Girls

So it has been a while since I have talked to you about Girls on the Run.

It is still a huge part of my life. I started a local chapter in my home town 4 seasons ago. Since that time, I have been a head coach, a new board member of our local counsel, and a witness to some amazing girl power. Cheesy? Heck yeah. But I have watched girls go from making fun of one another to having each other's back no matter what.

It is good stuff. Girls on the Run is all about reaching girls before those really tough junior high and high school years (Girls on Track actually reaches junior high girls). It is awesome. Not only do I love watching young girls run, but I love them finding a voice and identity much younger than I ever did. It is crucial, in my opinion, for ALL young people to have a healthy and strong and confident outlook on life. Girls on the Run delivers. (Incidentally, my boys haven't fared too poorly either since I have been involved). :)

This season, we had a lot of repeat girls, meaning they had been in the program before. Our registration filled in less than a week and our waiting list filled up in the next week. I hated turning girls away, but our program works in small groups. And it is ALL about the coaching team. We have a great coaching team, but not enough for 2 programs.

Our girls this season were determined. I saw many shy girls I knew well break right out of their shells. And I saw new girls take great leadership roles.

Our practice 5K was a great event. It is catching on in our community and so many people came to cheer our girls on. And our parents were there in full color - awesome.

For our community project, we donated new hats for a charity called Badger Childhood Cancer Network. They provide services to families of kids with cancer. When a child is diagnosed, they swoop in with information. And thanks to our girls, a little bit of fun. They also made cool headbands and cards (with balloons of course)! Today, before our 5K, one of my girls showed me the most awesome (and frankly trendy) hat that she had handmade. It was great to help position these girls to be so excited to give back. They got it. And they delivered.

Today was our final, season-end 5K. The weather was awesome and our girls were FIRED up. The energy was inexplicable unless you were there - and I highly recommend you go there if you ever have an opportunity.

I was running with a delightful and fast girl today. She, I and her mom lined up. Her mom was new to running (and frankly is pretty awesome), but she knew her daughter may shoot way ahead. I knew my GOTR girl was nervous about leaving her mom in one sense, but she also wanted to do her best. Both her mom and I told her not to worry. Run your race, do your best. And she did. We lined up and the National Anthem was sung. The horn blew and we were off VERY SLOWLY. I knew my running buddy's goal and tried to position us well without too much dodge and weave. This course has 2 pretty serious hills in the first 1.25 and I guided her through them. She was ROCKING it. By mile 1.5 I realized she was not speaking at all - she was racing. ROCK STAR. I told her I race the same way. No obligation to reply at all, but sorry in advance b/c I am going to keep talking. :) The last hill, she stopped and walked for a second and then we carried on. With about .75 left, I could tell she had a side stitch. I advised her to try to put it out of her mind and go - we were almost there. She looked good, but not convinced.

For background, I told our girls once they reached the park, they needed to dig deep and run HARD. The finish line comes up fast around a ball park. So we got close to the park and asked her if she was ready to give it. She grunted (not necessarily in an affirmative way), but once we hit that park she took it up two notches. And once we turned the corner for the finish, she put on the afterburners - we were running so hard I almost took out a race photographer.

It was awesome. And epic.

It was by far my best race this year. :)