Snow is lingering—if not on the ground, then in my mind. I dread its loss. My husband sees its exit as the start of the race season.
Training matters, but winning races involves strategy as much as physical fitness. My husband was not yet a runner when he learned this truth from a collegiate, cross-country roommate.
Runners have pulled ahead too soon and been unable to maintain their speed. Or withdrawn. Runners have not followed the leaders’ surges and later been unable to close the gap. Runners have won by staying behind before their own late surge.
Pull ahead? Stay with the group? Hang back and wait?
Successful runners know when to leave the pack and when to let the pack leave them.
Along the way, I learned that the same strategies applied to parenting and homeschooling decisions.
Should I stick with standard curricula and goals? Was I falling behind and dragging my children with me if I resisted the latest parenting or homeschooling trends—especially when acquaintances were on an accelerated track? Would matching their pace lead to victory? Or defeat? Our optimal strategy was occasionally unclear.
How do you choose your pace?
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