Students Run Philly Style: The Finish Line

A New Position and A New Member of the Team

2011-09-22T10:35:00.001-04:00

Students Run Philly Style is glad to introduce a new member of the team.

Meet Amber Adamson, our Develpoment Manager.

What did you want to be when you were growing up? Movie Star
Who has been a great inspiration to you? My mother- she’s the first person in her family of Mexican migrant workers to attend college and she’s instilled the value of education in me and my siblings. She’s also taught me to work hard for what I want and that nothing is ever out of reach.
What’s your favorite distance to run: 5K, 8K, 10 miler, 13.1 or 26.2? 26.2
You have just earned a spot in the Amazing Race. Who would be your partner and why? One of my four sisters (sorry to Dave my husband!) – I love them no matter what they say or do and harsh words are quickly forgotten; there’s nothing like having a sister’s support.
What is your favorite station in your Pandora? Madonna
Are you an urban, rural or suburban gal? Urban with a suburban twist
Why are blue and green your new favorite colors? My new coworkers, the great volunteers and the truly inspirational students!

It's Another Fellow!

2011-09-21T09:38:00.000-04:00

Meet our second Philly Fellow

Kristin Daly-Barnes

What was the first thing that came to mind when you heard the name Students Run Philly Style?

I am fairly uncoordinated and, although I love running, know my running form is nothing to brag about. So, hearing the name “Students Run Philly Style,” I panicked, thinking there was some cool and advanced technique for running of which I was totally unaware (because Kristin Runs Awkward Style).

Who has inspired you to Go Farther?

My entire family!!!! They are my biggest supporters. Whether they’re celebrating my victories or motivating me when I feel challenged, they motivate me to do my best and go farther!

What 5 items would you place in a time capsule to define you?

1. Pictures of my friends, family, and dog! – My friends and family get mad at me because for every picture of them, I have about 5 more of my dog, Bailey. He’s my photography model; by now he even knows to look at the camera! But in the time capsule, I would promise to have an equal amount of pictures of my family, friends, and Bailey!

2. A Sudoku book and a board game –I really enjoy solving puzzles and thinking creatively of ways to solve problems, and I also love playing games with friends (I tend to be very competitive!).

3. ICE CREAM! – I think a wise person once said, “You are what you eat.”

4. Postcards, for a couple reasons. I love to travel, learning about different ways of living and about the histories of different places. No matter where I am, though, I always want to keep in touch with the people I love. I also love to write!

5. Flowers! I like both giving and receiving flowers (especially sunflowers!). In my opinion, even just a handful of dandelions from a local park can cheer up someone’s day a lot! I think it’s important that we remind others that they’re cared about through simple acts – and that we’re reminded, too!

Where do you call home?

Home is where I find the people I love, where I feel comfortable being my goofy self!

What is your favorite cartoon?

The Simpsons!

What does Courage, Effort and Respect mean to you?

To me, courage means dreaming big and creating challenging personal goals to work towards accomplishing. Effort is the dedication and heart necessary to reach these big dreams and challenging goals – personal aspirations can’t come true unless we believe they can! Respect means working to reach these dreams in a way that doesn’t hurt other people. Self-respect is especially important: sometimes I don’t feel capable of achieving my goals, and I start feeling bad about myself – this is not fair to me!! I always make sure to remind myself of just how much I can accomplish, especially when I have courage and effort! It is important that we do not sell ourselves short!

The genie has granted you three wishes. What would they be?

1) To be able to travel anywhere in the world in the blink of an eye (Isn’t that called apparating in the Harry Potter series?)! Talk about having a safe, fast, and cheap way of seeing the world and visiting people I love! (This would also be really helpful when I’m running late!)

2) The ability to travel back in time! I’d especially enjoy swing and big band music of the 30’s and 40’s! I wouldn’t want to travel to the future, though. I think it’s important to leave some questions unanswered until they’re meant to be revealed.

3) While I wouldn’t wish for everyone in the world to agree about important issues, I would wish for everyone to respect each other. I think disagreeing about issues helps us learn more about our own ideas and to be thoughtful in our opinions. But not agreeing does not mean not respecting! Respect is so important in dealing with EVERYONE – friends, family, acquaintances, strangers, and even people we don’t always like being around. I would say more, but I think everyone in the Students Run community would agree with me on this one!!

Ready for a new season

2011-02-22T14:22:00.000-05:00

March starts another season of Students Run Philly Style. Many people, myself included haven't run since

the marathon/half-marathon in november, while others might be new comers. But whether you're a newcomer or a previous student runner, it doesnt make a difference. We all start out at the same point and end at one of two of the same points half or full marathon. We get to meet new people and make more friends. We also get new sneaks. Sneakers and friends are two of the most important things we will need to get through some races, but they help make it all worth the while. Last year we ran through sweat, obstacles, and mud at the Radnor Steeplechase and this year we will be back at it again. Broad Street will feel a little long when the season starts but when its almost over it will have felt like the easiest run ever. Here goes a new wonderful season! :) --Tianna Whiting (Junior at George Washington High School)

Is it March yet? It’s only been about 4 months but it feels like forever since I last ran with my students run team. I miss those long runs on Kelly Drive. I miss those 15 minute stretch sessions. I miss my running leaders. I don’t know about everybody else, but running by myself is just not the same without the support of a team. I’ve tried running outside and even on a treadmill, but something is missing. Over the past few months, I have tried to keep myself busy. I am participating in my school production of “Back to the 80s” and I’m having a lot of fun, but I want to run! Nothing I do can compare with my time running with my team. The runs give me a time to de-stress and have fun with friends like no other activity can. It’s hard for me to imagine a year without Student’s run. SRPS has become my life and would have it no other way. I am already counting down the days till the kickoff.
Don’t worry running shoes, I’ll see you soon. Love, Chris Waters (Senior, West Catholic)

Get To Know A Staffer: Round 5!

2010-11-09T11:44:00.001-05:00

This week, we learn more about our fearless leader: Students Run Philly Style's Program Director, Heather!

