Another Season of GOTR

This week marks the half-way point of the Fall Season of Girls on the Run. I can't believe it's gone by so fast! It feels like just last week we were going through coach training. This is my fifth time as a Head Coach in Carmel Valley and my second time coaching the middle school girls in the Girls on Track. program (In my first three seasons I coached the elementary school girls in Girls on the Run.)

Go Girls on Track!

This season we have a team of 10 girls for Girls on Track, and we're one of three teams in Carmel Valley. Its amazing to me to see how the program has exploded in the past two years! In my first season coaching I was with one of 6 teams, and this season we've grown to 20 teams! Its so amazing.  I joined the board about a year and a half ago and head up the Marketing team, and I love getting to be involved both as a coach and also as a board member.

Coach Training

Practicing the Games at Coach Training

The Girls on Track curriculum is fairly similar to the Girls on the Run curriculum - we cover the basics of understanding our emotions, expressing ourselves, working as a team, learning how to stand up to bullies, understanding that gossiping is bad, etc. We also touch on some more 'grown-up' topics though which are really critical to pre-teen girls in this day and age. We have a lesson on cyberbullying, another on drugs, and another on crushes and the pressures to be sexually active. Eek! As I look at the faces of these sweet little girls its mind-blowing to think that these are situations that are appropriate for kids their age .... but sadly they really are!

Girls on Track Showing Why They're Girls on the Run

I love coaching Girls on the Run not just for the girls, but for the friendships I've made with a lot of the coaches as well. Almost all of the coaches are runners so we instantly have something in common. Sharing stories of races we've run, toenails we've lost, routes we've run - its all a part of being a coach, and I love it! (Well, I hate sharing lost toenail stories ... but its all a part of marathon training.)

Carmel Valley Coaches - We're Strong!

Paddleboarding With Coaches Past & Present

Our season will wrap up mid-December and our season end 5K is slotted for Sunday December 11th downtown at the Embarcadero. This will be the third time that Girls on the Run San Diego is putting on its own 5K, and it has been bigger and better each time! Our Sparkle & Shine 5K (cool name huh? we must have some hip marketing people! haha) drew about 500 runners last time, and I think we should be up to 800 in this next race. Exciting!

Spring Girls on Track Team - They ROCK

Want to come run with us? Registration is open online through Active. (Click here for registration info.) Or if you want to volunteer for one day to run with one of our girls, you can be a Running Buddy!

Video About Running Buddies

If you haven't heard me blather on  enough about the organization and want to learn more about it, you can find more info here.

Girls on the Run San Diego Leadership Team

And lastly, if you are interested in joining the 10-person Glam Runner team for the 5K ($50 gets you entry to the race and a custom tutu of your choice! Tutu options found here.) shoot us an email at glamrunner at gmail.

Girls on the Run Knows How to Have Fun

Sparkle fingers!