Program Updates
Past Updates:
October 23, 2011. After recruiting kids from from four local high schools and preparing throughout September, building mileage and confidence, Teens Run DC ran its first race – the Somerset Back to School Classic 8K. That’s almost 5 miles – a very long distance for many who had never before run even once around a track.
We were 45 students, accompanied by 33 mentors and teachers, 78 in total. The weather was cool, clear, and brilliant, but more significantly, we were too! Every student, running leader, and mentor who competed in this event, completed the distance — true to our unbroken tradition. We set a goal for ourselves, and we all went for it. BRAVO TRDC!!
March 26, 2011. Another great day for Teens Run DC as 27 of our students participated in the National Half Marathon (21) and Half Marathon Relay (6) accompanied by 22 mentors and teachers who kept pace with them every step of the way. Everyone who signed up ran the distance. We were brilliant. Students continue to inspire with their incredible heart-felt efforts. Everyone paced himself or herself well, and everyone crossed the finish line running. Teachers and mentors well brilliant as well, not only in their running the full distance, but in their ability to see students through when the going got tough. They could not have lent their strength to these students had they not spent the many prior months nurturing and deepening relationships that made their prodding both meaningful and effective. Bravo to students!! Bravo to staff!!
A couple of hours after completing his first half marathon run, Eliezer Flores wrote on the Teens Run DC Facebook wall, “13 miles are over. Can’t wait till May.” That sums up the experience today for many and our hope for tomorrow. “ Great race. I feel good, and I want more.” The delight of the moment comes in part from completing a very long distance run, one that was unimaginable only six months back. The delight also comes from shared practice over many months with mentors and peers that has permitted us to forge closer connections and create this wonderful, vibrant community where each member cheers his or her teammates on. The success of one is the success of all.
Teens Run DC is thriving. We are a welcoming community that is learning as we grow and growing as we learn. Our vision is to become a community that will attract students, mentors, and teachers alike because it feels good and nurturing amidst and maybe because of the hard work required to succeed.
Over the past few months we have brought on new mentors. We were not looking to recruit. Some have come to us because they have seen us running on the trails and have experienced the excitement of our kids and mentors running en masse. One doctor who provided sports physicals to our students pro bono joined because of her excitement and belief in our mission.
Students too are showing greater interest. At Wilson High School, students who are not part of the program have expressed interest, seeing the positive community we are creating and wanting to share in it. At Cardozo High School similarly, students are expressing curiosity in what we’re doing and showing some incipient interest. Over time, we trust this will translate into participation. Over time, as students become attached to our community of mentors and peers, we trust this will translate into commitment and success.
TRDC at the SunTrust National Marathon, CareFirst BC/BS Half Marathon and United Way Half Marathon Relay. 53 strong. 100% completion.
We are not looking to get kids through a half-marathon or marathon. Although we take pleasure and pride in their accomplishment and recognize it as no small feat, this is not ultimately the mission of our program. We are looking for them to feel a greater sense of mastery and strength from their accomplishments and from the hard, steady work they put in to get there. We are hoping that it will be an experience that they can draw upon as they face other, more serious life challenges. We are looking for them to find a more steady connection with and trust in adults who can see them in their essential goodness, aside from the resistance, ambivalence, and acting out that they may present from time to time. We are looking for them to feel themselves part of a community where they are valued and cared for. If they can feel stronger in their sense of themselves, a more reliable connection to caring adults, and part of an embracing community, maybe then they can begin to recognize truly what they are capable of; maybe then they will know not only that they are valued, but that who they are is worth valuing. That would be something. That is what we’re going after.
Today we were 49 strong. Add to that a student who while a member of the team could not participate because of medical condition. She showed up to support our team, standing by the finish line the whole race, cheering on our finishers. That makes us 50. Let’s add three staff who although normally runners and mentors, did not run today because somebody had to provide support before, during, and after the race. That makes us 53 strong. We were a force to be reckoned with, and we will only grow moreso over these next years. We welcome all students, friends, and families who want to share in this vision.
