Last year I discovered this thing called Girls on the Run. :-) It all started after participating in a co-ed running group at my kids' school in Kansas. I helped a teacher lead a running group around the school twice a week for boys and girls in 2nd-5th grade. We trained together for a community 5K then ran it together. It was so fun and was a perfect mix for me giving my child development background and love for fitness and group exercise. So when we moved back to Minneapolis I wanted to do something similar, thus discovering GOTR or Girls on the Run. Why re-invent the wheel, I'd just apply to get the program at my school. Sadly it was only for girls so my oldest son wasn't able to participate (that's okay we ran our own 5K together last spring) but it was perfect for my twin girls! I started up a site at our school and while I didn't realize what I was biting off to begin with, I loved it!
This was my second year to coach (third season) every season has been so different in its own way and this great, large group of girls was phenomenal. We had a LOT of third graders and a hand full of fourth. No fifth graders this go round. We started the second week of September. Still warm weather, green trees, and shorts/short sleeve attire.
Capturing a rainbow after practice one day.
Goofy girls!
Started to get chilly about mid-way through, but didn't stop us and our practice 5K which we do about two-thirds of the way through the season. Fall was in full swing. I love going ALL OUT for our practice 5K! We are lucky enough to get to run around our local lake, I make balloon towers for our finish line and we have a big party as everyone comes in through the finish. So grateful for the number of parent volunteers we have on this special day. For some girls this is their first time doing a 5K distance.
We have a few extra snacks at the end and fun 'paper' medals. I have crafty co-coaches too who love spoiling the girls.
My girls finishing:
This was the first time I ran the practice with them (the previous two seasons I helped at the start/finish)
SO FUN!
Forgot to get a picture with my girls at the finish so we did later that evening at home. :-)
Halloween practice was our first snowy one
Moved it indoors for our Community Impact Project. Every season the girls decide on a group in the community to serve and plan out the project together then we take one practice to implement it. This season they choose to make cards and friendship bracelets for kids at the local hospital.
The season finishes with a BIG celebatory 5K. We met at the state fair grounds with 60 or so other teams. Every girl had a 5K buddy. I ran with Emma while Mary ran with her dad, it was a fun family event! (the boys stayed home with grandma)
An amazing co-coach made these signs!
Go team Kenwood!
It was chilly but beautiful. About 20° warmer than last fall!
Love it! And here are my co-coaches at the coach appreciation event to wrap up an amazing fall season!
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