Anna's 1st 5K: Girls on the Run

Anna at the completion of the race
Saturday marked a big milestone for Anna:  she completed her first 5K! This was part of a new group at school - Girls on the Run (www.gotr.org). 

GOTR met twice a week at 7:30 AM for a 45 morning practice.  There were 13 girls (3rd and 4th grade) who joined the group.  The program is not only about running but about setting goals and making healthy living decisions.  The grand finale of the program is a 5K race.  Several moms helped assist, including Theresa who served as one of the coaches.

Anna & Sophie before the race
Another part of the program is a community service project.  The girls voted and decided to collect donations for the local animal shelter.  What this meant for Theresa was a trunk full of cat food and dog biscuits to drop off at the local shelter.  Joe borrowed the car one day and for a brief moment thought he had the wrong vehicle when he opened the trunk to find a bunch of pet food.

While Anna enjoyed meeting up with her friends (and may have even enjoyed running with her Mom), she was less than thrilled about the actual 5K race.  First, it meant getting up very early on a Saturday morning on a chilly day.  Second, there were hills on the course.  Finally, running in  a crowd of 2,000 people is not Anna's idea of fun (she likes some space....and her own pace).  The promise of Dunkin Doughnuts following the race was enough to motivate her to finish with her Mom.

 Anna declared that she is done with 5Ks for now.   In the meantime, she can celebrate a pretty big accomplishment - finishing the race.

Anna & the Girls on the Run Team


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Swimming with the Lakevale Dolphins

Image
The Swim Gang - Leo, Aidan, Megan & Anna Tonight Anna completed her third season with the Division II Lakevale Dolphins.  It was a great season for Anna as she improved her strokes and her times and made it to the "A"team to compete at Saturday meets.  It was an educational season for Joe and Theresa, who learned the ins and outs of life as swim team parents. The neighborhood swim team is the hub of neighborhood social activity in the summer.  There are events throughout the season, including Friday night pep rallies, and Sunday night fund events that include such things as the neighborhood scavenger hunt, laser tag night, bingo night, and even a team night at the Washington Nationals game.  In between the fun is the seriousness of the swimming, and there are definitely some top notch swimmers on the team. Anna with her lollipop for getting a "personal best" time Kids are motivated by different things. Some kids love to race.  Other kids try to b...
Read more

Camp Coles Trip & June Birthdays

Image
Anna at Girl Scout Camp Anna just returned from a fun-filled week at Girl Scout camp.  This year she was old enough to go to Camp Coles Trip, which is on a bay area off of the Potomac River.  This is a water camp, so she spent her days on the bay learning to paddle board and sail along with kayaking. Girl Scout Camp is definitely roughing it.  The camp is in the woods and girls stay in platform cabins with screens.  Anna shared a cabin with 4 other girls.  Mosquito netting is very important at night.  The only electricity is at the dining hall, health center, and activity building.  The girls are also responsible each day for doing "kapers" or chores.  They take turns helping serve meals, cleaning the bathrooms, and general clean-up.  They are also responsible for keeping track of their own things and carrying their bags. Anna had a fantastic time, despite the lack of modern conveniences, and is already planning her return next year....
Read more

The End of 1st Grade

Image
Last Day of 1st Grade Pool Party Anna is officially a "rising 2nd grader."  She was quite excited to celebrate her last day of 1st grade on June 14. She learned a lot this year, including great strides on reading, addition, subtraction, and writing. Anna kept a writing journal during the school year.  Below are some excerpts: If I had a pet I would choose a dog.  I would feed him, walk him, play with him, and a dog would keep me company.  PS, i atcally want one these are the things i would do One day while I was driveing on the road a deer was in the way.  My dad honked the horn.   self-control is keping your self in control.   Peace is when you are quiet.   I can respect others by bringing over plates afer diner.    The last week of school included a field trip to Frying Pan Park, a working farm in Fairfax County.  Anna, upon recounting the details of her trip, stated that they learned how to do farm chores from...
Read more