Watch out DC. We run this city!
February 12, 2011. Sometimes, it’s difficult to make it to practice when it’s so cold outside. Yet every day we muster ourselves to battle the elements, putting in our time and our miles, we are strengthened. It helps that we have peers and mentors to encourage us and that we set personal goals. Last weekend, it was cold and wet. The sidewalks were covered with snow and ice – and we didn’t stop. Nine or ten miles for most of us.
Today, we ran 11 miles. There was no new snow and while cold, it was not bitter. We are learning to think more about each run and its purpose. Our weekend runs are meant to be run at an easy conversational pace. They build our endurance. We do not run these longer distances for speed. Today we ran in two pace groups – a 10 minute mile pace group for those who can run an 8 minute mile; and a 12 minute mile pace group for those who run slower. Our slower pace group started earlier so we could all finish together. It feels better that way.
It’s difficult to hold to a slower pace. Although we may want to break into a sprint, this slower pace for long runs is part of our training. For those of us interested in increasing speed, we look to our shorter weekday practices. These 6 mile runs now seem relatively easy to those prepping for the half-marathon. We have come a long way.
Most of us are training for the half marathon. Some of us are training for the half-marathon relay or are running to get in shape. For those not exercising regularly, to run and walk for 30, 40, or 60 minutes without stopping is an accomplishment. This week one of our teammates ran one minute and walked four without a break for more than 100 minutes. She covered more than 6.5 miles. This too is a victory because our victories are measured not so much in the distance we run or in the speed at which we run, but in the goals we set and our efforts to achieve them. Following our run, many of us headed to Pines of Rome where we talked about nutrition, injury prevention, and basked in our morning’s accomplishments.
The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep running. This is true for our runners. This is true of our program.
January 22, 2011. Yesterday, we ran 9 miles, our longest distance to date. It was very cold outside, 19 degrees, but beautiful with clear skies and no wind. We were tired when we finished, but satisfied. We had taken another step towards our goal of the National Half Marathon. We gave it our best. It might have been nicer to sleep in, but we showed up because it’s important to us personally and to our teammates who count on our presence.
While many of us at this point could probably struggle through the 13 miles of the half marathon, attending practices sporadically, this is not what Teens Run DC is about. This is not what success is about. We are not looking to survive. We are looking to THRIVE. We are looking to prove to ourselves what we are capable of. Our challenge is to show up consistently for practice in the weeks ahead so that by the time race day comes, we will have already run 11, 12 and even 13 miles. We will have shown that we can commit and follow through. If we do that, then we will have succeeded before the race even begins. If we do that, that’s something to be proud of — whatever distance and however fast we run.
This run was not easy for most of us, but we did it. We are pushing ourselves further. We are building strength – not only in our legs, our lungs, and our heart, but in our HEART and in our character. We are telling ourselves with increasing confidence ”another mile, I can do this!!” We are taking the necessary small steps to achieve our very big goals.
Teens Run DC. We do run this city!
Teams Run DC Time Trials, January 2011
January 15, 2011. What a great day for Teens Run DC. Our first Time Trial. We were brilliant. We had a really great showing with 27 students and 15 mentors. Not bad for a holiday weekend with very cold weather. We all ran the distance. Every student (and mentor) qualified for the half-marathon, keeping well under the 13.5 minute mile pace required for this race. All of us who attempted the 8 miles completed it. One of our students, accompanied by mentor, chose to run the 5 mile distance, setting for himself the goal of participating in the half marathon relay. This too was a wise choice, given the time put into training thus far.
As we crossed the finish line, you could see the joy and satisfaction on everyone’s face. It was a job well-done, one that we all worked for. This is no easy task, and we all made it with grace. We have come a very long way since September – not only in our individual accomplishments, but in our coming together as a team. We are building our community. Those students who finished earlier cheered those students who followed. This is the way it should be.
