Tag Archives: GOTR

Third Annual Girls on the Run 5K

Well, tomorrow is the big Girls on the Run race! It seems like it just crept up on me, but here it is! Like the last two years, the 5K will be held at the Marilla Center in Morgantown and will offer a variety of activities and booths. To name a few:

  • Zumba – 10 a.m.
  • Yoga – post race
  • Happy Hair Station (That’s where you’ll find me!) – available all day. This is a great place for our GOTR participants to stop by and get some awesome Goody hair decor.
  • Pinky Promise Station – available all day. Stop by this booth and take the Pinky Promise Challenge to help put an end to bullying by having your pinky nails painted blue.
  • Shopping Area – available all day.
  • Eco Race Events (ERE) will be recycling and will also be accepting donations of any old race shirts and other clothes, including old running shoes. Clean, usable clothes and shoes will be donated to be used again and will also be used to make new textiles and shoes will be given to Nike to chop up for running track surfaces. Old trophies will also be collected for reuse.

As you can see, this will be a fun-filled, jam packed event. Don’t worry, we have a map for all of these awesome activities! So, what if you’ve already registered? You can pick up your pre-registration packet tonight at Health Works in Morgantown between 5:30 and 7 p.m. Any questions you have about the race can be answered by me or one of our volunteers. If you can’t make it, you can always get your packet tomorrow morning starting at 8:30 a.m. Remember the race starts at 10:30 a.m., so get your packet early! If you haven’t registered, you can register starting at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow inside the Marilla Center. The race does fill up quickly, so come early if you want a spot.

Parking is available along East Brockway Avenue and in lots surrounding the Marilla Center, including the lot by the upper ball field and playground. Carpooling is encouraged! Lastly, if you play to come, don’t forget to bring a towel, as we won’t let rain stop us from enjoying the day! Should thunderstorms be in the area, participants won’t be put at risk. Cancellations will be posted on our Facebook page.

Ok, that covers it! Have a great weekend and hope to see some of you there!

5K Facebook Logo

GOTR SoleMates!

I have been volunteering with the Girls on the Run (GOTR) of Monongalia County for quite some time now, but went through a period where I felt like I wasn’t doing enough. Sure I was attending board meetings and helping with the 5K, but I still felt like I needed to do more. Back in the spring, the discussion came up at one of our meetings about a new SoleMates Program coordinator position that needed filled. I wrestled with the idea for several months before I finally decided to jump right in. Man, am I glad I did!

If you aren’t familiar with GOTR, let me first give you a little spiel about that. GOTR combines training for a 5K running event with healthy living education. The programs instill self-esteem and strong values through health education, life skills development, mentoring relationships, and physical training– all of which are accomplished through an active collaboration with girls and their parents, schools, volunteers, staff, and the community. Basically, it’s a program in which young girls are provided the opportunity to get together and discuss all of the bold words above. It’s a great way to help offset or prevent the growing numbers of body image issues girls are facing earlier and earlier each year.

GOTR is constantly growing and since it’s a non-profit, it’s always looking for new ways to stay funded. That is where the SoleMates Program comes in to play. (Text below is what you’ll find on the SoleMates page of the GOTR of Mon County home page.)

The Girls on the Run SoleMates program provides adults an opportunity to raise money for Girls on the Run while training for the athletic event of their choice. SoleMates set personal goals such as running in a marathon or 10k event to raise money for our local Girls on the Run council.

Whether you are participating in your first or fiftieth marathon, by becoming a SoleMate you are doing much more than achieving your personal fitness goals. By asking friends to support your event training and participation with a donation on your behalf to Girls on the Run, you are showing your true commitment to the values we are instilling in girls everywhere to celebrate their physical and emotional health. Sign up today to be a SoleMates and let your love of running make a difference in the life of a girl.

So far, we have two SoleMates signed up and ready to go. The first is Sera Mathews. I first met Sera at the GOTR/West Virginia University Gender Equality Movement (GEM) 

Yes, those are my arms and yes I cropped my face out of this picture with G.E.M. member Miranda Miller. This was taken at the screening.  

hosted screening of the film MissRepresentation. Sera was interested in volunteering with GOTR, but wasn’t sure where to start. A few nights after our first meeting, I received an email from her expressing interest in the program. Beyond excited, I immediately got her started with the process. Fast forward about a week and a half and I was fortunate enough to “be in the right place at the right time.” I had stopped by our SBASE Camp office in Morgantown to meet our Council Director Laurie to pick up some SoleMates goodies. While there, I met Rachel Byrne, who was also meeting with Laurie about some GOTR business. Giving her a quick SoleMates pitch must have done the trick, because she also emailed me later in the evening about joining the program! Two SoleMates in one month! In January, Sera will be participating in the Run to Read Half Marathon in Fairmont, W.Va. as her targeted race and Rachel will be doing the Pittsburgh Marathon in July. Thanks again, girls!!

As mentioned before, if you are interested in becoming a SoleMate for the GOTR of Mon County, please contact me directly at bailee.r.morris@gmail.com. We’re always looking for new participants and did I mention there’s a goody packet involved? :)

My Healthy Tip of the Day: Participate in your local SoleMates Program, of course! If you aren’t in my area, visit http://www.gotr.org and do a quick search to find a council in your area. It’s a great cause and a great excuse to get active!