What CD did you listen to on the way to work today?
Mary J. Blige, Stronger

What is your Favorite Students Run event, and why?
This is tough one because I have so many favorites. I have to say, the Broad Street Run is definitely one of my top picks. It's the first time our students are really testing their limits and going beyond what they thought was possible. I absolutely LOVE seeing them reach the distance of ten miles for the first time and watching them pour it all out as they finish down the long stretch inside the Navy Yard. Hanging out on the lawn with everyone afterwards is always fun too!

Who is your greatest influence?
My mom has been the greatest influence on my life. The best gift she gave me was a belief in myself. I was taught from a very young age that I could accomplish anything. She made it clear I'd have to work hard, but that dreams were within reach. I was given a lot of trust, which I believe helped me be trustworthy. We had so many interesting people who were part of our lives and because of that I learned to be open to all the world had to offer. There was a saying that was on my refrigerator growing up that read "Do not judge a person until you have walked a mile in their moccasins." That idea has served me well on countless occasions and continues to inform my life and my work.

What does Students Run Philly Style mean to you?
Students Run Philly Style is by far the thing I have been most passionate about in my life. In creating this program, I found something that combines everything I love - teenagers, running, bringing an idea to life and building a network of support to keep it all going. Seeing students finishing a long distance event for the first time, covering a distance they never thought possible and then really knowing it will help them accomplish so much in the rest of their lives - it's a gift to be a part of that process.

Name one of your secret talents.
From being a former scientist, I can screw a cap off a bottle one-handed.

Name one of your guilty pleasures.
I eat chocolate, usually high quality dark chocolate, every single day.

Describe what a perfect day in your life would be like.
I would get up and run with some great running partners, and we'd shoot the breeze afterwards and have some breakfast. I'd go home and hang out with my kids (who would not be fighting at all, not even one gesture of fighting). That would be followed by a long nap (2 hours at least), seeing a great movie (in the theater on the big screen) and then having a bunch of great friends and family over to my house to eat good simple food (like fresh bread with olive oil, artichokes, good cheese, etc). Someone would be making me laugh the whole night - that is the key to a perfect day....laughter.

Tell a funny story about your life.
Last Easter, I took my 3 kids and my brother's kids (4 of them) to the shore for the holiday. I went out running early, figuring they would never get up before I got back. I was totally wrong, and they got up freaking out thinking the Easter Bunny FORGOT about them. So luckily my oldest nephew called me and warned me of the dilemma, and I was prepared when I came in to tell them I had seen the Easter Bunny along the road looking for them...that he was confused because he got lost going from PA to NJ. And he left me their baskets outside (luckily I had them in my car and was able to put them on the porch)! Running has also taught me to be creative!

Student Perspective: Washington Leaders

2010-10-19T10:47:00.004-04:00

Hi, I’m Tianna, I’m 16 and I'm a junior at George Washington High School. I joined Students Run last March and I've been running ever since. Our team is amazing but sometimes the leaders don't get as much appreciation as they should, so I'm going to tell you what makes them so wonderful.

The Washington Team has four running leaders: Mr. Schieber, Ms. Bowe, Ms. Keiser, and Ms. Butler. All of the leaders are awesome, and they all share a lot of the same qualities. They are at practice every day unless they absolutely have to miss it, but even on days they aren't feeling their best they still try to make it. Our running leaders set examples that they expect us to follow which include attendance, punctuality, and effort. They never expect more from us than they expect from themselves – what we do at practice they do right along side us whether it’s crunches and push ups or running in the rain. When they have bad days, we can never tell. They always keep a happy demeanor even though it can get kind of stressful being a teacher/coach in a high school.

Mr. Schieber is our fastest leader and he always runs in the front. He's constantly motivating people and he keeps our team in control when people get too loud or excited. One thing I admire about Mr.Schieber is that, no matter what, he never yells at anyone.

Ms. Bowe runs at a slower pace, but she never stops. She is a motivation for our team because even though she runs slower she never gives up, and she always encourages people along the way.

Ms. Keiser runs at a medium pace and like the others, she never stops. There are a lot of things that make Ms. Keiser amazing but one thing that sticks out is that she’s like the all American: she hikes, runs, scuba dives, and camps. If we ever want to talk about a nature experience, she’s the perfect person to talk to.

Last but not least is Ms. Butler, the newest addition to our team. Ms. Butler already has experience with Students Run because she was a running leader for the Germantown team. She is an excellent runner and both she and Mr. Schieber are good at explaining how to do different exercises and how to adapt them if we don't have the equipment needed to do them properly. She's a very nice person and we're glad to have her on our team.

All of our running leaders complement one another and together we have the best running leaders ever. Running with them never gets boring because we are constantly fundraising for different things. So far we've fundraised for the New Jersey Police Chase/beach trip, hoodies, and warm-up suits. They truly make running fun and always keep us interested. Our running leaders are always there for us and as long as we're willing to give an inch, they're willing to take us a mile!

Mr. Scieber, Ms. Bowe, Ms. Keiser, and Ms. Butler (L to R) of the George Washington High School team

Get To Know A Staffer: Round 4!

2010-10-12T15:29:00.002-04:00

Hello Everyone, and welcome to Get To Know A Staffer! Our staffer-o'-the-day is Students Run's Assistant Director, MALI!

1) What is your full name?

Amalia Magdalena Petherbridge. 27 letters, count it.

2) How did you get involved with Students Run?

Five years ago I was doing a year of service as an AmeriCorps*VISTA with an organization in North Philly and was in a meeting where Students Run Philly Style was mentioned. I had just finished a marathon and had been wanting to work with youth so it caught my attention and kind of stuck in my brain. I immediately went home that night and emailed Heather (Program Director) to say I wanted to volunteer as a running leader. My first year I was a running leader with the Temple Youth Voices team (now the Honickman Team) and was lucky enough to get a staff position at Students Run when my VISTA year ended. I have a lot of memories from my year as a running leader that still make me laugh. Several of the students I mentored that year are still in the program or have gone off to college—it’s been very rewarding to see them turn into successful young adults.