It is clear that our competition is not with each other, but with ourselves. We are striving to be our best: to envision and meet the goals that we set for ourselves. Can we do it? The answer is resoundingly YES WE CAN.
A special thanks to Pines of Rome for accommodating our whole group for lunch after the race and for discounting our tab. A table set for 43 – that was one long table.
My only regret was that I did not have a chance to sit and talk with everyone. Again, I feel so pleased and honored to be part of this team. You inspire me with your efforts, your accomplishments, and your style. It only gets better.
December 12, 2010. JINGLE ALL THE WAY 10K, West Potomac Park, DC. Great weekend for Teens Run DC. Despite cold and rainy weather, 31 of our 34 students who signed up for the race made it despite the 6:45 am gathering at race site. For most of us that meant waking up well before 6:00 am. Students were accompanied and in most cases carpooled with our 24 teachers and mentors. All 55 students, teachers and mentors who raced, completed – as is now typical of our group. CONGRATULATIONS ALL!!
Every time we make it to a race, committing ourselves to waking up before the sun rises, to running the 6 miles we have trained for despite the nasty weather, we are strengthened. We look at ourselves a little differently. Whether we make our goal a 7 minute pace, a 12 minute pace, or running the whole race without walking, the fact is we are setting goals for ourselves; we are striving towards personal excellence.
While the running is good, what’s truly great is that we are taking ourselves seriously. We are beginning to recognize that what we do matters. It affects how we think and feel about ourselves. It affects the plans we make. It affects our capacity to follow through.
I grow increasingly proud of the committed and caring community we are creating. This morning, many of us arrived before 7 am as planned. I think back to our first race in early October when we were so late, we didn’t even have time to put on our race bibs and were among the last to start the race. We have come a long way.
To the many students and mentors who attended our potluck dinner at THEARC last night, it was great to see all of you off the field and to have an opportunity to hang out more leisurely. It was fun, and this too builds our community.
Great thanks to mentors and teachers who picked up kids throughout the city to bring them to the race and potluck dinner. Special thanks to Katie and Stevi for coordinating transportation. No small task.
Thanks too to mentors and teachers and even a couple of students who provided the wonderful food and helped with clean up after our evening dinner.
Wishing everyone a wonderful week. I look forward to seeing some of you this next Saturday at practice and maybe even over the holidays.
Best of health and injury-free in the new year.
NOVEMBER 14, 2010. VETERAN’S DAY 10K, West Potomac Park, DC. Today marked our third race. We had a large TRDC presence with over 50 students, mentors and teachers participating. The 8 AM race start and lack of available public transportation proved to be no obstacle for this dedicated group. Just about everyone made it before the race began with time to spare for a group warm up and stretch. You could tell we were ready to rock and roll.
The weather was beautiful, cool and crisp. The course was scenic as we ran around Haines Point in South West DC where the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers meet. Students ran with mentors. Those who finished earlier cheered those who finished last. After all, we are a team committed to seeing all teammates achieve their goals. Fifty-one competed, and 51 completed. Another satisfying day for TRDC as students showed their ability to step up to the plate and made further strides towards their next running goal and towards building our community.
October 29, 2010. RYAN AND SARA HALL, TWO OF AMERICA’S FINEST RUNNERS, MEET WITH TEENS RUN DC. (Washington Running Report link)
OCTOBER 9, 2010. ANTHEM GREAT PUMPKIN 5K, Reston Va. What a day!! A little chaotic, but incredibly exciting. We had 19 kids run from both Cardozo and Wilson High Schools, accompanied by 17 mentors and teachers. That’s a total of 36 runners, representing Teens Run DC. We had asked the kids to show up before 7, figuring we could take off by 7:10. One student arrived at 6:20 am, not wanting to miss the race.
