but I could still manage a 4 minute jog around the start area. So jog I did, across the bridge spanning the Rhine River, past the little old lady who smiled at my smile (I like to smile at people when I’m running) and back to the start line. By now, the starting area was really getting crowded. The other BFAers urged me to go up near the front, but the best I could do was somewhere near the middle. In a pack of 538 people (244 women and 294 men), “somewhere near the middle” isn’t very helpful when you are trying to win a race. But it was the best I could do.

Within minutes, the start siren sounded and we were off. Well, more appropriately “they” were off. Since there were so many people, it takes a while to actually get moving. I was boxed in by at least 150 people. Though I was frustrated, I tried to keep my cool. “The pack will open soon…you’ll be able to get around them.” After 3 or 4 seconds (though it felt like an eternity), I finally managed to take a few halting steps forward and was able to slip through a little break in the crowd in front of me. There was a guy nearby who looked just as frustrated as me. He was tall, muscular, and obviously very fit. I could tell that he wanted to get moving too. So I did what every veteran racer would have done in the same situation, I followed his path through the crowd. Within minutes, he had led me safely through the melee and into the freedom of the open road. Now I could begin to formulate a strategy. I needed to catch the lead woman and I needed to do it quickly before she got any further ahead. Seemed simple enough. With the plan in mind, I set out blazing down the Basel roads in order to catch as many women as I could (and any men that happened to be in the way.)  

I was about 2 kilometers into the race and I was still catching women. The strange part was that these women weren’t even running that fast. I couldn’t quite figure out why they would run the first 2K at 6:00-6:15 pace and then would just slow to a leisurely 7:15. Why go out so hard if they weren’t going to be able to maintain it? And to further complicate matters this guy on a bike kept insisting on biking right in front of me. He wasn’t slowing me down or anything, but he kept staying right in front of me and looking back to make sure that I was still there. He had said something to me in German when he caught up to me, but my German skills aren’t refined enough to comprehend much while racing. Not to mention, he had an obvious Swiss accent.

We were getting near the 3K when I noticed some media people starting to get excited. They were pointing towards me and towards a sign that was attached to the front of the man’s bicycle. One of them called to the others, “Schau mal! Die erste Frau!” The bike made a sharp turn around a corner and I was able to catch a glimpse of the sign that was attached to the front. Sure enough, typed in big bold letters on the sign were the words, “10K Lauf 1. Frau.” At last, I was able to put the clues together. I was “die erste Frau” (the first woman), the bike was pacing me, and I was leading the women’s 10K. Those women who I had been so desperately trying to catch for the last 4 kilometers had been half-marathoners who had started their race about 15 minutes prior to the start of the 10K. I didn’t need to play catch up anymore, I was already winning!

Following my bike pacer (I'm in the blue shirt)

I realized then that it was time to put another game plan into action. “Maintain the lead, keep up the pace, and don’t let anyone (man or woman) catch me from behind. Oh, and keep breathing.” The congestion in my chest was not making it easy to breathe and I still had more than half the race to go.

I approached the 5K at about 19:45. By now, my biker friend and I had come up with a good system. When the road would start to get crowded, he would go up a little ways to blaze a trail though the marathoners and half-marathoners. He also was really good at letting the media know which one was “die erste Frau.” If there happened to be another woman nearby when they were about to take a picture, he would always hold up his hand, point behind him and say, “Da hinten!”

Though I was starting to get pretty fatigued, the second half of the race was filled with quite a few highlights. First of all, the scenery was beautiful! What better way to explore Basel than by foot? We made two crossings over the Rhine River and got to enjoy a number of picturesque views of the cityscape.

Racing along the Rhine

The second major highlight was hearing the cheers from the other BFA teachers who were racing. There is a part of the course where the road doubles back and you are able to see the runners who are still coming in the other direction. The cheers of my friends during this section was exactly the encouragement that I needed to keep going. I even had the chance to cheer for them as well!

The third highlight was the encouragement from the local crowd. As I soon discovered, the Swiss do not cheer with the typical American phrases of “good job” and “keep running.” No, they yell something much more inspirational than that. For them, the perfect cheer is the words “hup, hup, hup!” yelled continuously and in great succession. This lively cheer is then interspersed with an occasional, “Jawohl! Jawohl!” I’m definitely planning to take this one back with me to the states. In fact, maybe I’ll try it out on my cross-country runners this weekend. :)

The rest of the race finished in a blur of excitement as I rounded the final bend and took the turn towards the downhill finish line. I had maintained my lead and kept up the pace. Now all I needed to do was finish strong. To help create some additional excitement for the audience, my bike pacer decided to tell the man right in front of me (who I was about to catch mind you) that the first woman was right on his heels. Of course, this sparked some impressive sprinting on his end and I wasn’t quite able to catch him.

I crossed the line in 39:55…nowhere near what I could run in college, but not bad for a weekend in Basel. :) After the race, I attempted to chat with my new racing friends (the biker and the man who beat me to the finish line). It didn’t take long for them to realize that they were going to have to use English if they wanted to have a half decent conversation with me. Luckily, it ended up that they both spoke English really well and were more than happy to accommodate my lack of language skills.

