The fundraiser is almost over, folks. As of this morning we’re at $755.
‘Tis a beautiful thing—thanks again to those of you who’ve given. And if you haven’t but plan to, you’ve got ‘till midnight tonight. Here are my whys for doing this if you haven’t read them yet.
And don’t forget, jean theory: is giving 11% off the entire store today (even sale items) to those who’ve contributed to the fundraiser. Go visit!
Yesterday, the girls wrote down what they loved about girls on the run. One of our particularly sweet, encouraging girls began in the usual way: i love our team and talking about things together. But her last line broke my heart: i also want to be skinny.
That’s exactly why we talk about some of the things we do, so these gals learn to love themselves, to appreciate who they are and how they are built. They are already getting messages that make that hard.
Here’s the trailer for a documentary that came out last month from an organization trying to address media influences on young men and women. It’s worth checking out.
Meet Jenn—writer and mom of three with one of those laughs you like to hear. A lot.
what do you love about girls on the run?
i love being involved in a program where you can so quickly see change, while also knowing that these changes will help them for their whole lives. i love seeing girls who have never exercised try something new. i love seeing them realize that they are unique and special and don’t have to be someone who they used to be, or someone who everyone else wants them to be. at the beginning of last year’s 5k race, all the girls cheered, “I AM BEAUTIFUL! I AM STRONG! I AM A GIRL ON THE RUN!” there aren’t many other places in our culture where we are spending time talking to girls about true beauty and true strength. it is wonderful to watch them find their voices and figure out what their bodies can do, and see how those two things overlap.
why do you think us being involved with the gals on our team is important at this point in their lives?
these girls are at a point where they have lots of choices to make. what kind of student do i want to be? what kind of friend do i want to be? what kind of woman do i want to be? girls on the run gets them thinking and talking about this together, and talking about it with older women who want the best for them. gotr gives them a safe place to ask questions and learn what healthy choices look like.
why do you think mentorship is important for women?
it makes us feel less crazy. whether or not a mentor has ‘the answer’, she can sit with you and confirm that something is hard or just plain stinks. she might have ‘the answer’ and that’s a bonus, but having someone listen and care for you is plenty, and more than many women have.
why do you run?
i run to be healthy. i run because i can, and to remember not to take that for granted. i run because it gets me closer to my hope of being able to run like my children do—fast and hard and laughing, without thinking about it at all.
Two days left and we’re a little over halfway there with $574. Thanks, friends!
A little extra incentive for those of you who love jeans as much as I do, jean theory: is giving 11% discounts on 11/11/11 to folks who’ve contributed to the fundraiser. Just have your Pay Pal receipt up on your phone (or bring a print-out) to get it.
When it rains on practice days, the girls get to do what they are never allowed to do during the school day: run and yell in the halls. It’s the little things.
Maggie is a rockstar third grade teacher and bringing a rockstar baby into the world in a couple of months.
what do you love about girls on the run?
i love seeing the girls fall in love with running and realize they can do more than they thought! A 5K is a big deal- at any age! I love that these girls are learning how valued and loved and beautiful and strong they are at such a young and formative age. I love their friendships on the team as they learn more about each other and how to support and encourage each other. From a logistical point, I love that GOTR is so organized and user friendly too!
why do you think us being involved with the gals on our team is important at this point in their lives?
In third and fourth grade, these girls are already wondering if they are beautiful and strong… and those really important identity questions are soon going to be answered in many different ways. I think its really important that they are exposed to the answers that GOTR offers at this time before they are completely bombarded by all the other answers out there.
why do you run?
I love everything about running. I love pushing my body a little farther than I thought I could, I love the quiet it can bring and the friendships it can bring. I love that running is something i can do with no equipment and very little time. When I think about the last 13 years of my life, it has been the refuge of short and long runs through trails and city streets, in all seasons and weather, that has been a constant companion and source of strength and solace.
Ebony is an urban planner here in town who may or may not moonlight as a Gap model. She is also good for my soul.
what do you love about girls on the run?
I love interacting with the girls, getting to know each and every one of them. It’s a joy to figure out how to encourage and meet their needs specifically. They are funny, energetic and insightful. Being with them makes me a better person. I love the curriculum as well, what it teaches them about how to relate to themselves, how to navagate relationships, life, how to cope, and healthy ways to respond. Most of the lessons in the curriculum i need to relearn myself as a woman.
why do you think us being involved with the gals on our team is important at this point in their lives?
It the point when they start getting messages about what it means to be a girl, messages about themselves and how to interact with the world and usually these are not positive messages. They are pre-pre teens. Its important to get them thinking in a positive and healthy light, as a good foundation for all the growth, change and pressure that will happen during middle and high school.
what do you think mentorship is important for women?
I think its important to have positive role models that not only speak into our lives, but are living out some of the character traits we need or admire. We need advice, examples and someone to steer us in the right direction. As women, we are often engrossed in the peer pressure, falsehood and lies that our peers, peer groups and the media perpetuate. We need outside voices to combat all of the wrong or negative messages we get from the outside world and ourselves.
why do you run?
I like to move my body and get in a good sweat. Its a good way to release energy, clear my mind and take care of my body.
If you read my whys, you know I’m working with some awesome fellow Girls on the Run coaches. I’ll briefly interview each of them during this 11-day blitz.
First up: Leigh, a Ph.D student in systems engineering at UVA who loves to run. She is a lot faster than me.
what do you love about girls on the run?
Because the Girls on the Run program combines running with a curriculum for developing positive self-esteem and making healthy choices, it allows the coaches to be a part of both the girls’ physical and social/emotional development. It’s amazing to watch them grow in different ways. I love the questions they ask.
why do you think us being involved with the gals on our team is important at this point in their lives?
These girls on on the brink of figuring out who they are and how they fit into the world. Girls on the Run gives them a place where they can still be silly and then also have serious conversations about difficult concepts, like gossiping, peer pressure, and gratitude.
what do you think mentorship is important for women?
Girls (at any age) cannot have too many positive role models in their lives. We all need someone to look up to.
why do you run?
I love running because you don’t need any fancy equipment, athletic coordination, or a specific body type to be a runner. I love that everyone run can be a new adventure.
Eleven days from now I’ll turn 32. Never again in my lifetime will I have such a cool birthdate. Seriously.
It deserves something extra special to mark it. Something with meaning. Something bigger than me.
So I’m raising money for a non-profit that I’ve come to love deeply—for both the work that they do and the way that they do it.
If you usually buy me a present, contribute to this instead. If you’re considering buying me a present I’ve made it real easy for you.
I’ll be posting every day for the next eleven days—interviews with my fellow coaches, some facts about what we do and some fun stuff, too. Stay tuned.
Meet our Girls on the Run team—I’m pretty smitten.
