FITNESS A STEP AT A TIME

The Oregonian
October 7, 2004

Summary: Miles of Smiles at Nancy Ryles is one of three programs urging lunchtime run to help prevent child obesity "It's nice to have something that all kids can participate in . . . It's contagious in a good way." -- LYNN BLAIR-THOMAS,

PRINCIPAL AT NANCY RYLES Sam Albert ran around the field at Nancy Ryles Elementary School and got his card stamped. Then he ran around six more times and got his card punched. And he just kept going.

In the first four days of Miles of Smiles at Nancy Ryles, the fifth-grader accumulated 46 stamps and seven punches. That meant he had run more than 7-1/2 miles.

The new activity during the lunch recess -- running or walking for 20 minutes -- has become so popular that students race from the cafeteria to pick up the cards that log their miles. No one has taken to it quite like Sam.

"Everybody's trying to beat Sam, but nobody can," said Melanie Mazer, a fellow fifth-grader.

It's that kind of enthusiasm that inspired a group of volunteer moms, who know each other from a scrapbooking club, to spread walking/running programs to three of Beaverton's elementary schools. The three organizing moms have taken the idea of fighting childhood obesity, and perhaps improving grades, and, well, run with it.
The lunchtime runs started last fall at Oak Hills Elementary School, spread soon after to Findley Elementary and this fall landed at Nancy Ryles.

It began when Jennifer Oordt saw a story in Runner's World magazine about a teacher who ran with his class each day. A mother of four and a runner herself, Oordt was impressed to read that the students did better on academic tests than other students.
When Oordt realized the running season would be brief, because rain would turn the field soggy, she began a fund-raising effort to build a track.

Parents raised about $6,000 and won a $7,000 grant from a local foundation. Robinson Construction subsequently decided not to charge for the work, so the only cost was about $5,500 for asphalt. Parents are using the extra money to expand the playground.
Last year's catch phrase was "Ocean to Ocean, Oak Hills in Motion."

Teachers and parents used the opportunity to talk about fitness, heart health, stretching and running technique.

"They don't care, they just want to run," Oordt said.
One student ran 94 miles last school year. This year, the theme is "From State to State, Oak Hills Is Feeling Great." The school adds up the miles students run and track their progress on a map of the United States.

Sheri Lautenbach, whose children go to Findley, started a similar program there about two months later.

It took Findley students only three weeks to run across the country. On the way back, they meandered to hit state capitals and sights including Disney World. This year, the school is running across China and Southeast Asia.

Students get colored plastic tokens, in the shape of a foot, for every five miles they run. The tokens have become status symbols at the school, worn around the neck or on shoelaces, Lautenbach said.

This school year, Julie Berry, another of the scrapbooking moms, brought Miles of Smiles to Nancy Ryles. About 50 parent volunteers show up during lunch periods every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Students bolt to tables for their cards, which the adults stamp for each lap and punch for each mile.

Students receive incentives for running 5, 10, 15 and 20 miles, such as temporary tattoos, key chains and pencils. After the marathon distance of 26 miles, they get a T-shirt. The school is tracking its progress to New York.

The program will last six weeks, until the rains come. If there is enough interest, Berry might try to raise money for a track, like Oordt did at Oak Hills.

In the meantime, students are learning to stay fit, not becoming couch potatoes and hopefully doing better in the classroom.

"It's not just a fitness program, it's an education program," Berry said.

Lynn Blair-Thomas, principal at Nancy Ryles, said the program has numerous benefits in addition to preventing obesity. Miles of Smiles reduces conflicts as fewer children use the play equipment; it helps students focus better in the afternoon after they've burned off some energy; and it supplements PE classes, which students take only twice a week.
"It's nice to have something that all kids can participate in and all kids can feel successful," Blair-Thomas said. "It's contagious in a good way."

Last week, Jake Ramsey, with a drop of sweat hanging from the end of his nose, said running is definitely not boring. And he doesn't mind going back to class sweaty.
"You're just not allowed to sit on the couch," Jake said.

Sam, who has run the farthest, used to play kickball at recess. This is no kickball.
"You get a lot of exercise," he said.