3) Tell us about your FAVORITE race you’ve competed in.

I love the Radnor Steeplechase 5k because it’s so fun. Going through mud-pits and hay barrels is my thing.

3) Name 5 things that you could probably live without, but don’t want to try to live without.

Almost everything fits into this category. But if I had to rank it would go:

Cheese

Sewing Machine

Bike

Avocados

Cheese

4) What qualities make your best friends the best?

My friends are the best because they put up with my foolishness and always pitch in when I have a project that needs help at the last minute (which is always). If you have ever been to a Students Run event, I can guarantee that you’ve seen at least one of my friends volunteering on a bike, handing out water or carrying impossibly heavy things.

5) Name the person who most inspires you, and explain why.

My mom—because she always does the right thing, even when it is the hardest thing.

6) Why do you think Students Run Philly Style is an awesome program?

Because there are few things more powerful than learning how strong your mind is.

7) Tell a hilarious story about your life.

Most hilarious stories about my life I probably shouldn't tell for the sake of embarrassing my family, so I'll stick with something relatively tame:

My dad lives in Australia and, growing up, my brother and I would travel every year to spend the summer with him. Obviously this involved many, many hours on airplanes and, for the most part, we were more savvy than most adults, let alone most kids, about the world of flying. By the age of seven, I had the standard safety features of any aircraft memorized and could fill out a customs form with my eyes closed. Generally, I was pretty comfortable on a plane. However, I was completely terrified of the Attendant Call Button. My first priority ALWAYS when flying was to locate the Call Button in my seat and then spend the rest of the trip avoiding it at all costs. This is because when I was about five years old, I asked my dad what that button was and he very convincingly explained that if you had a child who was misbehaving, you could press the Attendant Call Button and a stewardess would come and take your kid away and put them in a room with other bad children in an upstairs level of the plane. Clearly he was joking and he has no memory of saying this to me, but I believed that until I was 12. I guess the upside is I was always very well behaved while flying.

Philly.com features the Footes Family!

2010-10-07T12:49:00.003-04:00

On Monday, September 27th, the Philadelphia Inquirer and Philly.com featured an article about the Footes family: How a West Philadelphia family overcame child obesity

Here's a big WAY TO GO to Ben, Tracy, and Jason!

The Courage, Effort, Respect 13.1-Miler!

2010-09-27T15:39:00.003-04:00

Hello, friends!

This past Saturday, 9/25, Students Run Philly Style put on its own half marathon in partnership with Vanguard: the Courage, Effort, Respect 13.1-Miler! More than 150 Students Run students and running leaders came out for the run, as well as more than 25 volunteers from Vanguard.

This run was special because instead of rewarding only the participants who ran the fastest, prizes were awarded to teams and individuals who showed the most Students Run spirit and who embodied our program values of Courage, Effort, and Respect. Please, everyone give a bloggified round of applause to our winners:

The BLUE Sneaker Spirit Award: Team Olney
The GREEN Sneaker Spirit Award: Team Wilson
(and finally, the highly coveted...)
GOLDEN Sneaker Award for showing Courage, Effort, and Respect: Lisandro Perez from the Norris Square team!

In addition to our Sneaker award winners, we had an abundance of participants (including many first-time half marathoners) who finished the run with great times and high spirits. For a complete list of finishing times, click "Read More" at the bottom of this post!

Thanks to everyone who helped make our Courage, Effort, Respect 13.1-Miler a success!

