Upcoming Spring Season

Here are some pictures from the 5k Race. If you have any you'd like to share, please forward them over and I'll add them to our blog!

It's about that time to start thinking about GOTR for the spring! Three of our FANTASTIC coaches will be back for another season (Coach Bill, Coach Tanya and me!) We'll be joined this spring by a new face (Coach Jennifer Gill) ... not to be confused with our previous Coach Jen, who is unable to continue with us right now.

Coach Jenn might be new to you, but she is not new to the world of running nor to GOTR. Coach Jenn worked closely with Eve Mills, the GOTR Executive Director, to help establish GOTR within Montgomery County. Along with being a GOTR board director, she is an avid runner, a loving mom, and a supportive wife. And when she has a few moments, she helps others reach their running dreams through her professional coaching services. You can learn more about her at http://www.coachjenn.com./

Here are some dates to remember...

• January 19 - Online registration opens for Spring GOTR session
• March 9 - Spring season begins
• May 15 - Spring season ends
• May 16 - GOTR 5K Fun Run

Also, let me know if you are interested in getting the girls together during the holiday break! We did this last winter and had an absolute ball at a slumber party held at Coach Connie's - Madison's house. (Of course, Coach Connie needed a day off afterwards to recoup!) Send me an email to let me know if you'll be around for that week! I'll let you know the details once we know who's available.

Happy Holidays!

Fri, 11/21: Preparing for the big 5k Run

We had an awesome afternoon preparing for the big 5k fun run. We talked about gratitude and ways we can express our thankfulness. We also celebrated our season by signing each others t-shirts. And best of all we created a 30-foot poster for our parents to hold during our run.

We hope you enjoy the pictures. As soon as we gather all of the pictures from the run, we'll post those for you too!

Thanks to Martina's mom for the wonderful pictures!

We can't believe we are almost done!

Tomorrow is our last GOTR session for the fall season. We'll be celebrating our accomplishments with some cupcakes. We'll also be focusing on gratitude and giving thanks for all that we are blessed to have.

We'll be making posters for our big race on Saturday. If you'd like to take one of our posters along the course to cheer us on, let usknow. Otherwise, we'll be posting them all around our meeting spot on Saturday morning.

If your daughter will not be making it to the 5k race, please let us know. Also, please let us know if she has a running buddy who is registered for the race. If she doesn't, one of us coaches or my husband will run with her.

BTW - Running a 5k is no small feat for someone who has small feet! As parents, you should be EXTREMELY PROUD of your daughters. This accomplishment should be rewarded with lots of hugs, kisses and high-5's.

Tid bits about Saturday’s 5k Fun Run / Race

Driving Directions: The GOTR 5K Fun Run will be held at the South Germantown Recreational Park located at 18041 Central Park Circle in Boyds, MD. From I-270 take exit 15B onto Rt. 118 South. Follow this until the road narrows and becomes residential. Make a right onto Richter Farm Road and a left onto Schaeffer Road. You will come to a traffic circle. Drive three quarters around the circle and make a right at the tennis courts. Continue until you reach the parking lot on the right.

Road Closures: The entrance to the Park off Germantown Road will not be open at all the morning of the 5K so follow the directions above.

Arrival Time: Race participants should arrive by 6:45am. There will be signs in the ground all around the pavilion area with the names of schools. We should meet at the Ronald McNair sign.

Parking: As has been the case in the past, parking is challenging for those who arrive after 6:45. Race officials are strongly recommending that everyone arrive prior to 6:45am in order to park close to the 5k start/finish area and to avoid unexpected road closures.

Runners: All runners must wear a race bib in order to participate in the 5k Fun Run.

• GOTR Runners: Your daughters will receive their bib numbers on Friday after noon at the end of season party. The girls must wear this bib number on the outer most layer of clothing. (Sometimes, runners wear the bib on their pant leg so to make it easier to add /remove layers on their upper body.)
  
  
• All Other Runners: All runners other than GOTR coaches and participants will pick up their bibs (and t-shirts if they registered before 10/31) at the Runner Check-in table the morning of the race.