After grabbing some Gatorade, a banana, and a recovery bar, I waited at the finish line to cheer on the rest of my wonderful BFA teammates. For a number of them, it was their first time to ever race anything further than a 5K. I was so proud for what they were able to accomplish!

 

Celebrating after the run with my roommate Hanna

After all the runners had crossed the finish line, a short awards ceremony was held at the center meeting area. I had the opportunity to walk up on the stage and was announced as “Die erste Frau—ein Ausländer aus Deutschland!” (foreigner from Germany). Apparently, they had seen my German address on the race registration and thought that I was German. I was awarded a beautiful bouquet of yellow flowers, a water bottle, a backpack in the shape of a fish, and a gift certificate for a free appointment with a specialized Swiss sports doctor (worth 210 Swiss francs!) Although, I have to admit I am seriously hoping that I never have to use this prize.

On the award's stand

 Overall, it was a wonderful weekend! To me, this race was a stunning reminder of God’s faithfulness. How thankful I am that God would allow me the opportunity to continue doing something that I love so much even in the midst of serving Him in Germany. I thank Him for the talents that He has given me and the opportunity to use these talents to meet new people, build relationships, and glorify Him. Please keep praying for me as I press on to win the prize here in Germany. No, in this case, not the runner’s prize. (Although you probably know that I like winning those as well…) But what I am really referring to is the heavenly prize—the goal of giving my life to serve Christ by teaching, serving, and loving the students here at this school.

A Day in the Life of Miss Lewis

At approximately 8:05 each morning, I step across the threshold of the Garni House and into the wide German world outside my doorstep. My red drawstring bag is in my hand, packed with my cross-country shoes and running clothes. I carefully load the bag into the front basket of my German bicycle, roll the bike out of our garage, and prepare to make my descent down the hill and into “downtown” Kandern. My WVU backpack is strapped to my shoulders and securely packed with textbooks, computer, lunchbox, and anything else I might need for the school day (such as a shopping bag for picking up groceries later at Hieber or an umbrella for the inevitable German rain showers.) On most days, I also have two of my roommates—Johanna and Hanna, the other bicycle riding Garni Girls—at my side and ready to make the great morning commute to BFA.

I arrive on campus between 8:15 and 8:20 each morning (a little bit earlier on the days when we have staff devotions.) Since I teach a first period class, I like to have a little extra prep time before the students arrive. After dropping off my teaching materials and coaching clothes at my office, (yes, I have my own little desk space in the community faculty room!) I run my lunchbox up to the third floor staff kitchen and then proceed to prep the lessons for the day. This might include making photocopies, setting up the projector, organizing materials, entering grades, or just getting the computers turned and warmed up before the start of class.

Students begin to arrive on campus about 8:30 and continue to trickle in all the way up until 8:45 (or later!) when the first warning bell rings. If it’s a Monday, the students file into the BFA auditorium for a short beginning-of-the-week assembly called Matins. This usually includes announcements for the week as well as a short devotional.

Matins runs from 8:50-9:00 and then it’s off to first period. The other days of the week (with the exception of Friday chapel) students report directly to first period for a 10min opening class devotional and prayer time. By 9am, the devos have ended and the regular class schedule is in full swing.

The first class of my morning is Beginner Journalism. We meet on the very top floor of the Janz building in a tiny classroom called JB 32. 

 

Though it may seem small, it works out just fine for my very small class sizes. To me, the low wooden ceiling and large rectangular table in the middle of the room has a nice, homey feel. I like being able to discuss poetry and story ideas seated at this table with my students. I feel that it helps to create a classroom atmosphere of safety and trust. (However, I will admit that my room is not without it’s flaws…it has been mistaken for a closet on a number of occasions.)

With a school of over 300 students, perhaps you are wondering how I ended up with classes that are so small. If you have any experience in today’s high school culture, you will soon discover that the English electives are usually not the most popular of classes. Here is the usual response that I receive when I ask a student if they would ever consider signing up for a creative writing class: “Why would I choose to take a class where I actually have to write?” Interestingly enough, I receive a similar response when I ask a kid why they won’t sign up for cross-country...“Why would I choose to play a sport where I actually have to run?”

I suppose that I never before realized the similarities between writing and running…both can be (and usually are) extremely taxing and time consuming, but both when the right amount of time and effort are invested, can produce the most amazing results. I guess I just love to see the result of hard work. I love to see young people enjoying the journey, learning to push themselves to the limit, and learning to always work to the best of their abilities.

Sorry, I realize that I am off on a major tangent. Back to my schedule. My next class after 1st period Jouranlism is 3rd period Study Hall. What do I love about teaching study hall at an international Christian boarding school? The students actually study! So far, my biggest issue in this class was when a student forgot to sign in with me because she was so eager to go to the library to get all of her homework done. (Seriously, this happened.) Study Hall is also a good time for students to meet with teachers individually, take private music lessons, or meet with the counselor. Seniors have the privilege of signing out of study hall to go to the student center, outside to a picnic table, to the grocery store, or to downtown Kandern. As long as they are back in time for their next class, BFA has an open campus. (Something that I always wish that I had in high school!)

