Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Tuesday, April 06, 2010

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The Girls on the Run program combines physical exercise and health or self-esteem lessons.

While a 5K race might seem like a huge challenge for beginners, girls at James Lane Allen Elementary are gaining confidence with laps in the back parking lot and loads of mutual encouragement.

Shouts of “Good job! Keep running! Keep jogging!” and exchanges of high fives punctuated a recent session as students in the Girls on the Run program circled the asphalt, pausing every couple of laps for a drink of water.

“We keep talking about each time increasing our distance and building up endurance,” said fourth-grade teacher Whitney Keinath, who runs alongside and urges the students to pace themselves.

But Girls on the Run is about much more than exercise; it’s also about bolstering self-esteem.

“If you stay positive, the people around you will stay positive, too,” fourth-grader Bryanna Garrett explained as she rested under a shade tree after the 40-minute workout.

The mission of Girls on the Run Lexington is “to educate and prepare girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living.” The program, which is designed for grades 3-8, combines training for a 5K run (3.1 miles) with healthy-living lessons. In after-school sessions twice a week at James Lane Allen, school leaders also mentor the girls and show them how to become role models.

“It’s not only a physical training program. We talk about goal-setting, too. It’s all tied into fitness games, the way you teach the curriculum,” said Andrea White, the intermediate special education teacher. “Our end goal is to build confident girls who are able to be independent and very positive.”

Sessions focus on such areas as nutrition, body image, peer pressure and negative self-talk. Bryanna said the girls learn not to internalize hurtful putdowns like “You’re ugly” and “You’re not smart.”

The teachers also share healthy habit cards that highlight the importance of getting enough sleep, eating breakfast every morning and cultivating a strong support circle.

One recent lesson revolved around “gratitude.” As the girls ran, they stopped off between laps to fill out an acrostic with such entries as “G is for good friends” and “R is for reading” – bringing to mind nearly a dozen things for which they were grateful.

“It’s cool curriculum activities that they embed within physical activities,” White said. “It’s always something creative tied into their emotional well-being and their physical wellness.”

With the 5K run coming up on May 15, fifth-grader Hannah Lawson intends to invest even more time and energy to get ready.

“I’m going to start jogging in my neighborhood to prepare for the race,” she said, acknowledging that finishing a 5K is an ambitious goal.

Meanwhile, she and the other students are learning how to be part of a team and pull together for a common purpose.

“After the first practice, we noticed how they started bonding,” Keinath said.

“They’ve enjoyed pushing themselves and getting to know the other girls,” White added. “It’s been amazing what it’s done for their self-esteem so far.”

Notable: Ten schools are participating this spring: Ashland, Athens-Chilesburg, Booker T. Washington Academy, Cassidy, Dixie, James Lane Allen, Rosa Parks, Stonewall and Veterans Park elementaries and Beaumont Middle School.

To find out how to get on board with Girls on the Run, e-mail heidi@gotrlexington.org.