Race spectators: Parents and other supporters can distribute themselves along the race route to cheer on the runners, but, for liability purposes they cannot run in the 5K unless they have already registered and have a bib.

Race Registration: There is no race day registration! If you have not registered, you can still do so by taking a completed copy of the 5k registration form along with the payment to the Executive Director’s home in Bethesda. (7514 Oldchester Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817.)

The Course: This season's 5K course will vary slightly from prior 5K's but there will be ample volunteers along the route to direct runners. There will be water available on the course, and it is important to instruct the girls to take a cup and keep moving! It's not a rest stop.

Shoe Drive: Our community service project is to donate shoes to Soles 4 Souls. Don’t forget to bring your shoes to the race so the girls can participate! Any kinds of shoes, children or adult, will be accepted!!

Tues, 11/18: Being good sports!

Good googley moogley, it was cold out there this morning!

Today’s focus was on being good sports and showing courtesy. Coach Tanya lead the discussion about how to be good sports and how important it is that we all remain encouraging and positive about our sporting experiences. Some of the girls shared their experiences how others they know may not have wanted to be good sports, and in some cases, our girls were able to change the minds of those that wanted to act out or be unsportsmanlike. Our girls deserve a big A+ for the stories!!!

Our girls did their best to stay warm while they ran their laps around the blacktop. We started our warm up running fartleks. We played a line game where the last person had to speed to the front of the line. Sounds easy, huh? Well, you try sprinting past 10 other girls who are running!

It seemed the girls didn’t mind running today, as the movement helped keep them warm. In fact, although we didn’t count, we estimated that they did 5-6 laps before they realized they were running! (and running fast to boot!)

We then integrated our promises into our lap running. After each lap, the girls received a ribbon that had one of the GOTR promises written on it. Since there are 14 promises, everyone ran another 14 laps….yes, on top of the 5-6 they had already done!!! Our ladies were cold, their cheeks were red, and their noses were running. But by golly, they finished the challenge with smiles and cheers. The best part was when the quicker girls who had collected their ribbons began to cheer on the not-so-quick girls. Now that, parents, is the embodiment of sportsmanship.

….So where are the ribbons, you ask? You’ll see them on Friday. We are transforming them from individual 18” ribbons to colorful bouquets that will hang from a hair scrunchie. We’ve done the ribbon scrunchies before, and we can tell you that our ribbon scrunchie girls are a big, big hit at the race (not to mention they make it easy to spot our girls in the sea of young runners!)

Check back on our blog tomorrow. We’ll have more information about our end of season party (this Friday) as well as details about the race. For now, plan to be at the Germantown Soccerplex no later than 6:30am! (yeah, we said “a – m”!)

Fri, Nov 7: We DID IT!!!! Our Practice 5K

Jubilant, triumphant, victorious, awesome, those are just a few words to describe the girls Practice 5K on Friday. Time flies when you are having fun and the day for the Practice 5K finally arrived. Could we have asked for better weather? Blue skies, warm sunshine, and mild temperatures, perfect for running, especially in November. The girls did their warm-ups with Coach Bill and Coach Jenn, received instructions about the course and the water/gatorade stops, and then they were off!

A big GOTR "Pasta" cheer for all of the running buddies that came out to run with the girls. Coach Connie assembled an all-star cast of friends (Rose Fisher, marathon mama), co-workers (Barry Hudson, chief motivator) and even her husband (Ken) to run with the girls and to staff the water stops (Thanks Patty and Jake!).

We were thrilled to have Brianna’s mom join us as well as Carolyn's brother (Andrew) and Erin's older sister (Meagan). We also had a mascot, Tiko, the cutest dog ever to keep the girls motivated to cross the finish line (Tiko also brought his doggie mommy, Mrs. Faunce, RMES Fourth Grade Teacher and all around awesome GOTR supporter). Coach Tanya even persuaded her son Steven to join in; he had to admit it was fun, even though he was surrounded by girls!

Coach Bill got the girls started on the course and kept running and encouraging the girls all the way through. He ran in his Pittsburgh Steelers jersey, “Big Ben’s number”, of course, and true to Pittsburgh form, led like a champion. He kept an eye out for pacing and form and made sure the girls didn’t rest too long. The girls appreciated the water stops, learned the importance of pacing and more importantly kept going and going until they finished. Did they walk? Not for long and then they were off running again.