After 3rd period, I have a prep period and then lunch. I typically like to take my lunch with some of the other teachers outside, but since it’s been so rainy and cold lately, I have been eating in the upstairs kitchen. There is always some sort of lively conversation going on in there…which usually involves a discussion of each other’s intriguing dinner left-overs and the ever popular question: "where did you find __[insert random food]__in Germany?"

Directly after lunch is one of my favorite classes of the day: Creative Writing Poetry! I have had so much fun planning lessons for these young writers. They are all so eager and enthusiastic…not to mention talented. I often feel like I am teaching college freshman or sophomores, not juniors and seniors in high school. Next semester, I will have Creative Writing Prose added to my schedule, which I am also looking forward to teaching.

Creative Writing is my last official class of the day. The other two periods are dedicated to prep time and “office hours.” School ends at 3:50 and at 4:00, cross-country practice begins!

I will write more about cross-country as soon as I can find some more blogging time. We had our first meet this past Saturday, so I have lots to tell you. :) Along with the BFA cross-country team, I also had the chance to race this past weekend. On Sunday, I went to Switzerland with about 12 other BFA teachers to run in the Basel 10K. Such an exciting experience! Full update to come soon!

First Week of School

Week one of classes has come to a close here at the Black Forest Academy and the first-year teachers are wondering just how they managed to survive it all. :)

I realize that it’s been a while since my last blog update, but, as you can probably imagine, my life has become a little more busy now that classes are in session, cross country is up and running, and the school year is in full swing. Therefore, I’ll do my best to update you on some of the bigger highlights of the week.

Garni Girls on the first day of school!

  
Monday evening was the official start of the semester and what BFA likes to call “Parent-Teacher Fellowship Night.” During this time, the parents of the BFA students have the opportunity to meet the teachers (hey, wait a minute, that’s me!) and preview the campus. For the evening’s agenda, each parent was given a copy of their student’s schedule and 7 minutes to visit each classroom. 

It was fun to see parents bustling back and forth across the campus, wondering how in the world their child will be able to get from the 4th floor of the main building all the way to the 3rd floor of the Janz Building all in less than 5 minutes! One of the things that impressed me the most about this evening was the opportunity to see so many world missionaries gathered together in one location. How inspiring to be surrounded by men and women who have given their lives to serve God and are willing to step out in faith and entrust the care of their children to the faculty and staff here at BFA. It is a decision that is definitely not easy, but one that will hopefully open so many new opportunities for their children to grow both in faith and in education.

Tuesday brought tidings of the Opening Ceremonies as well as the first day of school. A time-honored tradition at the Black Forest Academy, the Opening Ceremonies begins with a flag carrying procession in which every member of the senior class carries a national flag into the BFA auditorium. 

 

Flag Carrying Procession

Since most of the students at the school are TCKs, it is not uncommon for them to feel as if they come from several different countries. Therefore, it is often difficult for them to settle upon exactly which flag they want to carry. Students might choose to carry the flag of their passport country, the flag of the land where they spent the majority of their childhood, or perhaps even the flag of the country where their parents are currently serving. It is truly the diversity of this procession that makes it so spectacular. Who would ever believe that in the tiny town of Kandern, in the corner of Southern Germany, so many nations would be represented?

Along with the start of school, Tuesday also brought the start of cross-country! Though the team is small (4 boys and 5 girls), I am honored to be able to coach such a fine group of young people. We began Tuesday’s practice with a warm-up jog to the park behind the tennis courts. After a few minutes for drills and stretching, we headed out to Sitzenkirch on a trail affectionately known as the “Llama Run.” And yes, since I know you are going to ask, we actually do pass real llamas!

As I have quickly learned from my first week of coaching and running with the team, there is a variety of trails known only to the elite few who have even donned the BFA cross-country jersey. Each of these trails includes a creative name, so here’s a sampling of the names that I know…. there’s Monsoon (including both an easy version, “Mini-Monsoon,” as well as a more advanced version, “Big Monsoon”),  Fox Trot (haven’t run this one yet, so I’ll describe it for you later), the 5k race course (which just so happens to include a hill called “The Widowmaker”), Sausenburg Castle (almost entirely uphill!), and Sitzenkirch (aka the Llama Run). So far, I have greatly enjoyed my time with the team, which has consisted mainly of running up mountains, demonstrating form drills, encouraging the newcomers, and running up and down the forest trails looking for the boy’s team! (When do boys ever learn to follow directions?!?)

Friday was Chapel Day at BFA. This weekly service includes a Praise and Worship Band which is entirely student-led. So cool! There was also an encouraging message from the campus chaplain as well as an introduction to this year’s theme, which is “Seek Truth.” At the end of the day on Friday evening, I went with my roommates to the Italienisch Eis-Café to celebrate the successful completion of the first week of school. With two scoops of stracitella in my waffle cone, a group of friends all around me, and the beautiful stars in the German sky, I couldn’t help but thank God for this amazing opportunity to live and serve in such a place.