A quick update

I have not written in awhile, so wanted to give an update on my aches and pains. I have been seeing a sports doctor and went to the Chi Running clinic two weeks ago. With both of these combined, I feel like things are coming together and I will be able to continue running pain free. The test will be this weekend when I run the Kaiser Half-Marathon. I have not really gotten the mileage I needed under my belt for this race, but am really hoping for the best.

On another note, I am going to be a Girls on the Run coach this season! I went to the first training session tonight and am excited for the opportunity. I am really looking forward to having fun with the girls while working to instill some healthy habits and activities into their life.

Some frightening statistics we were given during the training tonight regarding San Francisco Girls...

• 1 out of every 3 girls in San Francisco public schools reported feeling depressed
• 12% of middle school girls reported they went without eating for 24-hours to lose weight
• 50% of middle school girls were dissatisfied with their weight

Feeling Frustrated

I am feeling really frustrated recently, because my body is not cooperating with me. After every run, I have been getting really tight calves resulting in several knots in my calves that are very painful. This weekend, I feel as if I have a pinched nerve or something of the sorts in my lower back and does not feel very nice. When I run, my mid back feels as if it is crunching together and causes me a lot of pain. Overall, my body is not holding up its end of the bargain and I don't like it.

I must say, I am being proactive in trying to figure out what the hell is going on and how can I fix it! I went to the sports doctor last week and he rubbed out my calf knots (which did not end up cramping up over the weekend), plus he taught me some exercises to help with this problem. However, since I was there on Friday, I have this pinched nerve feeling in my lower back and it scares me. I was unable to complete my 10-mile run this weekend, a definite set back.

In addition to going to the doctor, I have been reading about the Chi Running technique. Chi Running is supposed to be an injury free approach to running, so I figured I would give it a shot. If I feel the Chi Running technique is for me, then I will be taking a workshop on it in two weeks to hopefully remain healthy as I continue to run.

Wish me luck and I will keep you posted on my progress and health.

2010, what????

Can you believe it is 2010? I can't. I have been feeling really anxious since the new year began thinking of all of the things I want to accomplish in the new year. Last night I could not even sleep, as my mind was running full speed thinking of all the work I was going back to in the morning, projects I would like to look tackle in 2010, my current project of raising $1,700 for GOTR, future volunteer opportunities, blah blah blah. There is really no point to all of this other than it makes me feel much better to these thoughts out of my mind and into cyberspace. However, to make it more concrete, here are some projects, goals, etc... I had racing around in my head. 

• Take a sewing class (going to do in either feb. or january)
• Get the new fundraising/training marathon program at Shanti off the ground (began doing that this week)
• Figure out why I am having aches and pains in my calves and back while running these days (started this project today by making a visit to the sports doctor)
• Reading more
• Trying to get back my half-full attitude on life
• Be more adventurous
• Go to the climbing gym
• Learn to manage my high anxiety levels (and creating this list is not helping in the least) 
• Learn to play and instrument??
• Listen more and talk less 

Now for those of you reading this, you can help hold me acountable for my 2010 "resolutions".

With all of that said, I have exactly one month to raise another  $310 to complete my Girls on the Run fundraising goal (and 2009/2010 GOTR fundraising challenge).

That breaks down to raising $77.50 per week!

                                   

Here are some ideas of how the money I am raising for GOTR is spent?

$25 Covers the Lollipop 5k Run race entry fee for one girl
$50 Buys healthy snacks for one season for all 16 girls on a team
$100 Provides curriculum, game pieces, and supplies at one site .
$300 Pays for one girl to participate in Girls on the Run for one season
$500 Enables every girl in a program and her family to participate in the Lollipop 5k Run
$1,000 Trains 50 volunteer coaches
$5,000 Sponsors a Girls on the Run program for 16 girls for an entire season
                          

 "Girls on the Run makes me feel happy, excited, silly and fast!"
Samantha, 8

"I like Girls on the Run because it is making me feel good about myself"
Albright, 9

my other running buddy

This past weekend was rain fest 2009 in San Francisco, so I opted out of doing the Saturday morning run with my training group (I know, I am a wimp). However, I really did not want to go and run in the cold hard rain (again) and risk getting sick before the holidays. Anyway, I put off doing my weekly long run until Sunday night after napping a couple hours, cleaning the bathroom, doing other chores, and being warm and cozy on the couch with my husband and dogs. Not really the best plan, but I was dedicated enough to get my butt off the couch and onto the cold wet pavement.

 As I was putting on my running gear and getting ready to head outside, my husband was closing his eyes for a brief nap and had a dog snuggled up on his lap. My other dog, Doc Ellis, despite being cozy and warm just minutes before I began the pre-run process jumped up and was eager to head outside into the cold dark night with me. My dedicated running partner!