How about the music? There’s nothing like good tunes(thanks to Coach Connie) to keep you going and provide a festive atmosphere, just like on race day. Each girl triumphantly broke through the finish line tape and was greeted with cheers and high fives from the buddies, coaches and volunteers. The best part, the girls cheered for and encouraged each other. Because we are a community, all of the girls and coaches, ran to provide encouragement to our final runner, Shannon, as she rounded the last corner and headed down the hill to the finish line. What a beautiful sight and sound to see the girls, coaches and buddies, chanting, SHANNON, SHANNON, SHANNON, as she made her to way to the finish line and broke through the tape.

The girls were tired, but there were plenty of smiles, high fives, and pride that they crossed the finish line. Each girl received her Girls on the Run T-shirt and water bottle. We do have t-shirts and water bottles for the girls who could not make it. Coach Connie passed out plenty of yummy snacks with hearty congratulations to each of the girls on their accomplishment. We are so proud of each one of the girls for completing the Practice 5K. They have worked hard and we see their commitment and perseverance when they show up for each lesson, ready to learn and participate. A big GOTR Cheer to all of the parents for bringing the girls each week and providing encouragement.

We missed Martina, Kylin, and Sarah, but look forward to celebrating with everyone during the final Celebration 5K. Check out our CHAMPIONS!!

We want your shoes!!!!

Please bring your gently worn shoes to the GOTR Fun Run on Nov. 22 to support our GOTR Community Service Project -- a shoe drive supporting Soles 4 Souls. The Shoe Train of Potomac has generously agreed to ship the shoes to the Souls 4 Souls headquarters. Learn More

We are also looking for GOTR family who would be interested in staffing the shoe drive at the 5K and bringing the shoes to The Shoe Train in Potomac after the 5K for shipping. Please contact eve@girlsontherunofmoco.org if you can help out!

Fri, Oct 31: Gossiping & Bullies

What do you call a ghost that bullies other ghosts? Answer: A boolie. Okay so it’s a corny joke, but that leads into our lessons from last week on Gossip and Bullying. Before the girls took part in the lesson they had to get by an ugly scary witch (Coach Connie) and a creepy Darth Vader (Coach Tanya), both lurking in the Ronald McNair Elementary Library on Halloween. We had a great time getting in on the Halloween fun, but first down to the business about learning how harmful gossip and bullying are to other people.

Coach Jennifer led the discussion and the girls talked about why people gossip and bully other people. They also discussed how it harmful gossip and bullying are to kids and communities.

Coach Connie, decked out in her full witch regalia, led the telephone game which illustrated gossip. The girls worked in teams and were given a statement from Coach Connie, they then had to run to another girl and whisper the same statement to her, that girl ran to another girl and whispered the statement. Finally, the last girl came back to the group and told the group what they heard. Well, you guessed it, what was repeated to the group, was not what Coach Connie initially whispered to the first girl. The girls got the idea that they should not repeat gossip and if they want to know something to go straight to the source.

Coach Bill and Darth Vader (Coach Tanya) were busy preparing a Halloween Scavenger Hunt for the girls. The girls kept their same teams from the Telephone Game and were given a Scavenger Hunt sheet with items to find, activities to do (i.e. find a coach and do crazy eights) and cheers to make up. There was a lot running, laughter, Crazy Eights, jumping jacks and jumping rope. After the Scavenger Hunt the girls turned in their bags and Scavenger Hunt sheets for a trick or a treat. They did a great job, so Darth Vader saved the tricks and handed out Halloween bags with orange and black Spooky Straws and orange juice boxes.

As we packed up to go back inside…Coach Bill had disappeared…where was he? We walked into the cafeteria and heard, what? The sound of bagpipes, Coach Bill was welcoming the girls back in playing the bagpipes..pretty cool, and a good way to end the session.

We hope everyone had a safe and Happy Halloween.

Tues, Oct 28: Drink Water, Brush Your Teeth, Get 8 Hours of Sleep?