Bib #	Name	Time
53	Shabazz Ransom	1:37:30
52	Robert Eccles	1:37:34
115	Corey Lenhert	1:40:34
7	Lisandro Perez	1:40:35
43	Marcus Bonaparte	1:48:48
110	Matt Danielson	1:49:11
62	Matt Ferry	1:50:11
106	Kevin Farley	1:51:52
99	Louis Campagnin	1:51:52
126	Ced Edwards	1:51:14
3	Cori Grobes	1:51:38
2	Kate Scott	1:51:40
51	Joshua Stuckman	1:54:10
93	Cole Robertson	1:55:22
159	Ibragim Ibragimov	1:55:58
118	Hung Nguyen	1:56:37
117		1:56:39
90	Richard Pogue	1:57:18
119	Quoc Pham	1:57:24
98	Samnang Chan	1:59:37
104	Yan Martins	1:59:40
113	Jim Paterno	2:00:06
185	Miguel Feliciano	2:01:24
184	Robert Gibbs	2:02:16
	Keenan	2:02:30
	Cornell Gilliland	2:02:55
	Jeremy Cothran	2:02:26
48	Brandon Richardson	2:07:32
154	Anthony Matthis	2:07:55
148	Mike Schieber	2:07:55
45	Dana Kilgarriff	2:08:10
	Simon Linsley	2:08:16
116	Weslyn Matos	2:08:16
131	Maura Quinn	2:08:17
89	Jeremy McNamee	2:08:58
156	Mark Hagood	2:10:43
153	Darshan Patel	2:11:05
24	Justin Heaton	2:11:42
31	Joe Whelan	2:11:50
	Mikel Kelly	2:14:10
123	Kyle Hanna	2:15:03
122	Lauren Mattes	2:15:03
137	Dashawn Thomas	2:15:36
88	Kristen Przybylski	2:16:53
85	Chris Waters	2:16:53
130	Phil Moore	2:17:22
41	Abdul Elijah	2:19:25
28	Alex Muller	2:20:20
25	Stacy Imler	2:20:22
6	Louis Borda	2:20:50
187	Jill Morris	2:21:13
105	Kamal Rajah	2:22:02
149	John Phu	2:22:02
174	Artez Powell	2:22:35
151	Darya Narovchenko	2:22:40
47	Donzel Taylor	2:22:52
50	Jessica Taylor	2:23:27
42	Briana Fields	2:25:18
16	Alfonso Wright	2:25:20
112	Molly Martin	2:25:24
14	Kate Vouriotis	2:25:24
128	Dhamir Moore	2:25:56
32	Nikki Sanner	2:26:17
29	Nancy Le	2:26:17
46	Tiffany Turrentine	2:26:54
30	Tania Jimenez	2:27:38
164	Astrid Cerrada	2:29:05
146	Tianna Whalen-Whiting	2:29:05
17	Radhame Martinez	2:31:49
	Joseph Fields	2:32:10
65	Amanda Millat	2:32:15
64	Jeremy Spry	2:32:15
	Nathan Newman	2:33:19
75	Angie Jones-Womack	2:33:22
150	Shayan Patel	2:34:55
10	Heather Vearling	2:35:10
100	Klaudio Mehmeti	2:38:17
105	Terri Huot	2:38:17
120	Jibri Moore	2:38:25
96	Christina Williams-Potter	2:38:30
81	Matt Barringer	2:39:23
157	Ann Keiser	2:39:41
160	Jenna Bowe	2:39:41
37	Dominick Booker-Bates	2:40:29
73	Merrick Thornton	2:41:36
165	Emmanuel Berneaud	2:41:36
101	Beth Loftus	2:42:32
26	Jacqueline Le	2:43:30
167	Kamea Freedman	2:46:00
63	Markia Johnson	2:47:54
67	Sofia Frank-Fischer	2:48:00
68	Margy Wilcox	2:48:00
	Ralph Ogden	2:49:15
	Suzanne Haban	2:49:17
56	Greta Hough	2:50:20
178	Chase Smythe	2:51:25
	Foshanna Robertson?	2:51:30
186	Meaghan Dickinson	2:52:19
179	Ieshia Nelson	2:52:28
	Lauren Maxwell	2:52:28
	Delfino Zohoto	2:53:07
108	Rachael Baxter	2:53:54
	Kaitlyn Edelson	2:53:54
49	Marechal Kelly	2:55:55
139	Angelica Then	2:56:31
86	Nam Ta	2:56:52
	Joseph Hanns	2:57:38
102	Louis Castro	2:58:26
	Greg Martin	2:58:43
wrong#		2:58:53
92	Tony Tran	3:01:36
54	April Alcaraz	3:02:45
58	Amber Jones	3:02:45
71	Tiffany Sims	3:04:30
34	Shirley Gray	3:06:26
8	Cathryn Carkhuff	3:10:31
72	Nissi Olmo	3:10:32
55	Savon Davis	3:16:09
38	Charlie Dickens	3:16:09
182	Stephanie Blanc	3:16:25
	Andy Thach	3:17:44
33	Melissa Angelucci	3:17:56
60	Antonyo Adams	3:19:35
94	Dee Wharton	3:24:05
80	Beth Ford	3:24:05
	Diamond Johnson	3:26:51
	Bob Velarde	3:26:51
36	Khyaire Corley	3:28:06
18	Christopher Joseph	3:28:06
191	Jennifer Corrales	3:28:45
176	Jianna Decker	3:28:45
	Gordon Hughes	3:28:45
169	Jada Grice	3:29:10
162	Juliette Thomas	3:29:10
57	Daniel Lear	3:29:10
	Wonnie Sak	3:29:30
	Emnor Hernandez	3:29:30
129	Jason Footes	3:36:12
76	Chiboza Onyekere	3:37:48
	Akyra Murray	3:37:48
	Diego Wright	3:38:06
	Gordon Hughes, Sr.	3:42:30
74	Wesley Glover	3:42:30
	Mihn Lieu	3:45:17

Get To Know A Staffer: Round 3!

2010-09-01T14:28:00.005-04:00

Today's victim: Amanda Karpeuk, Students Run Philly Style's AmeriCorps VISTA

Where is your hometown?
I hail from the beautiful and exotic Allentown, PA! More specifically, a little town right outside of A-town called Breinigsville, the highlights of which include a post office, a VFW, and a baseball/softball field. My SECOND home (where the <3 is) is my college town, Morgantown, WV.

What is the weirdest thing that you have eaten?
Hmm... probably gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free brownie. YUCK! (thanks, Candace) ;)

What is your nickname?
I have been extremely unsuccessful with nicknames... they never stick! But I guess the closest I've come to a nickname is the correct pronunciation of my last name, which phonetically is: (*drumroll, please*) "car-puke." (No, I don't get car sick!)

Who would you want to meet?
If I could meet anyone, I'd like to meet Allen Ginsberg, one of my favorite writers of all time.

If you could be an inanimate object in the Students Run Philly Style office, what would you be (and why)?
I would be the bobble-limbed frog that lives on Mali's desk drawer, because every time she opened and closed the door, it would be like a dance party!

Who is your greatest influence?
Although I draw influences from tons and tons of places, I'd have to say my greatest influence has been my father.

Leadership Summit or Marathon Day?
Ooohhhh... what a tough question!!! They are both TOTALLY amazing experiences, but I'll have to go with the Summit, because it lasts longer.

Tell the story of a memory that still makes you laugh out loud when you think about it:
A few years ago, when I was home from college on Thanksgiving break, I was making a trip to West Chester University to visit my best friend, Kelly. A third friend, Bill, decided at the last minute to come along to surprise Kelly. When we were a few blocks away from Kelly's apartment, we decided it would be funny if Bill hid in the trunk so he could REALLY surprise her. I pulled over and he climbed in the trunk, and when we arrived, I asked Kelly to grab my luggage from the trunk. As she opened it, Bill smiled up at her and yelled, "HEY, friend!" Kelly screamed and jumped about 3 feet in the air... it was priceless!! Definitely still cracks me up...

Best Intern Experience Ever!!!!

