MFR 113: Running and Families
It’s Saturday morning. Katie, your daughter, has a soccer game at 9:00, and your husband has to work. That means you’ll have your 9 year old son, Patrick, with you. You’ve got 8 miles on your schedule, but how will you manage it?
Then you think, “I wonder if I could get Patrick to ride along on his bike?”
If Patrick does join you, it may just be the start of his running life, and before you know it, when you head out for a run, he may be excited to be by your side, running with you.
The goal is to integrate your running into your family’s life, and ultimately, to get some or all of the family to start running. Think of the satisfaction you get from running, from the endorphins to the pleasure of being outside to the mental satisfaction of knowing that you’re doing something smart, something that ensures better health for the rest of your life. Then imagine if you could know that every member of your family was on that same road. It’s possible, but it’s not necessarily easy. If nothing else, if you can at least get them involved, at some level, it will make it easier for you to continue to pursue the sport that you love.
It’s always a challenge to balance time with your family with running training. You deserve that time away, but you don’t ever want to miss being with the kids when they need you. I hope this podcast helps you keep all the balls in the air and provides you with some ideas of ways to make running fun for the kids. That’s the secret to getting them running, and that is the ultimate prize because families that run together will always discover an exponentially greater reward.
Running families enjoy better health and improved relationships as everyone feels like part of a team comprised of the people they love most. What could be better than that?
Quotes:
“Adults call it working out; kids call it playing.”
“Happy healthy parents make happy healthy children.” – Dr. Miriam Stoppard
“I thought about giving up . . . then I remembered who was watching.” -Ashlee Alexis Baker
“Be the person you want your children to be.”
“If you could just accept that I love running and not act like I’m crazy, that’d be great.” Fuelrunning.com
And this, from a Minions poster:
“Here’s to the girls who grew up playing in the dirt, ran outside barefoot, and weren’t afraid to be one of the boys.”
Helpful links:
“Kids on the Run: The New Trend in Family-Friendly Fitness” Active.com
“How to Get Kids Interested in Running” RuntotheFinish.com
“Kids’ Exercise Predicts Adult Income” RunnersWorld.com
“Should Teens Go the Marathon Distance?” RunersWorld.com