What on earth do all those things have in common?

They are was we can take care of our physical health! A few lessons ago, we discussed positive and negative behaviors that affected the way we feel and the way we think. Yesterday morning, we concentrated on those behaviors that help our bodies be strong and healthy. We talked abouot drinking plenty of water each day; we agreed that brushing our teeth twice a day was necessarily; we all laughed about washing our bodies daily (why is bathing such a funny topic!?!); and we understand the importance of washing our hands regularly, including before we eat. (If washing hands isn't possible, hand sanitizer is a convenient alternative!)


The weather toyed with us, and we were too sure we should go outside to do our workout. Finally, we agreed that in order to be ready for our upcoming 5k race, we must run. So we headed out the door...into the cold and into the wind! Whew! We all lost our breath as we exited the building. Coach Bill split us into teams and we demonstrated our food group knowledge in a relay race. (We are still trying to figure out where peppermint falls into the food groups!)

Everyone was anxious to run (including Coach Connie, who was shivering) so we began to run around the blacktop. Each lap earned us a card that listed a healthy habit. our goal was to find matching "healthy habit" cards. Most every girl ran 7-8 laps! Quite impressive for our girls! Once again, the girls proved they are indeed ideal "Girls on the Run."

We end with some indoor stretching. We'd say it was a cool down...but in our case, it was a warm up!

We continue to be impressed with the enthusiam and energy that our girls give us each time we meet. Their passion is incredible, and makes our coaching job that much easier. We coaches thank you parents for giving us just a few moments of time with your daughters!

PS....We are just about three weeks from our 5k Fun Run. How's YOUR training coming along? Have you signed up for the race yet?

Friday Afternoon's Practice will be changed

Due to the events planned of Halloween afternoon at school as well as the events planned for Halloween evening, we have decided it was best to reschedule our Friday afternoon lesson.

We will instead meet at 8am on Friday morning. Same place (in front of the office).

We apologize if this causes you an inconvenience. We are trying to accomodate as many as possible (including the coaches!) If you won't be able to make it Friday morning, please let us know.

Register now for the Fun Run (Nov 22)

The Girls on The Run 5k Fun Run registration has begun! Click here to register for the fun run if you plan to run with your daughter. We'd love to have each girl have an older (adult) buddy to run with. So sign up soon!

Registration will close November 12 or when the maximum registrations has been reached. Each person who registers for the 5k prior to 5pm Friday, October 31 will be guaranteed a T-shirt.

There is no need to register your daughter; her registration is included in her GOTR registration fee.

There will not be any registration the morning of the race. This is a change from previous fun runs!

Parental Progress

Hi parents. How's the training coming along for the GOTR 5k Fun Run? You're finished with your first week of training. Congratulations on your first 7 days! Let us know how your training is going and if you have any questions about the training plan or about running in general.

Remember, we still have our poll about Halloween vs. GOTR Friday afternoon. Let us know your preference on what adjustments we should make if any!

This Tuesday morning promises to be a chilly one. Make sure you daughters dress in layers that they can remove as they warm up. If you're not doing anything, come join us for a few laps around the ball field!

How do you spell GIRLS?

Give me a G!
Give her your time and attention regularly.

Give me an I!
Inspire your daughter’s interests and talents to strong toward self –esteem.

Give me an R!
Recognize good behaviors and praise your daughter

Give me an L!
Love but limit. Set expectations and clear boundaries

Give me an S!
Stress is a big deal. Stay in tune with what’s going on in your daughter’s life.

Tues, Oct 14: Drugs Hurt Your Chances

Wow! Are we fortunate or what! We received yet another welcome gift -- an unseasonably warm day, perfect for running. First, we reviewed last weeks’ lesson on healthy emotions and then Coach Bill introduced today’s topic: Drugs and how Drugs hurt your chances. Coach Bill asked the girls what behaviors could hurt their chances for a having a great life. After a few interesting answers, we arrived at drugs, specifically, alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes.