2010-08-25T15:13:00.006-04:00

Juliette's Intern Perspective

Today is the last day of our summer internship with Students Run Philly Style. We have had some fun this summer and I would like to share our intern experience with you. I’ve shared stories, laughs, facts, and insights, but there is much more to this job than that. Working in the office was a great experience and the staffers here were super awesome and nice. Some of the projects we did seemed like they would be a lot of work, but with understanding and help they were done in no time. The staffers of Students Run make the work place a positive experience and around them you can never have a bad day. Our supervisor, Amanda Karpeuk did a great job getting us prepped for projects and she gave us really great pointers on what to do. Although, sometimes it seemed we weren’t very excited about the project. One of the projects we did was creating this blog, which I thought would be easier said than done. But once we started, writing the blogs became easier which made publishing them a lot more fun. This was the first time I had ever made a blog and I feel as though it’s a good skill to have. Another task we did was to count sneakers, which I must say required a lot of box lifting. One thing that was also great about this experience was the delicious treats that we ate; left over snacks were always available for your snacking pleasure. The best part of this whole experience was spending time with the staff, getting to know them better, and participating in their work day. To conclude, this internship was an awesome experience to get and it will also be a great skill to have in the future.

Hung's Intern Perspective

To our Staff,

It started out with an email, a phone call, and then an interview and we became Students Run interns. Although we were both shy and quiet, we were luckily chosen. Coming to The Atlantic Building everyday meant more than a job, but it was a learning experience. I remember on the first day, Amanda showed us around the office building to meet everybody; I can’t say that I remembered all their names, but they were all nice and remarkable people. During the job interview, (not sure if she was joking or not) Amanda said the toughest part of this internship would be carrying water all around the building. Well, I did not believe her… and I was right. Carrying race supplies and arranging boxed in the basement almost killed me (500 race shirts can weigh a lot). From the scary 1515 room, cursed elevators, broken ice machines, to car crashes into the building, I can’t say this job was what I expected. But I did get to accomplish what I wanted to do while I was here. I helped with a fundraising plan, created a blog site, and helped with many Students Run projects. I got to know a lot about the program and the organization that is behind it. I had the chance to meet some important staff members here, such as Tine Hansen, Erica Talley, ‘Mali’ Petherbridge and Heather McDanel. Honestly, I didn’t think it would be such a cool internship. Thank you guys.

P.s. Amanda’s incredible journalism skills will forever help my writing, or at least make my English teacher happier.

How to Get Beyond First Place!

2010-08-25T14:05:00.003-04:00

To all achievers,

Whether you are involved in sports or are a competitor in school, you know that winning is not possible all the time. But what can you do to feel like a winner even though you didn’t win that 5-ounce lump of plastic? I think one of the key ways to attain the “winner” feeling is to set goals whenever you’re doing something and try and accomplish those goals so that at the end of a game or a race, you can say “I’m a winner”.

Making goals isn’t so hard, but you should be certain that the goals you make are within your reach. Create some room for when you don’t exactly meet your goals, so you don’t have to say that you have failed. Continuously have persistence and purpose, so you won’t have to feel like the load is too big.

One of my competitor and a strong runner, Rafael Maldonado, told me about his motivation:

I’ve learned that the pain I feel during running feels small compared to how proud I feel about myself after finishing a race. One thing that I think about when I feel that pain during running is my Students Run Philly Style team. My team constantly motivates me to push myself past my limits and to become a better runner. Something that always helps me to get through the pain is having a friend running along with me. I’ve learned that a good friend can get you through anything, and that has really come in handy during the marathons I've run. The one thing that motivates me the most during a run is healthy competition. I look at all of the other runners out there pushing themselves to go farther and I think to myself, "hey, what's a little pain compared to the final feeling of finishing a race?”

I think Rafael’s team provides an atmosphere of support that helps him achieve his goals so he can maintain being a “winner”. Furthermore, the objective during his runs might not be only the finish line, but the epiphany of triumph that comes with finishing Keep struggling, but look back at your accomplished goals whenever you feel like quitting, and add some incentives (buy or eat something that you want for a while) for yourself when you have passed through an important checkpoint!

Pain.

2010-08-25T13:03:00.003-04:00

Dear Readers,

Disclaimer!:
Before you start reading this, please do not think this is medical advice, but philosophies on how you can overcome sore muscles and fatigue. Whether you have been running for 10 years or just a week, I’m sure that you have had various types of pain, (unfortunately, not the French food) while you run. If you look at the list of possible reasons for experiencing pain, it seems to have no ending: you can come across pain because of your shoulders, side stitches, feet, dehydration, abdominals, cramps, and by a hundred more causes. One of my coaches told me of his interesting mental theories on dealing with pain. He said to find something to get angry at while you are running (and if you’re stressing with school/work, it shouldn’t be too hard). Sometimes anger can reduce pain because you are extremely focused on another idea, thus you are not thinking about pain and it does not affect you so much. However, if you are more of a calm person like I am, try to become more relaxed instead of running furiously. This approach is different because it is not trying to make you block pain, but in a sense, lets you embrace it. Now, if you are having other physical-related problems, I have also done a bit of research and here are some other suggestions I have found:

Go minimalist: Build your joints to protect more from the impact of concrete and asphalt with these new lightweight trendy shoes.
Find the right shoes: Pick out a shoe that compliments your feet and help with your running form.
Knees and Thighs: Wear a Knee band, and stretch your thighs (stretch as much as possible), which ease a lot of pain.
Last but not least, don’t stop exercising: Even if you’re not happy with running, if you quit exercising, your pain could stay and hurt much more.

Radnor Red Run- Not Your Ordinary 5K!

2010-08-23T15:44:00.005-04:00

Students Run Philly Style had over 180 participants at the Radnor Red Steeplechase Run on August 22, 2010 as runners and volunteers. Instead of running around the city, we had our first race of the season someplace with a country setting; this perfect event would be the Radnor Steeplechase. This 5K run consisted of many different obstacles to test the runners along the run. The course was long and challenging but I think most of the runners enjoyed the peaceful scenery.

