 Monday,
March 8, 2010
(Day 1)
Today's Distance:
17 Miles
Please go to
Paul's P.A.C.E. Blog to read about today's happenings
in Germany during P.A.C.E. Trek 2010. Also, be sure to take a few
minutes to view Paul's
videos
and
pictures!
 What
Is This Run All About?
Paul Staso
─
of Missoula, Montana U.S.A.
─
is a former 5th
grade teacher who is now the founder and president of
The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation.
He is an ultra-endurance athlete who annually takes children from around
the world on free virtual trek adventures using a custom online
classroom (which you're at now) to share his adventures with children. This web site is your
window into what he will experience in Germany as he runs 500 miles (805
km) solo (yes... completely alone) in three weeks
─ averaging nearly a
marathon per day while pushing 80 pounds of gear, food, water, and
video/camera equipment. Paul
has already run several
P.A.C.E. Treks, including: 3,260 miles solo across the
United States; 620 miles solo across Montana; and, 500 miles solo
through Alaska. Paul's solo journey running requires him to push
everything he'll need, since he is alone on the road for the entire
distance – from start to finish (no partner... no support vehicle...
completely alone!). That is how Paul has done all of his P.A.C.E. runs. P.A.C.E. stands for "Promoting Active Children
Everywhere" and through The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation Paul
aims to encourage, educate, inspire and motivate children worldwide to
adopt life-long habits toward a healthy lifestyle; to expand their
knowledge of the world around them; and, to pursue their goals and
dreams with the abilities they possess.
______________________________________________________________________________
 Learn
Something Today About Germany...
Paul began today in Grafenwöhr,
which is a town of about 7,000 people in eastern Bavaria. Grafenwöhr is
nestled between low hills with farms and dairies covering much of the
surrounding landscape. Grafenwöhr has mild summers and cold winters. The U.S. Army Garrison Grafenwöhr military base is
located here and the Grafenwöhr Training Area is the largest NATO
training area in Europe. The 7th Army Joint Multinational Training
Command is responsible for the planning, organization, development and
implementation of the training of all U.S. soldiers stationed in Europe.
Currently, over 3,000 U.S. soldiers are stationed in Grafenwöhr. While running through
Germany, Paul will be visiting many Department of Defense Dependents Schools
and doing over 25 assemblies to children of active duty military and civilian employees.
There are currently 50 DoDD schools in Germany and this is the second
P.A.C.E. Trek that students of Grafenwöhr Elementary School
have participated in. Paul ended today in the town of Vilseck,
population around 8,000. The town's name comes from the location of a
castle built in the year 920. "Eck" is the German word for corner. The
Vils river has a tight bend where the 'Burg' (castle) is located. Thus,
the name "Vilseck". Vilseck is home to Rose Barracks, a U.S. Army base located just outside the town. Right
now, Paul is about 30 miles west of the Czech Republic border. And in
case your wondering, Paul will need to make 719 navigational turns, or
street/direction changes, in order to accomplish this 500 mile solo run
through Germany!
______________________________________________________________________________
 Learn
Something Today About Health & Fitness...
Running may seem like a natural
motion. Everyone has their own style, but there are a few things you can
do to run more efficiently and comfortably! Bend your elbows to about 90
degrees and keep them close to your sides while your hands are relaxed.
Keep that bend in your elbows as you run and avoid twisting your upper
body or driving your arms across your body. Drive your arms from the
shoulders and not from the elbows. This will increase your power and
running efficiency. Keep your shoulders down and relaxed. Lean forward
slightly from the ankles, not from the waist. Attempt to lift your knees
a little higher as they swing forward. Keep your head level and avoid
excessive bouncing as you run. Strike the ground first with your heel,
and then roll toward the ball of the foot, pushing off with the front of
your foot. Prefer to walk?
Walking should be done at a
comfortable pace. Focus on good posture, keeping your head lifted and
shoulders relaxed. Swing your arms naturally and breathe deeply. If you
can’t catch your breath, slow down. If you can’t talk while walking, you're walking too fast.
______________________________________________________________________________
 Learn
Some Of The German ("Deutsch") Language...
"Hello" – Guten Tag (in Bavaria, Grüss Gott)
│
"Good morning"
– Guten Morgen
│
"Good evening"
– Guten Abend
│
"Good night" – Gute Nacht
│
"Goodbye" – Auf Wiedersehen
______________________________________________________________________________
 Did
You Know?
There are 206 bones in the human
body, and one fourth of them are in your feet. Each foot contains 26
bones, 33 joints, 20 muscles, and hundreds of sensory receptors, tendons
and ligaments. Feet are amazing! ______________________________________________________________________________
 Join
The P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation Facebook Group...
Please take a moment to
join the free Facebook group of The
P.A.C.E. Fitness Foundation to keep up with future happenings with
P.A.C.E. and Paul Staso.
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