Coach Bill talked about the dangers of alcohol, marijuana and cigarettes. He pointed out that consuming too much alcohol leads to poor decision-making (drinking while driving) and serious health problems, marijuana is illegal and bad for your health (and could lead to taking other more dangerous drugs), and that cigarettes contain nicotine which leads to addiction and diseases, such as lung cancer. The girls also provided reasons why kids would take drugs; to fit in, to be cool, because other kids are doing it. Many of the girls concluded that you would have to be stupid to take drugs.

We had some great role-playing by Coach Bill and Coach Connie to demonstrate the type of situation where girls could be invited to take drugs. Coach Bill described the scene; he was a good-looking popular boy at school and Coach Connie was a shy girl, unsure of herself [...okay we did say that it was role-playing.] They were both at a party. The popular boy has a beer in his hands and begins paying a lot of attention to the shy girl. He invites her to see a movie with him. The shy girl responds to his invitation by saying that she would have ask her mom.(good for her!) He then offers her a beer and tries very hard to convince her to drink it. The shy girl, responds that she is not interested and after additional attempts by the popular boy, the shy girl responds with a firm and loud, NO, I DON'T DRINK. That got the girls laughing but they got the point that it is important to stand up for yourself, with a firm, NO to drugs.

Coach Tanya then had the girls stand in the middle as she called out different statements. The girls had to decide the answer (alcohol, drugs or cigarettes) and run to that sign. Some statements had more than one answer....which meant the girls had to run to more than one sign. There was a lot running, seeing how other girls answered the question and some girls who made up their own minds, no matter where the other girls went (You go, Miss Independent Mercedes!) We learned that there are risks to your health and safety with drugs and that there are harmful consequences when taking drugs.

Coach Tanya then challenged the girls with some dynamic stretching, as Kylin said, “stretching while moving “. And move we did…the girls did walking lunges, skipped, and shuffled while yelling out positive phrases like, “ I don’t do drugs”, “I respect myself and others”. Before long they were huffing and puffing, ready to move to the workout for the day.

We had so much fun that we ran short on time. For the workout, Coach Connie had the girls read scenarios from the “Drug Cards” and run the laps indicated on the cards. Each girl needed to collect 4 lap counters. After a cool down stretch and some final comments about drugs, the girls turned in their lap counters for a snack. If it’s Tuesday, it must mean it’s Coach Tanya’s turn to bring the snacks. Todays’ snack, drumroll please…………APPLES! Crisp, juicy, delicious apples. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

A big GOTR cheer [PASTA!!!] for Brianna and Martina’s mom for joining us today. We love it when the parents join us, it’s fun, just ask them. Come on out when you can, the more the merrier and the girls get a kick out of seeing their parents SWEAT!

We missed Shannon and Samantha today. We look forward to seeing everyone next Tuesday, Remember, no school on Friday (yeah) which means no GOTR (booo!)

Parents for more information on Drugs and talking to your kids about drugs check out the following websites: Parents are the ANTI-DRUG

http://www.theantidrug.com/
www.kidshealth.org/kid/grow/drugs_alcohol
http://www.health.org/

Fri, Oct 10: Emotions are healthy

It's ok to cry.
It's ok to shout.
It's not what you do.
It's how you get it out!

Our lesson Friday concentrated on emotions. Coach Jen led our girls through a healthy discussion about expressing emotions. Parents, you might think this was a heavy topic for our young ladies, but they really surprised us with their grown up attitudes in dealing with their emotions. Of course, we had plenty of laughter and joking around during the discussion! It wouldn't be GIRLS ON THE RUN without laughing, now would it?

Coach Jen helped us put our acting skills to the test while we demonstrated (silently) an emotion and let the others guess what it was. Boy was that hard. What? You don't think so? Well, you try to get someone to guess LONELINESS or EXCITED. See what we mean?

You'll see in our pictures that the girls were writing during this lesson. Part of our expression lesson was to have them answer questions about how they dealt with their emotions. [You may want to ask them what they do when they need to express themselves!] With a little warm up running, the girls hustled to one end of the playground to hear a question from Coach Jen and Coach Tanya and then quickly wrote an answer at the other end of the playground. Seems the answers started getting longer and longer.... could be that they weren't running when they were writing, now could it?

