P.A.C.E. Trek 2008 - Paul Staso Promotes Youth Fitness In America Through Running And Education

Take Time To EXPERIENCE . . .

Watch Paul's Trek Now!
The Montana Route
P.A.C.E. Trek News

Take Time To LEARN . . .

About Paul Staso
About The Stroller
About Fitness
About Montana
About Team Guidelines
About One of the Teams
What Mrs. Staso Thinks

Take Time To THINK . . .

About Goal Setting
About What's Possible
About Fitness Statistics
About The P.A.C.E. Purpose

Take Time To GET INVOLVED . . .

Support P.A.C.E. Trek
P.A.C.E. Trek Sponsors
Contact Paul Staso
Subscribe to P.A.C.E. Updates
Tell Someone About This!
P.A.C.E. Trek 2009
P.A.C.E. Trek Store

Take Time To LAUGH . . .

Funny Montana Observations

Did You Know?

This will be the fastest unsupported run across Montana ever attempted by an individual all alone.

This is the first race where an athlete is actually on location racing students who are participating virtually.

Paul Staso is the only person to ever run across the state of Montana, border to border, twice.

This will be the first live virtual race between teams of students, ages 5 through 18, on multiple continents.

This 18-day trek will begin in the Great Plains of Eastern Montana and end in the Northern Rocky Mountains.

Children can recommend where they believe Paul should do his next P.A.C.E. Trek in 2009. Learn More

Teachers... Did You Know?

Many teachers say they don’t have time to take their class out for a walk because there are too many curricula to teach.

Consider the following scenario! When 20 kids are confined in a closed classroom, the oxygen levels in the room decrease. Simultaneously, the carbon dioxide concentration in the air increases. The room temperature also rises. Within about an hour, the carbon dioxide starts causing a toxic response on the brain; it slows down a child’s breathing rate. This causes kids to become groggy and mentally dull. Their ability to listen, concentrate and learn is significantly diminished. How can you reverse this situation? Simply take your kids outside for a five-minute walk! That would let them recharge their "think tanks" with fresh supplies of oxygen. Minutes later, they’re all perked up, energized and attentive, ready for their next lesson. The point is - walking actually increases one’s teaching time!

Just think how much benefit you, the teacher, and the children would receive from going out for a 5 minute walk once or twice each day. Also, it would certainly be enough to acquire mileage for participating in P.A.C.E. Trek 2008!

Welcome Elementary Teachers And Students!

So, what in the world is P.A.C.E. Trek 2008 all about?! Simply put, Paul Staso is a former 5th grade teacher and lifetime long-distance runner who ran across the entire United States all alone in 2006 simply to keep a promise to some elementary students. Now he wants to bring you along with him on his next running adventure... virtually! If you don't already know, between April 28 and May 15, 2008 Paul will be running 620 miles alone across the vast state of Montana in a mere 18 days. He'll push a stroller of gear and average 34 miles per day (more than a marathon daily) from the North Dakota border to the Idaho border without taking a day off ─ enduring various weather conditions and demanding terrain! The Press Release.

Now before you start saying to yourself "This guy's crazy", you may want to visit his Run Across America site to see the challenging trek he's already accomplished and the positive impact his message has had on kids. Or, click to watch a television news story from Paul's solo U.S.A. run from Oregon to Delaware ─ 3,260 miles in 3½ months!

For P.A.C.E. Trek 2008 Paul will be virtually racing teams of young people who are located in schools around the globe, ranging in age from Kindergarten through 12th grade. They will run/walk at school and in local sports while he'll actually be on the road aiming to inspire, motivate and educate.

So, what's Paul trying to teach kids? Here's what he hopes his efforts will teach the thousands of students that are registered:

Teaching Goals Of The Trek

The importance of good health and nutrition, as well as the benefits of frequent and consistent exercise;

The benefits that can be experienced from running and/or walking (the original way to better fitness);

That if you take care of your body it can take you on some wonderful adventures;

A lot of interesting information about the 4th largest state in the United States... Montana;

The importance of setting goals and pursuing your dreams ─ no matter what they are;

That a positive attitude and the desire to positively impact the lives of others can be very rewarding; and,

That perseverance can take you places that you never thought you could get to.

Paul will not suggest to any student that he or she should be like him and aim to conquer enormous distances in order to be considered "fit" or "successful". Each person is an individual with different strengths and non-strengths ─ even Paul.

If his teaching goals outlined above resonate with you, please consider forming a team and signing up to take part in this FREE 18-day journey. Yep, that's right! There is no cost whatsoever for schools to participate, and the impact on your time as a teacher is minimal!
As a former 5th grade teacher, Paul understands the value of class time!

Please try to limit each team to no more than 100 elementary students; however, you can have as many teams as you want to! By having a limit on the number of individuals on each team, it creates a balance between the teams participating... as well as balance in mileage while racing Paul across Montana. Remember, he'll be averaging 241 miles per week for 18 days. So, each person on a team of 100 students would need to log about 2½ miles per week in order for the team to keep up with Paul. There is no limit on how far each team member can run or walk per day during P.A.C.E. Trek 2008, and some extracurricular sports mileage will be allowed (as explained in our brief Guidelines). However, it is strongly suggested that the "general guide" on distance, cited below, be followed.

This should be a fun, learning, interactive, individual yet team-building experience for all kids involved. Every member of a team contributes to the team's progress, no matter if they are running or walking. The idea is forward movement ─ giving one's best to contribute to the team's goal of crossing Montana. Each step brings the team closer! Montana is known as "Big Sky Country" and there are a lot of BIG things to be learned and experienced during P.A.C.E. Trek 2008. Please click on the link below to read a few P.A.C.E. guidelines.

CLICK HERE FOR 10 TEAM GUIDELINES!

Click Here For A Printable Version Of This Information

As a general guide, to prevent overuse injuries and to maintain an appropriate age-level amount of activity for P.A.C.E. Trek involvement, kids 10 years and younger should not log more than 2 miles per day.

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