The experience was wonderful. The look on the faces of these kids after they finished the race was so beautiful. A light had been turned on. Honesty who said she wasn’t going to run because she wasn’t sure she could make it that far, in fact ran the whole race, accompanied by one of our mentors. She felt so proud. She ran more than she walked. All of our kids finished and felt proud. They were heroes to the cheering crowds, to each other, and most importantly, to themselves. After the race, we went to Einstein’s for our now traditional bagels and cream cheese, coffee for staff. We gathered as a group, congratulating each other and ourselves on our accomplishments. Everybody felt good – mentors and mentees alike. While the running was good, the race was a sweet reward and marker of what we’re doing.
Who are we? WE’RE TEENS RUN DC. What do we do? WE RUN THIS CITY!! Our opening chant and our final cheer led by Aaron (from Wilson) and Ternisha (from Cardozo). We are now shouting prouder and more fully, and a little less self-conscious, as we begin to identify ourselves as runners, as we begin to come together as a community. This feeling will continue to grow over the year as we prepare for our culminating experience – the National Marathon, Half Marathon, and Half Marathon Relay. It will be a long road, but we are up for the challenge.
Congratulations to our student runners: Anna Allard, Hassan Asraful, Princess Clayborne, Diamond Diggs, Zoe Frumin, Christina Glassener, Ivan Gonzalez, Ameenah Johnson, Ternisha Knight, Eliezer Molina, Aaron O’Neal, Yoselin Penas, Maran Roberts, Ashley Sheppard,Ruthie Tabaku, WilliamTaylor, Aria Tilove, Emani Tolbert, Honesty Younger.
Congratulations and many thanks to our mentors and teachers who supported these youth along the way: Jackelyn Alorado, Stevie Bratschie, Devon Brown, Antionette Carr, Lindsy Godair, Jevon Heyliger, Cheryl Kovalsky, Sandra Lang, Michael martinez, Kate McGrail, Christina Sfekas, Katie Sheedy, Heather Stoner, Laura Snebold, Matt Wells, Thorsten Wetzling.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2010. It’s been a beautiful week for running. The weather has been cool, clear, and crisp. We have started easy: a warm up and stretch; 30 to 45 minutes of running and walking; core muscle work and another stretch; a team talk and team cheer. It feels good to be running as a group. It feels good to lay down the rituals that will become a part of our weekly culture. We are filled with good will and hope. Warm bagels and fresh fruit on Saturday were welcomed treats after our long run. It gave us an opportunity to linger just a little longer together as a group.
SEPTEMBER 3, 2010. We are pleased to announce that TRDC was awarded a $5000 grant from the American Medical Association (AMA) Foundation Healthy Lifestyles Grant. This program addresses critical healthy lifestyle issues by providing mini-grants to grassroots organizations who are on the front lines in their communities. Selected projects target youth and address the topics of nutrition and physical fitness, alcohol, drug and smoking prevention and violence prevention. Teens Run DC was one of 20 nonprofits across the country that received such a distinction this year.
JULY 2010. It’s summertime, and the weather is hot and humid. While we have had a couple of running leader organized runs, most of us have been running on our own, a little slower, a little easier.
TRDC staff and volunteers are busy preparing for the 2010-11 academic year. We are recruiting running leaders and mentors and seeking funding from both public and private sectors. We are excited to expand our program this next year to include three new schools. In addition to Wilson HS (NW), we are pleased to be working with Cardozo HS (NW), and hopefully Cesar Chavez Public Charter HS (SE). As we gather together for our monthly community-wide weekend long runs or for one of our regular races, Teens Run DC will be a sight to behold and a force to be reckoned with as we run 80 strong between students, running leaders, and individual mentors.
In order to be more inclusive of all potential students who might join our program, including those who are more physically fit and those who are less active, we have developed a two training tracks – with one track leading to completion of the National Half-Marathon as our culminating event and a second track leading to the completion of one or several 10K races. Only those students who have participated in Teens Run DC more than one year and who shown the necessary steadiness in their practice will be permitted to run the full marathon.
