Inspiring Young Runners

I have previously blogged about the organization, Girls on the Run, for which I volunteer as an assistant coach.

The exciting thing about this group is that in working with young girls, running is used as a method of developing confidence and self-esteem. The end goal is not necessarily to create world-class athletes or super-fast track stars .... running is a vehicle for showing girls what they are capable of and helping them to love themselves and their bodies.

In her talk at the recent Girls on the Run conference in Austin, TX, Kristin Armstrong discussed the idea of "confidence on the inside" - a concept GOTR tries to promote in young girls.

"Confident on the Inside means - You are wise enough to accept God’s definition of who you are, and you are strong enough not to accept counterfeit messages. You know your own beauty and are grateful for it, never needing to promote or pollute it. You possess awareness of your talents, as well as the humility and generosity to share them. You can say 'Yes' and 'No' with equal certainty. You live and love big – never needing to play small or belittle others. You can say 'thank you' to a compliment as easily as you can say 'Forgive me' or 'I forgive you' to a mistake. Confident on the Inside means that you feel so comfortable in your own skin that your very presence is an invitation to freedom for others. Confident on the inside knows no age."

Even though I already felt fairly comfortable in my own skin, once I started running, I was completely exhilarated by its effects on me. Not only was I able to see tangible improvements in my physical fitness, but my mood lifted as well. Running longer distances than I ever had before made me feel capable of tackling challenges in my everyday life. I felt strong, powerful and capable. I never intended to start running everyday, but the positive effects from running led me to make running a central part of my workout. I definitely feel the "confidence on the inside" described above, now at age 34, that I didn't feel ten or fifteen years ago.

Although my role in the organization is small, it makes me proud to be a part of GOTR and its mission to lead girls to achieving a feeling of confidence and self-worth.

Read another inspiring blog post from Runner's World's Coach Jenny about the recent Girls on the Run conference in Austin, TX.

Today's workout:

70 min. run (8.19 mi)

20 min. resistance training

60 min. yoga