Juliette’s Volunteer Perspective
Volunteers were stationed at different obstacles along the course to help guide and motivate the runners to continue going. I was stationed at the top of the hill and cheered on the runners as they made it over the log wall obstacle placed there. As a volunteer, I can’t describe the experience of this run; but as a past participant I can say that the course is much harder than you may think.

Hung’s Runner Perspective
The Radnor Steeplechase was one of the best 5k races I have ever done. Not only does the Malvern course have plenty of hills, but the rainy weather mixed with the race’s obstacles combined to make the run exciting and intense.

It was great to watch runners helping and encouraging others up the hill obstacle, and everyone did it with determination. At the end of the run, runners enjoyed heavenly bread and cookies from the Great Harvest Bread Co. and relaxed in the open space of the Radnor Hunt area. It was wonderful memory to include in the summer that we had with all our friends. All together, it was a successful event and a good way to end our summer.

Finally, we'd like to extend an enthusiastic THANK YOU to Fast Tracks and especially the Race Committee, for inviting us to this fabulous event, and for helping us all feel welcome and part of the Fast Tracks family!!

Get To Know A Staffer: Round 2!

2010-08-23T15:10:00.007-04:00

Everyone is sure to have seen this staffer at events. She is an important aspect of Students Run Philly Style and helps keep the program organized. Her name is Erica Talley. She was glad to give us a little more information so we can get to know her better. These are her responses:

1. How long have you been a part of Students Run Philly Style?

This is my 5th year with Students Run . I came to Students Run as a mentor and now I am on staff.

2. What is the nickname that everyone calls you?

It all depends on who is calling me

3. What is the most humorous memory you remember involving SRPS?

I still get a chuckle when I think of my camping during the Leadership Summit.

4. Who is your greatest influence?

There isn’t one person. I am often inspired by women who are doing phenomenal things for others. A woman making a difference, from the senior member in church whose presence alone is encouraging to the little lady who is helping her mom in the grocery store.

5. Who would you like to meet?

Charles Barkley

6. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I would love to see the Taj Mahal in India .

7. What are 5 things you can’t live without?

Rita’s Water Ice, Godiva Dark Chocolate, Something to Read, Law and Order and a hug from Hannah, my daughter

8. What are some goals you want to accomplish in the next five years?

I would like to have obtained my Master’s Degree and begin working on my Doctorate

9. Name your greatest accomplishment.

I've overcome many obstacles which have contributed to quite a few accomplishments which make it hard to choose just one. But, I'd say going back to school and earning my degree would be one.

10. What does Students Run Philly Style mean to you?

It means Going Farther, in everything you do. Understanding the basics of long distance applies to life. Keep the pace, remember to breathe and finishing is what counts.

Water Fights and Going Ga-Ga: My Students Run Experience

2010-08-11T13:23:00.010-04:00

Being part of Students Run Philly Style means having a lot of great experiences; whether they include your team or others, you will remember them all. I remember this one time on a really hot day; we had to practice on the Wissahickon trail. Everyone was complaining about the long run and how it was too hot to run that day. But everyone did it with no problem and we finished in a good time. Some of the team that had finished a little before everyone else hid behind some trees and waited for everyone to relax. Then they jumped and attacked with a bunch of water bottles. It was really unexpected! Then everyone grabbed a bottle and we all had a huge water fight. I think that this was the perfect way to cool down after our run and was a lot of fun as well, although we all went home wetter than we were from running.

Some experiences don’t even occur with members of your own team or with people that you know. At the Leadership Summit 2010, during free time, people gathered around the Ga-Ga pit to play and watch the game. (For people that don’t know what ga-ga is, it’s a game that is kind of like dodge ball, but you’re in a wall-circle or pit and the ball can only be hit with your hand.) Everyone had a great time playing. The boys and girls were teaming up against each other, and one girl had defeated the boys, which rallied the boys up even more. I was scared to get in the circle at first but my friend and I got the nerve and got in. There was hardly any room to move because of so many people being inside the pit, but that made it easier for others to get hit faster. It came down to a group of people, then a few, and finally I was left in the pit with this one boy who was extremely good at the game. I worked really hard trying to dodge him but in the end I ended up getting hit, and it was still a fun experience. Being a part of Students Run allows me to have many fun moments like these. I think it’s because the Students Run program is like a big family and you get to know a lot of people through races, clinics, and other events. In this program you are encouraged to be yourself and meet other people from across the city. Therefore, this program allows you to experience new things and enjoy them over time.

Get to Know a Staffer

2010-08-05T16:58:00.006-04:00

This week Students Run Philly Style received a new addition to our wonderful team. Her name is Candace Lacrosse. The following blog has a few questions that we asked Candace to get to know her better. These are her responses:

What is the weirdest nickname you’ve ever had?

– I don’t know… pick one: Can Can, Candy, Ace, Candface (that last one was from a typo in an email once!)

What is your most humorous memory growing up?

– I don’t know if it is my *funniest* memory, but I remember one time in second grade I went to my best friend’s house after school. We were in the kitchen and she started drinking a glass of milk. As we were joking around I must have said something really funny because all I remember is the milk coming out of her nose because she started laughing so hard at the same time as trying to drink the milk!

Who would you want to meet?

– I would love to meet Nelson Mandela.

Who is your greatest influence?

– My greatest influence has been, and continues to be, my mom.

What is an adventure that you had?

– Between high school and college my friend and I decided to do a year of service in Panama. After three months our tourist visa required us to leave the country for a short time before we would be allowed back in, so we arranged to visit some family friends who live near the border of Panama and Costa Rica. Little did we know that to get to their house we had to walk uphill the whole way, and since it was the rainy season that meant we had to hike in knee-high rubber boots for 3 hours! We ended up getting stuck in the mud, rained on, threatened by a snake along the way, and we had to walk through waist-deep rivers. When we finally made it up to the top where their house is, we ate the best meal I have ever tasted in my life, and I wanted to stay up in the mountains forever.

Now that you've gotten to know Candace a little better, keep an eye out for her at upcoming events. Be sure to introduce yourself to her and share some of your stories with her!