Whether you are in the fast lane or just starting with a slow walk-run around the track, TRDC will meet you where you land. We guarantee that by committing to running, you will make a new commitment to your life. Ultimately, our hope and goal is to expand our distance running and mentoring program to include all secondary school students and teens throughout the greater Washington area who have the interest and motivation to take charge of their lives one step at a time.
MAY 5, 2010. This past Sunday, Teens Run DC participated in the Frederick County Half Marathon. We left DC at 5 AM for a 6:30 race start. Two students and three running leaders competed, and all completed. For both students, this race was their first half marathon. We returned to DC, most of us still a little sleepy from an early start and a long run on a warm humid day.
Congratulations to our half-marathoners, Hassan Asraful and Ellen Liverpool, for a job well-done. Thanks to our running leaders who accompanied them – Simmona Gerhardt, Sara Sousa, and Ben Forman.
You can take us to the country, but we remain Teens Run DC. We run this city!!
MARCH 20, 2010. The National Marathon. What a great race. What a great day. The weather was a welcomed change and seemed a just reward after this most difficult winter of training. Today,
- 7 students and 5 teachers ran the marathon;
- 5 students and 2 teachers ran the half-marathon;
- 2 students and one teacher ran the relay.
Today, everyone was brilliant. We had 22 students and teacher/mentors running, and 22 complete. That’s 100% success. That’s vision and perseverance.
The truth, however, is that whether we met our goal this particular day or not, we were winners every day we showed up for practice and acted on our vision. We were winners as those who finished earlier enthusiastically cheered and accompanied those who finished later, encouraging their teammates towards their best effort.
Today was important, not in itself, but in that it reflected the commitment and work we did these past months – the miles run, the waking early Saturday mornings, the running through sleet and snow. Our success is sweet, but made so by our great efforts to get to this moment, individually and as a team.
As one of our student marathoners wrote of her experience – “…I learned that I can set a concrete, attainable goal and follow through with it. It really gave me a true sense of accomplishment to cross that finish line.”
Congratulations to our marathoners: Lena Carleton, Dagnechew Dagne, David Escobar, Charlotte Frazier, Emily Gore, Emma Israel, Ellie Sarnoff, Nicole Adair, Christina Sfekas, Sara Sousa, Amy Wopat, Ben Forman.
Congratulations to our half-marathoners: Carrie Hutchinson, Jessica Jones, Meili Liu, Jamal Pierre, Biruk Shifarew, Simmona Gerhardt, Alex Wilson.
Congratulations to our half-marathon relay team: Hassan Asraful, Beatrix Limjap, and Belle Belew.
We are basking in our accomplishment – a little weary, but very proud.
MARCH 11, 2010. We are less than two weeks from race day. It has been a difficult winter with snow too frequently interfering with our weekend runs. We have revised our training schedule more than once. As the weather has turned warmer and the streets snow-free, participation has again picked up. We are grateful to the National Park Service for clearing the road along Beach Drive from Broadbranch to the MD/DC line. It may have saved our training. We are appreciative of the North Capital YMCA that kindly offered the use of their facilities, both track and treadmills, in the event that we might lose yet another week because of snow.
Three weeks ago, marathoners completed a 17-mile run and half-marathoners 12. Two weeks ago, marathoners completed 21 miles, half-marathoners again 12. The miles were not easy, but most of us found a comfortable pace, and all of us met our mileage goals. This past weekend as we began our taper, marathoners ran 12 and half-marathoners ran 8. We remember when 5 or 6 miles felt like a very long run. Now, we are relieved to run only 12 or 8. We have come a long way!
Of the 20 students who initially committed to the program, 7 will participate in the marathon, 5 in the half-marathon, two in the half-marathon relay. They will be accompanied by the 7 running leaders/mentors who have worked with our youth throughout the year. Of our 20 students who started out in the autumn, 17 remain.
