Aly participated in Girls of the Run this spring. It is a running program that culminates in a 5k race. But the program is so much more than that. It integrates life skills including individual well being, relationships, and team building. Aly was a little bored by that aspect but hopefully a little of it seeped in. The program was run through her school by her PE teacher, Mrs. Parthum, and three enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers.
The race was a state wide event just for Girls of the Run. There were 1000 girls running with another 1000 support people running to cheer the girls along the way. I was excited to be Aly's support person.
Here's Aly pre-race with her cape. The girls signed bandannas for each other with encouraging messages for during the race. Mrs. Parthum made the name banners and told the girls how when she ran her marathon it was so encouraging to have people cheering her on by name.
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| The Merrimack team - Aly is just below Girls of the Run banner in the center back. |
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| Erin, Aly, Maya, and Jenny at the starting line |
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| Aly, Jenny, and Maya feeling proud at the finish line |
These three girls ran together and started with a good deal of walking. Not really knowing what their training was like, I figured that was what the race would be like. But after mile 1, they fired it up and pushed and encouraged each other through the next 2 miles. It was really neat to watch. Aly was really tired and thirsty the last quarter mile. After a brief walk, she was off and I was hauling to keep up with her. She finished strong and proud and I am so proud of her too.
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| Aly with Mrs. Parthum |
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