Life’s lessons on the run

Katie Pemberton and daughter Ellie exercise together during school shutdown

COEUR d’ALENE — Katie Pemberton is a track coach and eighth-grade math teacher at Canfield Middle School.

Ellie Pemberton is a kindergartner at Sorensen Magnet School of the Arts & Humanities.

Classes and sports may be canceled due to the coronavirus, but the mom and daughter of Coeur d’Alene are exercising to stay strong.

“She just started riding her bike and now she’s training long,” Katie said Wednesday.

The twosome started from their home and were on Mullan Avenue on a warm, sunny afternoon about midway through their outing when they stopped to chat for a minute.

They planned to cover about two miles.

Katie said during the government-ordered school shutdown and stay-home order, her family is keeping sharp by staying active.

She said being away from school has been tough, as Canfield is “a great place to be.”

“We miss all our kids,” she said.

But teachers are staying in contact via remote learning and it’s been effective.

“We’re doing all kinds of stuff for kids, everything we can,” she said.

Her daughter, Ellie, has been doing well, she said, but misses her classmates.

Ellie’s teacher is staying in touch via online and Zoom meetings.

“She’s doing all kinds of stuff,” Katie said.

With that, with another mile to go and lessons still to learn, Katie began running and Ellie began peddling.

They were side by side.