The Well Mom: How Running Can Change A Girl's Life

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By:The Well Mom/DivineCaroline

When Brianna Grant laces up her sneakers and hits the road, she returns home with a clear head.“

The days I manage to run are my strongest, smoothest days,” she says. The mom of a four-year-old son and sixteen-month-old daughter wasn’t always a runner. The former teacher says she uncovered her inner athlete five years ago when she coached a group of third grade girls in an after school program.

“The enthusiasm and encouragement of these girls, along with the supportive nature of the running community, drove me to cross the finish line of my first marathon (with my husband!) in 2003,” says the twenty-nine-year-old.

With her newfound passion and her first child on the way, she decided to write a children’s book about running to inspire young girls and their moms to give it a try.

“We Are Girls Who Love to Run / Somos Chicas Y a Nosotras Nos Encanta Correr is my way of reaching out to girls who are seeking their own life balance. It allows me to cheer for girls as they discover their inner strength through running,” explains Grant, who lives outside Seattle.

The book, illustrated by the talented Nicholas A. Wright, was published with the help of Grant’s mom and co-founder of their business, Balanced Steps. Along with bright images of spirited girls, it features affirmations about the sense of well-being and accomplishment running can bring.

“I am strong. My body becomes more flexible as I run. My mind sharpens and my spirit soars,” the narrator of We Are Girls Who Love to Run tells her audience.

The 750-word picture book has won praise from some elite members of the running world including, Olympic medalist Deena Kastor and Katherine Switzer, the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon.

“I want girls (and their moms—who are really girls at heart!) to get a sense of their inner strengths and embrace themselves for who they are. This world that we’re a part of is so fast-paced that it is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of negativity and self-doubt. It is my hope that the positive statements and uplifting illustrations serve as reminders that sometimes the greatest joys in life come from the most simple acts we make with our families and friends,” Grant told me.

Of course, it isn’t easy to lace up and head out the door when running hasn’t been a part of your life. So I asked Grant for some tips on how mothers and daughters can start to integrate running and exercise, in general, into their routines. For moms, the key is how to introduce the idea without nudging. Here is some of her advice:

1. Make physical activities part of your family plan, even if it is just a post-dinner walk in the evenings for starters.

2. Set a personal fitness goal and invite your daughter to help YOU as a cheerleader, a workout buddy, and a co-menu-planner and co-chef! Goals for your daughter can develop naturally out of this—following HER lead and identifying the choices she gravitates toward. Maybe running isn’t your daughter’s thing ... explore some other activities together and see what ignites her interest and let her get involved within reason.

3. Explore programs, including Girls on the Run, in which girls interact with peers and have some self-esteem-building games and discussions. Many schools or community centers offer some after-school, short session exploratory classes that introduce kids to various sports and hobbies. These are great resources and opportunities that can help turn the nagging into an encouraging nudge. Small, non-competitive groups like these can take off the pressure. Girl-only groups are also helpful in providing girls with a “safer” environment to explore their interests.
Organizations like the Women’s Sports Foundation’s GoGirlGo! can help parents find the right match for their daughters.

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