We also played BINGO! ... yeah, BINGO! As the girls ran a lap, Coach Connie pulled out a BINGO emotion the girls then mark on their BINGO card. With this game, four in row was a winner....and Carolyn was the first to get BINGO!

During our cool down we enjoy some cookies and did our group cheer. "Girls on the run is so much fun. Girls on the run is number one.....PASTA!"

Hope you have a PASTA day!

PS - Let us know how the 5k Beginner training is going. Marty's mom joined us in the running on Friday. Will you be the next to come out for a few laps?

Want to run with your daughter on Nov 22?

We are happy to provide you with a 5k Beginners Training Plan so you can enjoy the Girls on the Run 5k fun run on Saturday November 22 with your daughter! The plan was developed by our very own GOTR Executive Director, Eve Mills. In addition, to be a mom and a wife, Eve is also a successful distance runner and experienced certified running coach.

You'll find the training plan listed on the right hand column. Even though you may not be a runner, we hope this plan helps you move forward and gives you the boost you need to make healthy decisions for you and your family. Should you have any questions about the plan, feel free to contact one of us or Eve!

1. This plan is uniquely designed for non-runners. It incorporates a combination of running and walking without an emphasis on speed. Slowly building a distance base also helps prevent injuries.
   


2. It involves physical exertion and may not be appropriate for you, depending on your health, physical condition and other factors.
   


3. All running and walking should be done at a conversational (no loss of breath) pace.
   


4. You will need to run with a watch, and a well-fitting pair of running shoes. Be sure to warm up with some active stretching before each workout.
   


5. According to the plan, running/walking takes place twice a week with at least one “off” day in between. The weekend “long” run is designed to increase aerobic capacity, and the optional hill work is designed to increase strength.

[Who's that in the picture? ....Well, Coach Connie of course...showing you that running can be fun!]

Fri, Oct 3: Changes for the Good

What a great fall afternoon we had for GOTR. All of our twelve lovely girls attended our lesson where we concentrated on making changes. We enjoyed a spirited conversation,; the girls offered lots of examples of behaviors that weren't so good...things that could be changed and improved. Are you interested in what they listed? Well, here are few:

• I don't try my hardest on my homework
• I don't clean my room
• I am mean to my sister (or my brother)
• I have a bad attitude sometimes
• I am forgetful
• I am impatient with others
• I don't like waiting
• I talk too much (in the hall, in class, at home)
• I watch too much TV
• I ignore my dog
• I don't go to sleep on time and/or I don't get up on time
• I don't clean up after myself

How did we remember all of these examples? The girls recorded their negative behaviors on index cards. As we ran our laps they tossed them, one by one, into the "Munch Monster," a specially made box with the ugliest face. (After the "Munch Monster" ate up all the bad habits, we retrieved them to share them with you!)

We talked quite a bit about how to make changes in their lives and emphasized small, incremental adjustments. The girls began to brainstorm how they could adjust their behavior (listed above) to be more positive behaviors. In fact, they documented these ideas on a sheet a paper, which they should have brought home to you.

Our running was wonderful. Every girl seems to enjoy the challenge of each lap. We wished we had the camera to capture their expressions, but we unfortunately left it at home. :( We also talked about the incremental changes that our lap running brings. We reminded the girls that they started running just a few laps and were now up to completing 6 laps. We explaned that these incremental changes were helping them to prepare for the Nov 22 GOTR 5k race.

Speaking of races, parents, later in October is the Darcars Young Run 2008. This is a great "warm up" event where your daughters can run a mile in a race atmoshere. And if you are up to it, Darcars will allow you to run with your daughter! Fun runs are great way for the girls to get some running confidence; everyone is rewarded with some type of finisher's medal or ribbon. Often, there are fun runs (of one mile or less) integrated into larger community 5k and 10k races.

Next Tues: We had planned to cover healthy habits and nutrition at our next session; but we think we should instead do our lesson that addresses being a good listener. Our group of girls is full of energy, and sometimes that energy (talking) causes disruption during our discussion time. We are postive that once we help the girls understand the importance of listening we'll have even more effective disucssions in the future!