Summer Fitness

2010-08-05T16:11:00.003-04:00

Hello all runners and future marathoners,

We all know that running can be difficult at one point or another, but when you stick with it for a long time, it can be very enjoyable and rewarding. Being a consistent runner means you should definitely eat nutritiously and be mentally tough. Once you have done that, you will feel less pain during running and experience runner’s high. In the summer, it is important that you keep up your hydration to have enough fluids so you won’t feel jaded in the middle of your run. Furthermore, you should adjust your training plan to prevent injuries that would make you unable to run. Here are some tips for staying healthy to help you handle some common problems and train for races:

Nutrition:
• Continue to eat more as you run farther in the week
• Have a good amount of protein in your meals
• Eat a lot of carbohydrates

Hydration:
• Keep your body weight the same after runs with water
• Drink extra water if you drink coffee
• Maintain the same drinking diet when you do long runs ( you should drink either sports drinks such as Gatorade or water)

Below are various websites to improve your training…
Motivation
Improving Health
Marathon Rookie
Marathon Nutrition
Training
RunnersWorld
MoreTips

Once again, we hope to see that all participants in Students Run Philly Style can be prepared to complete the Philly Marathon.

Photo by Andrew Mo

Chris' Leadership Summit Experience

2010-08-02T10:14:00.007-04:00

Another student who went to the leadership summit is Chris Waters. He is an upcoming senior going to West Catholic High School and planning to complete his second marathon this fall. He shared with us his goals being with Students Run and how camp affected him as a leader.

Chris Waters

Why did you decide to return back to camp?
--- "I always loved camp because it was always an escape to me. It’s a time for me to get away from my busy life, relax and gain new experiences in a comfortable setting."

How did you feel about meeting new people while at camp?
--- "Well I love my old friends, but I don't mind meeting new people. It’s a chance to make new friends and to have new people looking out for me."

How is being a JC different than being a camper?
---"Being a JC is really not that much different than being a camper. Now, while being a JC, you get to do the skit (Which I love by the way) and other things that show you have leadership abilities; however, you still get to do all the fun things that the normal campers do. I loved being a JC and would gladly do it again."

What did you learn from the leadership lessons? How did you feel about doing a lesson?
---"My lessons were GREAT this year. I got to do a slam dunk for the first time in my life and climb a 20-foot wall with the help of my teammates. I learned that you need others to succeed in anything you do no matter how easy or how difficult. I enjoyed the lessons and would have gladly have done more."

What were your thoughts of the long run in Lambertville?
---"Ohh the long run by the river. I've missed you." I love this run because it’s close to the river and by many, many trees. I love running on a trail in a woody area because it’s peaceful and a great time to just think about how your life is going. Now, the air was a little too fresh for me because I'm used to that lovely city air. It truly is a great path overall and I'm thankful every time we run it."

How has your running ability improved this year compared to previous years?
---"My running did improve over the last two years. I'm able to run a longer distance without stopping and without the pain. I can even participate in an Indian run without stopping."

What was your goal before attending camp? Did you reach it?
---"My goal before attending camp was simply have a nice and relaxing time and to grow closer with my friends. I did reach my goal and am looking forward to next year."

What motivated or inspired you during your time at camp?
---" I was motivated actually by one of the campers. His name was also Chris and he is just a great guy. He truly is a leader who helped keep everybody spirits up and brought the whole wolf pack together. "Where my wolfs at?" Awhooooooooooooooo! "

What are your goals after attending the leadership summit?
---" My goals are to be the best runner I can be and to inspire everybody that I can."

How were the JCs involved in preparing for camp?
---" Well, I was a little late helping to prepare for camp because I was not told I was a JC until late in the season. However, the JCs helped bring the camp to life. They brought the true Students Run spirit to camp and showed respect, courage, and effort to a whole new level. I was proud and honored to be a JC. The JCs were very involved in the making the dynamics of camp. In the meetings we had before camp even started, we would discuss how we could make the camp weekend a more memorable one for everybody. We were happy to share ideas on the leadership lessons exercises that we thought were best for the campers. Discussing the lessons in small groups made it very easy to communicate with each other and really find some positive ideas that would inspire leadership in others. "

Leadership Summit Experience (Girls Story)

2010-07-29T15:06:00.004-04:00

Hey readers,

On July 4th weekend, about 100 students were chosen to attend the SRPS Leadership Summit 2010. This camp experience teaches students to become better leaders and to be comfortable leading others. The following blog is an interview with one of the campers. She is happy to share her first Leadership Summit experience with us and tell us about camp through her perspective.

Sonya Harley

1.Why did you decide to go to camp?

“I decided to go because I never attended camp, and I wanted to meet new people that were part of Students Run.”

2.What were your worries about the camp?

“My worries were getting along with new people and getting insect bites.”

3.How did you feel about meeting new people while at camp?

“I felt comfortable and happy about meeting new people and I was excited to get the experience. I didn’t mind that I had to meet new people and I was glad that I met a lot of new people.”

4.What did you learn from the leadership lessons and cabin group lessons? How did you feel about the lessons?

“I learned to trust myself and others, to keep going, and learned about being a good leader. And how to have a lot of enthusiasm and determination.”

5.What were your thoughts of the long run in Lambertville? How did you do on the run?

“I thought about my pace, to speed up or slow down, and stopping. Ran with others, received encouragement, and finished.”

6.How did you feel when first heard of the cabin cheers? Why?

“I felt psyched! I really liked the cabin cheers and had no problem doing it in front of others. I also had a lot of fun rooting for the other groups that performed.”

7.What was your goal before coming to camp? Did you reach it?

“My goal was not to be afraid, to meet new people, and to work on my breathing. I reached my goals by keeping focused on what I was trying to accomplish. By being focused, I learned how to breathe better when I run and wasn’t afraid to meet a lot of new people."

8.What motivated or inspired you during your time at camp?

