Students Complete 26.2 Miles
On Saturday, June 7, 14 PEP students from PEP Chesnutt and PEP Prentiss had the opportunity to accomplish something many of them never thought they would. As part of the West Side Catholic Center’s Annual Pancake Run, the students had the option to complete the final mile of a 26.2 mile journey that began back in February. This final run of PEP’s running program represented the last mile of their “marathon” and was the culminating event of months of training, friendship-building, learning and growth.
These 14 students are the latest group to participate in PEP’s running program. Students who have completed this program have shown unbelievable gains, both as athletes and as individuals. It’s no secret that kids benefit from regular physical activity, no matter what that activity looks like. The Centers for Disease Control notes that regular physical activity like running can not only improve overall physical health and lower kids’ risk for several types of disease, but can also decrease the likelihood of depression and improve overall academic performance.
The Positive Impact of Running Club
For the students it’s about more than just following health guidelines. They enjoy the experience and cite many benefits of participating in the program, sharing many examples of how PEP’s running program impacted them:
- The consistency of my peers encourages me to push my limits.
- [Running Club] gives me an outlet to release extra energy.
- Run Club taught me endurance and how to regulate my breath.
- [Running Club] taught me how to keep going and not give up so easily.
- I feel powerful, happy and relaxed after I run.
- Seeing greenery while I run positively impacts my mental health.
David Weiss, an occupational therapist at PEP Prentiss Autism Center and one of the staff members leading the program says the program has made a big impact on students. “It creates healthy habits of incorporating movement in a fun way and with a goal to achieve,” he explains. “We’ve seen students look forward to training sessions and feel extremely proud of achieving the goal of ‘running a marathon.’” He also says he has seen the program positively impact behavior and school performance.
Practices in February start with the basics. Kids walk or run a couple laps around the gym, learn how to check and monitor their heart rate before and after exercise, and track their progress toward 26.2 miles. As time goes on, they begin to see their physical endurance gradually increasing. Their status on the milage chart keeps growing, inching them ever closer to their goal of completing an entire marathon’s worth of mileage.
The Regulating Power of Running
At PEP we celebrate the many positive outcomes, but we aren’t surprised by them – they’re supported by research. Dr. Bruce Perry, founder of the Neurosequential Model of TherapeuticsTM and author of several books on child development and trauma, notes that pattern, rhythm and repetition can be helpful to help regulate brain centers that may have been negatively affected by traumatic experiences. Running and walking, which are necessarily rhythmic and repetitive in nature, can help the brain to rewire itself over time and leave kids feeling calmer and more focused.
The other beneficial aspect of running and walking are the social interaction they provide. Dr. Perry’s research also notes that social interactions are more palatable and less threatening for children with social challenges when they are parallel, instead of face to face. This type of interaction can be regulating as well, and can help kids on the autism spectrum feel more comfortable taking risks and opening up to those around them.
In fact, running is an ideal means of activating NMT’s Sequence of Engagement, or the “3 Rs, (regulate, relate and reason). Weiss puts it this way: “As we know, when we help students get movement (regulate), and create deep meaningful connections among them and with us (relate), it increases their brain’s ability to ‘do the hard work’ (reason). Running club helps with this, no question in my mind.”
PEP’s Running Program Legacy Continues
Perhaps one of the best things about having a running program at PEP is that running is largely an individual endeavor. Staff leading the program preach all season that what matters is how kids compete against themselves rather than against their peers. The only goal is to give your best and try to do better today than you did yesterday. For students at PEP, who all face significant challenges, it’s difficult to think of a more suitable metaphor. Your teammates and other runners are there to support you, but ultimately, it is you that must complete the journey, one step at a time.
June 7 was special for our kids, their families, and their supporters. However, the lasting impacts of this event will be noticed for years to come.
Photo Gallery
Check out photos from this season’s running program.
Special Thanks
PEP is sending out a special thank you to Cuyahoga Heights schools, who allowed PEP to use its track, field and bleachers for a conditioning clinic in May. Thank you also to Angelo’s Pizza in Lakewood who provided food for the banquet. And finally, we are grateful to Saucony for providing half-priced shoes to all of our athletes.
To learn more about PEP’s running program or to learn more about PEP’s Day Treatment Centers, visit our website. Contact Nicole Molnar, sr. director, clinical services, at 216-361-7760 ext. 110 or via email to see if a student in your district may be a good fit.
Please note, referrals are made through school districts. Interested parents or caregivers should contact their school administrator.