Many of us remain nervous about race day, but the hard practice has given us confidence that we can make it. We are motivated towards completion. Whatever happens, ultimately we are all winners as we have trained hard and given it our best effort.
We are TEENS RUN DC, and we run this city!
JANUARY 10, 2010 . Christmas holidays have passed, and the weather has turned very cold. Running conditions have been treacherous outside – snow and ice. We are learning to take smaller steps and land firmly on our feet. We are grateful for cleared streets. We do not have the luxury of treadmills to spare us from these winter conditions. We are winter warriors.
We continue to run Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, with long runs on Saturdays. All runs are outdoors. We are learning how to dress for success: multiple layers, hats, and gloves. Not every student makes it to every practice. Those who brave the elements to run 12 or 13 miles in sleeting snow or arctic winds find the success of completion that much sweeter.
We are 16 weeks into the program with 10 to go. Students are now considering whether they will run the marathon, half-marathon, or half-marathon relay. For those students training for the marathon, we will run 14 miles next weekend. For those students training for the half marathon, we will run 10. Our goal is to have as many students as possible participate on race day. For some, there is a feeling that there is no victory without the full marathon. To these students, to all of our students, the consistent message is – if you show up to practice, prepared to run, you win whatever race you choose.
This Thursday evening, we will get together to share a meal and talk about where we are and where we’re heading – in our running, in our lives. We will support each other in our visions and commitments. We are Teens Run DC, running steady and strong to succeed in life.
I have received email messages from DC area teens interested in our program. We are taking no new students into our program this year; we will expand our program next fall. Please feel free to write. I will get back to you. Also, stay tuned for teensrundc website appearing shortly.
NOVEMBER 11, 2009. Teens runDC offers at risk youth an opportunity to train for and complete a marathon under the guidance of a group of dedicated teacher mentors. In its first year, we have approximately 16 students training along with 6 teacher mentors.
This group reflects a diverse student population representative of the greater Washington area. When we started the program, many of our students (and faculty) could not run a few laps around the track. Some were doubtful they would be able to run more than a couple of miles, let alone a marathon.
Now, eight weeks into the program, most of us are running two to three days a week Monday through Friday (5 to 6 miles) with a long run or race on weekends. Last weekend, we ran eight miles from Adams Morgan along Rock Creek Park around the Lincoln Memorial and back to Adams Morgan again where we joined together for a well-deserved breakfast. Before breakfast, Teens runDC purchased running shoes for some of our students who were using shoes that were too worn and clearly inadequate. Fortunately, through slow and steady training, our injuries have been minor.
Students (and teachers) who are participating are not all athletes. In fact, most of them are not. Some kids in our program have good self-esteem and strong, close family ties. Typically, these students do well academically and have confidence in their capacity to complete the marathon. Other students in our program are in need of considerable support. They may not feel very good about themselves, may not have confidence in their abilities or alternatively may under-estimate the steady and hard work necessary to complete the marathon. For any youth (or adult) who completes the marathon, it is a worthy accomplishment.
For those kids who have had too few successes, who have felt neither seen nor understood, it will be a truly life altering experience: the training for and completion of the marathon; and the sustained attention and support from caring mentors and peers. Slowly, and steadily, we are building strength, confidence, and cohesiveness.
While it is sometimes difficult to get our kids out for their daily runs, the group almost has difficulty separating after a long run. This is a good sign. We are building a team. We are accomplishing something together; and in that accomplishment there is good feeling (endorphins kicking), and affiliation. This past Monday, we ran our six miles from Wilson High School through Rock Creek Park and back to school.
It’s now getting dark when we run. We have purchased reflective vests to make ourselves visible in the twilight hours. The days will shorten and our runs will lengthen as we enter the winter months. Shorts and tee shirts are replaced with old sweatpants, hats and gloves as we dream of warmer days, cheering crowds, and the National Marathon.