Ok, the marathon thing is old news now. I had a fun couple of months obsessing about the one day of 26 miles, and it was great. Now, though, it's time to enjoy everything else running has to offer. And that's a lot of different things to different people, especially young people.
One of the most fun and re warding races I've been to in the last couple years is the trick or treat trot. It is the culmination run for about 1,200 grade school girls who are in a program called Girls on the Run. The idea is to train twice a week for 12 weeks to do a 5k race. It does wonders to help them build self-esteem. They made up nearly half the field in yesterday's race, and the smiles on the girl's faces as they crossed the finish line was heart-warming.
I brought my two young daughters to the race to watch my wife run. We sat at the finish line and watched all the people cross, most of them excited to be a part of the run no matter what their time. Many were in costume for Halloween. My daughters were dressed as a pumpkin and a Bears cheerleader. I think it's great for them to see 
all the older girls accomplishing something they may hope to do one day as well.
The GOTR program has been going for about ten years, and now involves 50,000 girls around the country. It's founder, Molly Barker, is featured as one of the heroes in this month's Runner's World magazine. She is quoted as saying "Running is the part of my day when I feel the most beautiful-when I don't feel judged by others, and that's what I want for all little girls."
I can't personally relate to that idea. I started running in the competitive culture of high school track, and it eventually evolved into a regular part of my life. For me, running is the part of my day when I have my thoughts to myself, and can push myself physically. But as a father now, with two daughters, I can't imagine a better idea. Whether it's through running, or any other athletic pursuit, sports can be a great way to build self-esteem and help you discover and expand your physical abilities.
So congratulations to all the Girls on the Run! I have the honor of hosting their fundraiser in a couple weeks. I was there last year as well and they had a great turnout. It's a great cause, and I'll write more about that soon to give you details.
In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful fall weather this week, and I'll see you on the trails!
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