Girls on the Run of Maricopa County Blog

Why are you running, Lillie?

Anxiety is grey, the color of a terrible weight.

        But before the starting gun I have orange energy.

Sadness is the sight of dark clouds, hovering when I am alone.

        But when I run, the sky clears and the wind is in my hair.

Stress is the sound of biting my nails.

      But when I run my feet are fast, and I forget I was mad.

Fear smells like smoke filling my lungs.

      But when I run I am strong inthe cool fresh air.

Worry tastes of pennies, salty and hard.

      But when I run I am satisfied; I only crave quickness.

Tension feels like prickly grass, itchy and irritating.

      But when I run, I feel smooth and my friends run beside me.

I am running away from doubt.

    And I see confidence at the finish line.

   Girls on the Run has taught me many valuable lessons over the years I have been enrolled in the program.  One of these life lessons is how to be “out of the box.”

   Before I joined Girls on the Run, I was a girl who tried to blend in with the “in crowd”. I would walk, talk, act and dress like the “popular” girls.  I was afraid that if I didn’t, I would be made fun of and be an outcast to others.  At the time, I didn’t realize what others tough of me was unimportant. After my first few lessons of Girls on the Run, I had a life changing epiphany.  I finally realized the importance of being “out of the box.”  I realized it didn’t matter what people thought of me, as long as I was happy with myself.  I wasn’t afraid to be bold anymore.  I could speak up and say what I wanted without fear of others mocking me later.  I was fearless to be myself.

    I am now an outspoken , driven, young woman, that’s not afraid to be myself.  I have friends that are true and faithful, and I am happy with myself and fearless to be eccentric.  Thank you Girls on the Run, you have helped me be more fearless and “out of the box.”

To Whom It May Concern,

    My daughter, Sophia, now a 5th grade student at —– Elementary School had the unique privilege to participate in the Girls on the Run program last year. It was not only an eye opening experience for my daughter, but for myself. I watched my daughter blossom from a little timid girl, to a young inquisitive lady, who had a question about everything. It was also a pleasurable experience to see my daughter start and finish an actual 5K. That was an awesome feeling!! I feel if Sophia has a chance to continue her Girls on the Run journey not only will it benefit her physically, but mentally.   Thank you.

“ What? Sixteen laps?” I said as coach Michele explained in the first day of Girls on the Run that our goal is that we would eventually be able to to run 5K which is equivalent to 16 laps! “How will I be able to run 16 laps” I feared.  It was my mom’s idea to put me in Girls on the Run and I did not like that at all at the beginning. I had not like running and was not excited about having to run 16 laps. The only reason I agreed to participate was that my two best friends, Abby and Libby, would be on the team.  At first, Abby encouraged me a lot to keep running more and more. Later I encouraged Libby, ran with her, told her to keep her pace, and helped her to finish 9 laps.  After the first few weeks of practice, I was able to run more laps. I started with 1 lap, then 2 laps, then 3 laps . . . 8, . . . 12, . . . then 1 day 16 laps!  Gradually my fear for running 5K disappeared.  On the day of 5K run, my mom ran with me. At one point, my mom wanted to rest and told me, “Sarah, you go ahead.” I told her “Mom, come on and run with me.” She and I finished 5K together. We were very happy.  Even though I am little, I learned that I could encourage and help kids and adults. “Girls on the Run is so much fun, Girls on the Run is number one!” We said this in each practice and we learned strong body, strong mind and smarter brain. Girls on the Run helped me to be more fearless.

“Like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz, I have learned to get through the tornados in my life with the help of Girls on the Run. At GOTR they give you a yellow brick road to fearlessness. In this version I am from Pasadena, not Kansas and I don’t have a dog, but I have friends. We are all trying to reach the Emerald City where our coaches work hard tomake our trip easy. For example, there is a scarecrow in my life. She has been through a lot this past week. I have to be strong and fearless for her. I learned at GOTR, to listen to my inner voice and stand up for myself and others. I helped the scarecrow down from a pole of sadness and uncertainty, but I wouldn’t be able to say this without GOTR. There is also a tin man. A person without a heart. She is the one who has kept the scarecrow on her pole this whole time. But in this story the scarecrow and I didn’t bother to take her with us. With the strength I have gotten from GOTR, I don’t need a wizard to get me home, and I don’t need ruby slippers when I have running shoes.”

   Girls on the Run has helped me become more fearless because it has given me the confidence to stand up for myself. Even though I was building my self-esteem through other GOTR lessons, the Standing Up for Myself lesson strikes me as the exercise that helped me be fearless in the classroom as well as on track.

  There is a boy in myclass who everybody thinks is weird. One day I offered to help him in math. If I was not in GOTR I would never have been that brave. I really think I gained extra confidence from the Girls on the Run lessons. After working with him in class I noticed that he wasn’t as weird as everybody said. The next day he asked for my help which made me feel proud. I then realized that he was actually really nice. Since then, I have been helping hime a lot and we have become great friends.

  I am really glad that GOTR taught me how important it is to stand up for myself and make my own decisions. I made the decision to see if that guy was as weird as everyone said. And I was the only one who had the confidence to approach him. Because of Girls on the Run, I have met a nice guy and he is now my friend.