I put Doc’s safety light on, got his running treats ready, secured his leash and off we went. About 4 miles into the run, when I was getting a bit bored, I looked down to see Doc running straight ahead with full on determination. His ears were pressed against his head, his nose was pointing forward, and he was a movin’. I then smiled and realized how lucky I was to have such a devoted and inspiring running partner, such as Doc. No complaints, just a joy for running in the rain, dark, or whatever situation he enters into. He keeps me moving, smiling, and causes people to smile at us as we pass them by on the sidewalk.


Doc and I completed 6-miles last night and both ended up doing it with a smile on our faces, because we had each other! I could not ask for a better running partner than my buddy, Doc Ellis.

just minutes before our run.

post run with his safety light on and a smile on his face

me and my buddy

Fun, team work, support, healthy snacks, playing games, running, exercising, promise to respect one another, freedom, friendship, self-confidence, sportsmanship, learning= Girls on the Run (the way the girls themselves describe the program and what the program means to them) 



Now, how can you argue supporting a program as positive and inspiring as Girls on the Run? 

To support Girls on the Run, please visit http://www.firstgiving.com/rawls. All of the proceeds I raise will directly benefit the Girls on the Run Bay Area program.

We did it!

On Saturday, Mariana and I ran together (yes, ran the whole way) to complete the Lollipop Run 5K, which benefitted Girls on the Run. There were about 1,000 participants out on Saturday and most of the runners were made up of 3rd to 5th grade girls who participated in the Girls on the Run fall program at their school.


For the Lollipop Race, each girl in the program was paired up with an adult volunteer Running Buddy who ran with the girls from start to finish. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Mariana, a 5th grader from Marshall Elementary School, and I were paired up together and completed the race together. I was so proud of Mariana for her hard work leading up to the race, running the entire race, and doing it with a smile. Her mom even came to cheer her on, as it was her last year in the Girls on the Run program.


Here are some pictures from the event...

Mariana and I pre-race

A few of the Marshall Elementary School team members enjoying each other and their victory lollipops!

Mariana and I post race with victory lollipop in hand.

Mariana, her proud mother and I in front of the finish line.

I must say, the Lollipop Race was a wonderful and inspiring way to spend a brisk Saturday morning. The overall feeling of the event and program can be summed up perfectly by a cheer I heard throughout the morning from various GOTR teams...

Girls on the Run

Girls on the Run

Girls on the Run is so much FUN! 

Me and My Buddy

On Saturday, December 5^th, Girls on the Run’s fall season will come to an end with their big Lollipop Run.  The Lollipop Run is a 5K or 1 mile race designed to celebrate the girls'accomplishments over the season and to allow the community to celebrate with them by joining the run or simply cheering them on.  As part of the Girls on the Run program, all of the 3^rd-5^th grade girls are assigned an adult Running Buddy, like me!  Running Buddies get paired up with a Girls on the Run girl to practice before the race and run, encourage, and cheer them on during the Lollipop Run.

Last Tuesday, I went along with the other Running Buddies to an elementary school near my house to meet the girls.  I had the pleasure of being paired up with a 10-year old girl named Mariana.  The first thing that Mariana said to me was, “I am really shy”.  I began to ask her some questions about herself to break the ice and hopefully bring her out of her shell a bit. We began to run our first lap (out of 12) around the block and began chatting.  I was asking her questions and she was responding to them quite timidly.  We ran a couple laps around the block, skipped a couple laps around the block, ran backwards around the block, and by the time we completed about 3 laps, Mariana was no longer the shy girl she said she was about 15 minutes beforehand.  As we kept lapping the block, Mariana was now quizzing me on my favorite subjects, siblings, telling me about good times she has had laughing with her friends, stories about sleepovers, her dreams, her family, etc…  By the end of the hour, we had completed our goal of running/skipping/jumping 3-miles around the block and had gotten to know one another.  The Running Buddies were saying our goodbyes to the girls, so I told Mariana I couldn’t wait to see her again at the Lollipop Race to cheer her on.  She smiled a huge smile, gave me a hug, and said, “okay”.

Since that afternoon, I cannot seem to get her sincere smile out of my head.  It was so amazing to see how far we had gone in just one hour of hanging out.  We laughed, completed 3-miles together, and best of all the girl who told me she was very shy had come out of her shell to share a piece of herself with me.  In one hour, it was apparent to me the difference a program like Girls on the Run can do for young girls.  In addition to Mariana’s progress in that short time, I saw over a dozen smiling faces, open hearts, good energy and impressionable young girls looking to have a good time and for true guidance.  Girls on the Run is able to provide this to these girls and for that, they are such a valuable resource to have in our community and this is why I am fundraising for Girls on the Run!  To support my efforts, please visit www.firstgiving.com/rawls

Check out some photos of Girls on the Run in Action!