Volunteer - Week 2

Volunteer – Week 2

I admit – I really missed last week with GOTR.  It felt like it was the first day all over again.  I will have to take attendance at my next meeting because I already forgot some of the girls’ names.

This session went very well.  We talked about healthy eating so our bodies can be strong.  I’ve been working on a Farm to School grant since last June.  Recently, I’ve been visiting classrooms to observe Farm to School lessons.  I’m amazed at how much the students know about eating healthy.  In a society where childhood obesity is on the rise, I had the impression society in general didn’t know or understand healthy eating habits.  I think some of this knowledge is a credit to the schools attempts at making nutrition education a priority in the classroom and in the cafeteria.

Pleasant Hill Elementary in Lexington One has done a wonderful job of rehabilitating their school menu.  Each month, SC Grown produce is served to the students at least twice during the month.  Not only is this produce whole and healthy, it’s also local and supports our farmers.  It also introduces students to fruits and vegetables they may not have had the opportunity to try at home.  In addition to the monthly SC Grown produce, Lexington One also has a week long “SC Grown Menu” where every produce item for the week is fresh and SC Grown.  This is usually in the Spring when fresh produce is abundant.  I attribute this effort by Lexington One to some of the great answers our GOTR students had during the healthy eating lesson. 

Not only did our GOTR students have a lot of knowledge about healthy eating, they also had great questions.  One of the most important aspects of teaching is to help students know how to ask questions.  Pleasant Hill Elementary is doing a great job of creating active learners in and out of the classroom.

After our lesson on healthy eating, we played a game to reinforce the concepts learned during the lesson.  The game was fun and a great warm-up for our running.  We ran for 30 minutes around the track.  After each lap, girls stopped for a sip of water and to think about different daily activities (on a worksheet) and their importance for a healthy lifestyle. 

I enjoyed working with the girls to help them keep a good pace around the track.  I know the excitement of starting at the finish line.  Who wants to go slow?  As an experienced runner, I still shoot out of the gate and run for the finish line.  The problem is the finish line is 3.15 miles away.  After about a minute or two, I slow my pace to my official goal pace for the race (usually 9:30-9:45/minute) and stay on course to finish in my goal time.  I ran with several different groups of girls.  I gave them encouragement and discussed the importance of breathing, good posture, and pacing.  I had them stay with me for a defined distance so they could see the difference in pacing.  We ran segments around the track to see the difference.  The girls were very responsive.  As with any group, you have some that are natural runners and others that are not.  I was never a natural runner.  Slowly, I am becoming more natural when I run.  I hope these girls will also find the natural runner inside of them.  

Volunteer - Week 1

Over the next several weeks, I'll be writing about my volunteer experience with Girls on the Run at Pleasant Hill Elementary School.

I had been searching for a way to get my daughter to run with me.  She loves to ride her bike, but she's not excited about running.  I thought the idea of running and crossing a finish line would entice her, but there just didn't seem to be any real interest.  About five weeks ago, we received a local magazine with a picture of girls crossing the finish line of a race.  The title said, "Girls on the Run".  As soon as my daughter saw it, she said, "I want to do that!"  What, really?  I've been begging you to run with me for six months and one picture will get you motivated?  Well, let's face it ... it doesn't matter what the motivation, the extra time spent with her is all I really want.  She doesn't realize I still get the benefit!

I took some time to review the website for Girls on the Run (GOTR).  Their website is very informative. I was excited to see a program at my daughter's school - only to find out the program is for grades 3-5.  Ashton is in 2nd grade.  While she was disappointed, she was quick to add she could look forward to participating next school year!  I decided to contact GOTR about volunteering anyway ... it felt like such a good fit and it would give me the opportunity to learn about the program before Ashton started it.

As a runner, I'm always looking for ways to bring others over to the dark side.  I'm always asked why I run.  People often say, "I only run if someone is chasing me."  I understand.  I used to feel the same way.  I've been running for eight years and on some days, I still can't believe I'm a runner.  It was simple for me.  I wanted to run to lose those last 20lbs after Ashton was born.  I was doing great with my baby weight while pregnant.  I worked out up till the day I was put on bed rest.  Funny thing about going from being active every day to laying in a bed every day ... the weight just piles on.  Quickly and swiftly.  After losing close to 30lbs pretty quickly, the last 20 would not budge.  So, I picked up my pace on the treadmill, slowly but surely, till you could call my actions "running".

I've had several bumps along the way.  Most notably a torn ligament in my ankle, but regardless of my health, I always counted down the days till I could run.  It's a part of who I am now.  It's my therapy.  It's my motivation.  It defines me.  GOTR just felt right.  Giving young girls an opportunity to work through their insecurities, their questions, their friendships, their problems with a healthy activity like running was just perfect.  I went through the application process and now I am officially a GOTR Assistant Coach.  While I can only commit one day a week, I know it will be a great experience.

Coincidentally, I began working on my second Masters in January.  About two weeks after I signed up for GOTR, I found out I would have to volunteer for one of my classes this semester.  Hence the blog.  So, here goes week 1 (one week late) with GOTR.

We began week 1 by doing an ice breaker game.  I always enjoy this type of activity because it really gives you a chance to step outside of your comfort zone.  We have a full group of girls ... almost 30 ... so the ice breaker game took some time.  I just hope I remember everyone's names when I go back.  I had to miss last week because of a prior commitment.  We didn't run on Week 1, but we did do stretches and an outdoor activity.  The girls seem competitive.  It will be interesting to see if they remain that way.  I was also pleased to see we had some girls from home school organizations and different schools.  I think this is an excellent way to teach the girls about reaching out to others.

I'm looking forward to running laps with the girls this week.  I wonder how many will be excited about running and how many just want to talk themselves around the track.  I wonder how this will change throughout the remaining seven weeks.  I wonder how many will wander over to the dark side.