One last note....Don't forget to send your daughter with a water bottle. As our running distance and time increase, it will be even more important to have plenty of water on hand.

Shoes, Shoes, and More Shoes

Boy, oh Boy! Do we coaches love shoes! OK, Coach Bill likes shoes, but we lady coaches LOVE shoes! We love heals, we love flats...and we love running shoes! Why do we bring this up? Because having the right pair of supportive running shoes is important for Girls on the Run!

We've noticed that some of our girls are wearing shoes that are fashioned to look like athletic shoes, but are not really the best for running. You want to make sure your daughter is wearing a shoe that will support her and help her to avoid any injuries. It's not necessary to invest a lot of money into the shoes. Most local sporting good stores (like Dick's and Sports Authority) will provide an ample shoe selection that are both stylish enough for your daughter and inexpensive enough for your wallet.

When shopping for shoes, try to hit the stores at the end of the day when your daughter's feet have expanded the most. You'll want to measure both feet and allow for a half-inch between the end of the foot. Go with the larger foot for the size.

Also, make sure you have her try the shoes on with the socks that will be worn most often with the shoes. Look at the heal grip and ensure it doesn't slip as she walks or runs in the shoes. (Yeah, it's OK to jog through the store isle to see if the shoe fits right! This is one time that running in the store is allowed!)

Please don't be tempted to buy those really cool looking shoes with an elevated heel or sole. They may make Hannah Montana look great in jeans, but these elevated tennies are dangerous for sporting activities.

Just like with any other shoes, you'll want your daughter to break in the new running shoes. Break them in gradually by wearing them a few hours each day. And be sure to keep an extra supply of laces around, both the right length and in good condition so that your daughter can always keep their shoes tied properly. If trying a snug knot is difficult, try the elastic curly laces. They turn the shoes into slip-ons and result in a snug fit.

If your daughter really, really, really enjoys running, you may want to look into having her foot evaluated by someone at a local running shoe speciality store, such as Fleet Feet in the Kentlands. The biomechanics of a foot are different for everyone; so finding the right shoe to meet your daughter's structural needs is very important -- especially if she will be running more than just Girls on the Run.

If buying a pair of shoes is challenging for you (especially now with the price of gas and the overall inflation of everyday items!), let us know. One of the GOTR corporate sponsor is New Balance, and they have generously provided new pairs of shoes for our GOTR participants who may need some assistance!

Fri, Sept 26: Promises

Once again, we had a great lesson with the girls. Eleven of our twelve participants were there to learn about the Girls on the Run promises. Coach Tanya explained each of the promises that we make to ourselves and to others. The group joined in on the discussion and helped give context to the promises by providing examples of each in their lives.

We then did an energetic game where we split into 2 groups. Each group was assigned one of the sets of promises. Coach Tanya read the promises, and the group with that particular promise made a cheer to let everyone know what category the promise was in. The first few times, the group just cheered. But soon the crazy coaches joined the teams and the element of creativity entered. Coach Connie and Coach Bill replaced the group cheering with other expressive ways, such as arm flapping, eye lashes batting, and monkey screeching! There was lots of laughter to validate the fun that was abundant!

We were fortunate that the weather held out, and we could get in some running. The girls partnered up with each other and made a commitment to run a total of 12 laps between them. So long as the total laps ran was 12, it didn't matter how many each person did. Let us tell you....we have a running bunch of girls this season! 12 laps was nothing for this bunch. They seem to love the running part, and immediately took to the field.

As we cooled down, Coach Tanya presented each girl with their own GOTR journal. They also snacked on cheese crackers to replenish their energy level from all that running.

We hope you enjoy these photos. Remember that there isn't a GOTR session this Tuesday due to the holiday. When schools are closed, we won't have Girls on the Run. However, don't let that stop you from getting out there with your daughter and doing an evening walk (or even a trot.) Show them your support by asking them about the promises also.

We'll see everyone on Friday afternoon in front of the main office!

