Author: Kristine Binder

So Sunday my phone was feeling a little jumpy and decided to go for a swim. After my initial panic, I pulled it out of the water right away and yanked the battery out as fast as I could. I guess my phone was longing for a little spa time so after the swim, it went for a rice massage and dry sauna for a few days. I have resolved to remain as calm as possible this year so I took a deep breath and decided to look at the upside of this disconnection.

I still had a laptop. I still had an ipod. I still had a house phone. I was still connected…just not teathered 24/7.  I had to be patient and wait….

My kids have become dependant on my text reminders and the ability to text me whenever they want….often when they are in the next room!  This disconnect offered an opportunity for face to face contact!  They actually had to speak to me in the same room!  I realized that they don’t really need my reminders…they need a bit more independance. They had to plan ahead for rides and events for a few days and the accountability was good for all of us.

The time away from the ‘connection’ to work and personal email was refreshing. I was reminded that I don’t need to be accessable to everyone all the time. The fact that I didn’t have to make sure my clothing had a pocket for my phone was a bonus too! The many lessons in patience ….well….were priceless.

The disconnect lasted for 3 days and was actually quite wonderful. I missed the instant access to my kids and friends but realized that a little space was a good thing. I realized how much I preach about NOT texting/talking on the phone and driving ….but I do it anyway. I realized that checking my phone/email is the first thing I do when I get up and the last before I go to sleep. I realized that I love talking to my kids FACE TO FACE.  So much has changed with the advent of ‘smartphones’. We have changed so much in the way we interact with one another…much of it not for the better. Cell phones are a necessary evil but, just as with any tool, have to be used properly….and not misused. The disconnect was so beneficial in so many ways and something I may choose to do on my own  periodically. The lessons learned will lead to changes in behavior.

Take time here and there to disconnect. Reconnect with the people in your life …and with yourself. I did!

Two of my favorite things have combined…Girls on the Run and Athleta. Working together they are kind of like a Girly SuperPower! The new ad compaign for Athleta is awesome and speaks to all things Girls on the Run. Power to the She is all about living each day to the fullest. Find your inner girl and inner strong all while looking good and feeling good.

Work it out. Breathe it out. Enjoy the crazy happy life that we are all a part of each day. And then do it all over again the next day. Power to the SHE! Peace.

Ok, so  I may not be Eastwood…. but this week I got all three…the good, the bad and the ugly…in my runs. Not every runs can be a great one. Not every run is horrible. We need balance. Well, if that is the case I should be level!

On Wednesday I had a great run. 10 miles of simply effortless running. I set out to run 5 miles. The day was glorious and I was feeling great so I just kept adding to the run. Before long I realized that I should probably head home and when I looked I had run 10 miles at a pretty good pace too.
On Saturday I was planning to run another 10 miles but got a late start and literally ran out of time to run the last 2 miles before having to take my daughter to work. It was not a great run as I felt rushed and out of sorts. I was kicking myself for not starting sooner so that I could get those extra miles in. It was not all bad but not all good either. I was tired but started strong. As the time ticked away I realized that I would not make my distance goal but would have to settle for something a bit less thus never really getting deep into the run.

Sunday…well that was the ugly. An ugly run that never really went anywhere other than 6 miles. I could not head to my favorite trail nor run my 6 mile loop. My phone went for a swim and I don’t like to run far without it. So while the phone got a rice massage and sauna, I ran 3 by myself and was feeling really good. I looped back home to get the dog and do another 3…well…that was when the ugly really kicked in (fishing my phone from its swim started the day off all wrong). The pooch and I ran intervals….not by my choosing…hers! We chased after squirrels…I lost count after the 15th….for 3 miles. She would take off after a squirrel thinking her her doggie mind that she could catch the thing and even tried a few times to head up a tree after a few. It was comical to say the least. I have to laugh or I will cry…not only about the run but about my phone. I never really got into that run and the intervals …well they through my body for a loop! 

Not every run can be great. Not every run can be effortless. I look forward to those great runs. They come when I least expect it most times. The bad and ugly runs…well those are more common. They remind me of the good runs. They make me appreciate all that is good in life. It is when I have to alter my attitude from “I ran….” to “I was able to run…” that I see each run for what it is …an opportunity to learn something.

When I began running I was only running 5k races. I got a flyer for a Wondergirl race and decided to run it. Little did I know how much that one 5K race would change the course of my life.

The race was sponsored by Girls on the Run. It was a 5K to culminate their training program for young girls. I was just running it as another race and because it looked fun. And boy was it fun!  The Girl Power that  day was overpowering!  It was amazing. I was hooked. I had to find out more about this program.

 I spent the next year working with and learning more about the Girls on the Run program. I was so excited about the positive messages for all girls that 2 years after running that 5K I was starting my own GOTR program at my own school.

Girls on the Run is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating and preparing girls for a lifetime of self-respect and healthy living. GOTR utilizes a specifically designed tested curriculum for third, fourth and fifth grade girls to enhance the physical, social, emotional, mental and spiritual needs of each participant. The following life lessons are covered in the 10 week program:

• Learning to develop an understanding of ones self

• Setting personal goals for nutrition and exercise

• Understanding the importance of being physically, mentally, and emotionally healthy

• Understanding core values and what makes us unique

• Getting along within a group

• Knowing the importance if listening, assertiveness, and the importance of being positive

• Learning the components of good decision making

• Letting go of negative feelings and situations

• Understanding the nature of social messages we receive through he media and other institutions

• Recognizing the damage the stereotyping, gossip and discriminatory behavior can cause

Each of these lessons is taught while implementing a physical activity. By the end of the 10 weeks, the girls will run/walk 3.1 miles in the WonderGirl 5K fun run. It is the goal that girls will complete the program with a stronger sense of identity, a greater acceptance of themselves, a healthier body image and an understanding of what it means to be part of a team.

We decided as a school that it would be best to start the program for 3rd graders only as there were no extra curricular programs for this age group. We started small, just another teacher and myself and 10 girls. the program has snowballed over 4 years to 40 girls and 6 coaches.

I get excited each time we meet with the girls. They are filled with passion and energy that is explosive and contagious! Watching each girl cross the finish line makes me cry. I relive my own first finish line. I know their lives will never be the same. I know that GOTR not only changes the lives of the girls but of their families as well. Family members see these girls with new eyes. No one is ever the same.

Molly Barker, the founder of GOTR is a visionary. She saw a need and created a lifechanging program to fill that need. Her program changes the direction of so many people…including me. I took the road less traveled…and am forever changed.