 

My First Mammal Free Monday

Last week I alluded to the fact that I would be trying a new meat and dairy free diet every Monday to jump start my week. Today marked the first of this once-weekly venture. I started off my morning with a bowl of Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs with a cup of almond milk and one half of a sandwich thin, topped with some yummy almond butter. This breakfast wasn’t actually much different from what I eat every day since I abstain from cow’s milk. The almond butter was a perfect way to beef up this breakfast so I stayed fuller throughout my morning.

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My mid-morning snack was a gradual grazing of almonds and cranberries, combined with massive amounts of British tea. I started off with an Irish Breakfast tea and continued my day with a mix of my yummy Vanilla Caramel Truffle and Lady Grey. (Did I mention my Mondays will be caffeine free?) By the time lunch rolled around, I had worked up a serious appetite. I mixed together some premade peas and quinoa that I had prepared. I saved a little of the quinoa so I could have a snack later. I also munched on some cucumber slices and red and green peppers.

For dinner I decided to attempt to make the yamburgers recipe that I found, however I had to do so with a white bean, rather than a black bean. I sliced up some avocado and used a little hummus as a spread for this yummy dinner. I think my favorite thing about vegetable-based burgers is that they are not meant to remind you of burgers. They are just an easy way to stuff some really yummy veggies into a utensil-free meal. Who could argue with that?!

All in all, I think this “vegan” Monday thing will be much easier than I anticipated. I practically avoid meat and dairy during the week anyway.

On an off subject, I’ve been noticing a TON of GOTR mention in the blogosphere and have to say I’m THRILLED this organization is getting so much recognition:


http://peaceloveandoats.com/2012/06/18/im-a-solemate/


http://www.healthytippingpoint.com/about


http://www.pbfingers.com/2012/05/08/girls-on-the-run/

Sooo exciting! I mean I always knew what an amazing organization it was (board member boasting alert!), but the fact that so many others recognize the amazing support it can provide a young girl reminds me over and over.

Five Things Friday!

Since I missed Three Things Thursday, I thought I’d make up for it by trying this out.

1. Tom Waits. A coworker turned me on to this kooky character and now I’m obsessed with his strange, southern blues-sort-of sound. You need to know three things about him: he’s skinny, he’s crazy, and he sometimes sings through a megaphone.

2. Dr. Pepper Lip Smackers. Need I say more?

3. Emily the Strange. After rediscovering my childhood alter ego, Emily the Strange, this week, I’ve been on a mission to start collecting her hilarious bumper stickers again. Since I’m pretty much not willing to step foot into Hot Topic ever again, looks like I’m headed to the internet. I had the “Emily isn’t lazy, she’s just happy doing nothing” sticker on my binder when I was younger.

4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer comic. Ok, so this was discovered last week, but for those Buffy fans out there, did you know that the creator of the show actually created a comic that picks up where it left off? My head is spinning.

5. GOTR 5K. Our 2nd annual GOTR 5K is tomorrow at 4 p.m. at the Marilla Center in Morgantown, West Virginia. We’re anticipating beautiful weather and a big turn out, so come join us if you’re in the area! For those who have registered, don’t forget to stop by Health Works tonight from 5:30-7 p.m. to pick up your packets for tomorrow!

**I apologize for how geeky this post is. It slips out sometimes. :-(

My Healthy Tip of the Day: Swap your afternoon bag of chips for some almonds, grapes, or another healthy, poppable kind of snack. You’ll not only save calories, but you’ll also ensure that you still full until dinner!

So Much Food

Yesterday, I stuffed myself silly. I started off the day at the wonderful Terra Café, located right across from the playground at the Star City playground. Our Girls on the Run 5K meeting was held there and I was anxious to try out their food, since I never seen to catch the place when they are open. I ordered their Mediterranean wrap with a side of hummus and a cup of coffee.  It was absolutely delicious. I’m hoping to sneak back some time to try their chocolate covered bananas. Mmmm! Food aside, this place had a wonderful atmosphere and seemed perfect for a study group or any kind of meeting. I highly recommend a visit.

After that I ran out to Christmas shop and wound up getting myself a pair of shoes instead. Very productive. After that, I rushed home to get ready to meet Brianna for dinner and frozen yogurt. We decided to go to the wonderful Kenyan Café again and got their delicious ugali with kale and cabbage. After devouring our food and dishing on our latest happenings, it was time to go to the last stop on my Sunday culinary tour of Morgantown: Naticakes! We popped over around 8 p.m., so we didn’t get to chat with the owner Nicole, but we did manage to stuff our bellies full. She went with the peach mango tart, while I slammed my cup full of peanut butter and dulce de leche. Of course I topped it off with my usual combination of Butterfinger bits, Heath Bar chunks, and granola. Oh and a Reese Cup chunk. I’m not a fatty or anything.

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After all of that eating out my wallet and my belly could use a break. That being said, I highly recommend all of the places I visited today. You can’t go wrong with a hummus, kale and frozen yogurt!

My Healthy Tip of the Day: Mental health is just as important, so turn off the television and pick up that book you’ve been putting off reading. You’ll not only help maintain your mental health, but studies have found a correlation between those who read more and those who make more of an effort to stay in shape.