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Darn weather forecast! They are predicting a wet afternoon for our second Girls on the Run session. But never fear. We have an indoor location that we can use in the school. Let your daughters know we will still meet in front of the office. However, if it is raining when you pick up your daughter at 4:45, you can find us in Room #5. If you don’t know where that is at, it’s between Room 4 and Room 6! (grin)

So, you may be curious how we coordinate a running program inside....we are too! We have a game plan though. Our discussion for this lesson revolves around the promises we make to ourselves (like “I promise to always trying my best”) and those that we make to others (like “I promise to do my homework”). Since the remainder of the program builds on these promises, we want to ensure every girl understands the commitment they are making. To help with this, we may take a bit more time to discuss them in the group.

As far our aerobic portion of our session, here’s where we will be extra creative. We may not run, but we are pretty sure our girls will break a sweat while they do various in-place exercises. Our focus at this point is to build their endurance so that they have the stamina to eventual continue running for 35-45 minutes (that's the average time for most of the girls to complete a 5k).

It should prove to be an interesting afternoon. As always, parents are welcome to join us. Don a pair of athletic shoes and come on out.

Hope to see you there!

Descriptor Deception (and other parental feedback)

The word from the GOTR parents is they got a good giggle from the girls' descriptors...and a couple of them may not be accurate, huh? We don't have quiet girls? We don't have monkey-like daughters? LOL... Well, that ok because it was all a part of the game!

Those that responded to the email status reported that the girls had a great time. We were told things like "She (Shannon) loved it" and "She (Erin) had a blast." That's great feedback, and makes us coaches beam. When girls love this program, we know we are headed in the right direction to make a difference in their lives. Continue sending those comments; it's always good to know where we stand and what the girls liked and didn't!

Speaking of likes ... Julia (the jumper!) unknowingly create a new group cheer for us. At GOTR, we have what we call energy cheers. These crazy quick clips are expressions of our joy and help us celebrate our accomplishments. In the past we have done silly things like the "Superstar" or the "Shopping Cart". We have even done the crazy "Sprinkler" cheer. But little Julia gave us the best facial expression when Coach Tanya said "I like pasta" during our warm up game on Tuesday. Coach Bill buckled over with laughter, and before we knew it, "PASTA!" was adopted as our new energy cheer! We know, We know. It's silly and nonsensical...but it sure is fun to express ourselves in ways that make us happy!

We recommend that when work gets old and boring for you, just throw your hands up in the air and yell "PASTA!" Your co-workers won't know what hit them!

What is this GOTR thing?

What's Girls on the Run all about? Better to let the founder, Molly Barker, tell you in her own words!

Tues, Sept 23: What a way to start

WOW! What an fantastic group we have for Girls on the Run! Our first session was by all accounts a huge success! We started right on time – a big kudo’s to our parents for getting the sleepy heads out of bed and to school earlier than normal!

We spent the first part of our session introducing ourselves using a descriptor that matched our personalities. Want to know who is with us this season? Let’s see if I can recall of our names:

• Brianna, the entertainer
• Mercedes, the marvelous
• Martina, the magnificent
• Halley, the horse freak
• Julia, the jumper
• Erin, the quiet
• Samantha, the smiley
• Carolyn, the cat
• Kylin, the Kangaroo
• Madison, the monkey
• Shannon, the sweetheart
• Coach Connie, the clown
• Coach Tanya, the terrific
• Coach Bill, the bombastic

After introductins, we warmed up a bit with a game. If the girls agreed with statements made by Coach Tanya, they ran all the way to Coach Bill and back to the line. We found out who had pets, who had siblings, who liked the Redskins, who liked the Steelers (we have a lot of Steeler fans), who liked to run, who liked basketball, who liked Hanna Montana, who liked the Jonas Brothers, who liked chocolate chip cookies, who like to clean their room, as well as a bunch of other likes/dislikes. The girls had a lot of fun expressing their interests, and even offered their own statements (like who likes pasta!)

After some dynamic stretching, we played yet another running game. Earlier during introductions, the girls wrote the name of each girl on a separate label. While we ran our laps, the girls chased each other to place the labels on their new friends’ backs. This reinforced everyone’s names while taking their mind off of running. Without knowing it, our girls ran about ½ mile while they sped around the blacktop.

If the laughter level was any indication, today was a bit hit!