“A lot of people inspired me to keep going and pushed me to continue and finish.”

9.What are your goals after attending the leadership summit?

“My goals now are to finish full marathon in under 10 hours, get in shape for the marathon, and be healthy.”

10.What did you learn from this experience? Would you do it again?

"I learned that people can act a different way than you think, and that counselors were really motivating and helpful. Yes, I would do it again."

Summer Clinic Update

2010-07-28T14:44:00.005-04:00

July 24th : 6th Annual Enon Race

Amidst the scorching heat on Saturday, over 1000 participants were involved in the Enon Fit for Eternity Walk/Race. For those of you who do not know about the Enon race, its purpose is to raise money for and to help focus attention on health problems around the community. For this year, the proceeds were donated to the Mary Howard Health center, which provides primary health care to homeless people. We all worked hard to go through the 4.5 miles course of endless hills from the Enon Tabernacle to the new Enon Church. We did have help with the people from the Enon Baptist church who handed out water and motivated us. Even the Reverend, Dr. Alyn E.Waller, was running alongside the Students Run members. Furthermore, the day was very fun for all of us while we ran and talked with some of the Baptist followers. At the awards ceremony, many faces from Students Run were seen with medals, placing first, second and third, in several divisions.

July 27th: Let’s Read. Let’s Move

At Lemon Hill on Tuesday afternoon, it was a wonderful day that reminded some of us why we love summer. Not only because of the weather, but because it was the start of Michelle Obama’s Let’s Read. Let’s Move summer challenge in Philadelphia. The event was filled with many organizations such as Teens4Good, EducationWorks, First book, Breaking Barriers, Greater Philly Cares, and the Students Run Philly Style teams! Not only were the students reminded that they should be healthy, but also fit mentally as well. Additionally, the First Book organization (thank you for donating 170,000 books) in partnership with the School District of Philadelphia is distributing various books out to teenagers and children. In case you can’t imagine 170,000 books: picture giving a book to every person at a sold out game for the Eagles, Phillies, 76ers, Flyers, and every participant in the Philadelphia Marathon. If you give a book to all these people, you would still have books left over; that’s how many books were donated by First Book.

While most people were having fitness exercise with Julius King and Yoga instructor Layla, others were also making bookshelves with the Teens4Good, and the Aramark chefs were there to create delicious snacks from the farmer’s produce. Thank you all for those who supported this grand event and encouraged kids to be more active during the summer. The workout was challenging and made an impact on the people participating in the exercise. People, varying by age, were divided into groups based on their birth month and placed at four different stations. There were also booths of programs that gave our students and others the opportunity to learn more about their healthy program and what they wanted to accomplish. It was a successful event and everyone enjoyed the open space, fresh air, and communicating with old and new friends.

Summer Clinic Update

2010-07-21T14:34:00.006-04:00

Hey guys and gals! We’re back with a new blog to inform you on our two latest summer clinics. Read on to see what our runners have been up to and their experience from exciting exercises to cross country running.
-Juliette and Hung

July 16th: Get Buff @ the Sporting Club

To kick-start the summer clinics, the Students Run members all gathered up in the Sporting Club at the Bellevue. The personal trainers at the club gave the students and their coaches a dynamic workout improving our strength, agility, and endurance. Along the way, we were tested with our basketball, boxing, and rowing skills. Students broke off into 8 groups consisting of runners from different teams; yet each group showed their own unique ability in exercising. Trainers worked the runners on many different exercises designed to focus on different muscles of the body.

After workouts, the groups competed in a relay race fighting for the spot as fastest team. Then the fastest team would challenge the trainers’ ability at running. At the end of the two-hour workout, we held the annual relay race between the fastest team of students and The Sporting Club trainers. Our runners blew away their competitors even after their tiresome training. I think that after the clinic the students had a workout that they weren’t expecting; but everyone enjoyed seeing our Students Run runners beat the trainers as the end of our clinic.

July 19th: Maybe Cross Country Is The Sport For You!

In spite of what everybody expected, the weather on Tuesday night stayed calm and beautiful. At the Belmont Plateau in Fairmount Park, David Thomas, a 35-year veteran on the course, assisted Students Run in holding a competition among our runners. All of us who ran the course experienced its famous and exhausting Parachute Hill and other steep hills. The first 3 places all belonged to the coaches who put a ton of effort while, the following top-finishing students came close behind:

Male:

1)Shabazz Ransom
2)Hung Nguyen
3)Artez Powell
4)Anthony Matthis
5)Zerek Williams

Female:

1)Dana Kilgarriff
2)Nancy Le
3)Zaria Fortson-Linton
4)Christina Potter
5)Tania Jimenez

Congrats Winners! Although, none of us were able to place a new record on the course, we did enjoy the scenery while running at Belmont Plateau.

Welcome to The Students Run Blog

2010-07-15T15:34:00.000-04:00

Hello runners, coaches, and students

My name is Juliette Thomas and this summer I am a summer intern for the Students Run Philly Style program. I have been with Students Run for 2 years now and I feel that this is a great program to be a part of. During this internship I hope to gain other skills that could be useful later on in life. I also hope that I can give some things back to the program as well. Read this blog more to learn about the different things that the Students Run Philly Style program provides, events/races we will be involved in, and the program through the eyes of other runners in our program.

Hello Runners, coaches, and all

I would like to introduce myself as one of the interns for Students Run Philly Style’s summer program. My name is Hung Nguyen. As a 2nd year runner in SRPS, I am thankful for the program, which is the epitome of commitment and hard work. It gives students more than just a chance to be active, but allows them to bond with their friends and coaches. As an intern, I want to help and understand SRPS so it can keep being a pillar of support for all the students to try to succeed in their high school lives.

In the past years of SRPS, there has been a lot of excitement and fun in the program with the training and races, yet we have not been able to share it or show it to other people. So now, we want to dedicate this blog to let others know about what Students Run has been doing throughout the 9 months of marathon training. Please come back and see what the latest excitement has been about so you can become involved also.