STRIDES Week 2 Wrap-Up

We've now completed week two of STRIDES and delivered four sessions to 10 students at Olympic High School. It's been great to begin deepening our relationships with the students and getting a feel for what engages them in the classroom and motivates them during our physical activity sessions.

This week's sessions presented us with similar challenges to those that we faced during week one. Two new students were added to the health class, so we spent a small amount of time explaining the program we developed for their class and taking questions. While this again affected the amount of time we had for physical activity, we tried to be mindful of time to ensure that students would have adequate time to complete the activities we planned for them.

We also learned to be flexible during the physical activity component, as new participants can change the dynamic of the group. It can be challenging trying to predict the energy level of individuals and how that will affect the group; however, we're hopeful that our lessons on goal setting will be instructive for us as well as for the students. This will give all participants the opportunity to think about their personal goals for STRIDES - as it relates to completing a 5k - and share these goals with the group. Anne and I will then be able to tailor certain activities to meet the group's needs, brainstorm stepping stones to reach the students' individual goals, and provide motivation throughout the program.

It goes without saying that the highlight of our week was when one of our students entered the classroom and greeted us with, "This is why I look forward to Mondays and Wednesdays!" (It should be noted, though, that the runner up highlight was when one student guessed that the distance we completed during a physical activity session was only a quarter of a mile when we had actually done a combination of running and walking for a mile and a half.)

We look forward to continuing to share our progress with you as we work toward the STRIDES Community 5k Run/Walk on November 21.

Reflections on the First Week of STRIDES

STRIDES sessions started on September 13 at Olympic High School! We met with OHS students during their health class on Monday and Wednesday this week, and will continue meeting with the students on Mondays and Wednesdays until the STRIDES 5k Run/Walk on Sunday, November 21.

It felt so great to finally meet the students and start doing what we have been planning for so long! We had anticipated having to win the students over and really having to motivate them to participate in physical activity. However, our first day of STRIDES found us with a few students who were totally excited to get outside for some fresh air and physical activity. They could NOT get over the fancy water bottles from Title Nine that were donated for them! We went for a group walk and took the time to get to know each other and learn about their interests.

Our second STRIDES session presented us with two very real challenges. First, a lack of consistent attendance means that we had 4 new participants for Session 2 and only one participant from Session 1. We had to spend a good deal of time reviewing what STRIDES is about and the group rules. Thankfully, most of the lessons can be beneficial as individual sessions, without needing to be built upon another lesson. However, Ashley and I will need to be really strategic in keeping students up to date on what we have been learning while still having time to focus on the day's lesson.

Secondly, this session's students acted more as we had expected students to act about the program. It took them some time to warm up to the idea of running or walking during our sessions, but everyone gave it a shot and some who said they wouldn't run were actually running by the end! It was really important for Ashley and I to stay positive and encourage everyone to just try it out at whatever pace feels comfortable for them. This program is about setting a goal and achieving it with the help of your peers and the coaches, but the student is the person in charge of setting a comfortable goal....be it walk a 5k, run some of a 5k, or run the whole thing.

We were so impressed by the students we met this week. Even if they tested us out a bit a first, they all participated with very little resistance. They all have goals they want to achieve outside of STRIDES and varying interests and experiences that will make for great discussions during STRIDES sessions. We can't wait for next week!

STRIDES 5k Run/Walk

Join us at Dockweiler Beach on November 21 for our community 5k run/walk! Register here.

If you'd like to advertise for the race at your school, place of work, or another location, please email STRIDESLA@gmail.com for copies of the race flyer.

We look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of STRIDES participants with you!