Running with kids

Running/exercising with kids is something I didn’t expect to be doing so early on in motherhood, but I absolutely love it! Having children watch their parents to push themselves and take care of themselves is invaluable life lessons that they will remember forever. Demonstrating these exercises engages the children to want to try to and that is just what my boys are starting to do!

My boys are 7, 5, and 4 and all enjoy running. My oldest is a competitive sports junkie and loves to play team sports and challenge himself to play multiple different sports. He was not always as interested in running and felt that he didn’t want to be a runner. He loves soccer, hockey, baseball and a new one has been lacrosse.  But one night, Dadjogger took him out for a run and he completed a 5k in 30 minutes and 6 seconds which is impressive for any person challenging themselves to a 5k.

My middle son is more of an individual sports man and loves to run and swim, however he also is very good at t-ball and soccer. He is very methodical in his sports and chooses what he wants, not always conforming to what everyone else is doing. He begged me two weeks ago to let him run the 5k with him at the summer run series and I was hesitant because the furthest he has run has been a little over a mile. Tripling that distance was scary as Dadjogger and I didn’t want to push his little legs too far. But he kept asking and he also wanted to keep up with his brother, so we agreed to let him try it out.

My youngest loves sprinting around the house and showing you how fast he can run. He enjoys taking part in the quick half mile fun runs at the summer run series and is a fan of the crowd! He has the same competitive nature as his brothers and wants to keep up with them. He plays soccer and will be playing t-ball for the first time this summer. All of my boys are very coordinated and have a natural ability to play many sports which is amazing to witness.

So this past Monday, I told Billy (7) and Ben (5) that they could run the 5k with Dadjogger and I. Will took Billy and I took Ben. We had a plan in mind and explained that we can walk as well as run as needed but deep down I know they are both very capable and strong! Both boys ran as bandits as we did not sign them up for the summer run this year. But we will have to reconsider next year as you will see as you continue to read.

On June 24, 2024 we set out on our first 5k at Belmont Lake State Park as a family. Charlie was lucky to have a sleepover with Mugra which is thoroughly enjoyed! Ben was excited and couldn’t contain his excitement before the race. He had some pre-race jitters that were turning into excitement as the 7pm race start drew closer. We planned to run about 11 minute miles and go from there. Here is how the race went down for Ben: Mile 1 was right on track of our 11 minute pace and we stopped to walk and get water right after the mile 1 mark at the first water stop. At this point, my ten year old niece Julia joined us and we all set out together. Mile two was a little slower, about a 12 minute pace as we continued on the trails of Belmont. Ben was feeling strong and whenever he asked to walk, we would but only for about 20-30 second increments, which satisfied him. Ben was a sight to see to other runners that couldn’t believe this little man was passing them with ease. Mile 3 was a little more challenging and Ben explained he had a pain on his side. I believe he drank his water too fast and had a cramp so we did some more walking and finished at about a 12:40 pace. However, the last .1 kicked in and Ben raced through the finish line at a 9:30 minute pace. I was not expecting this little kick at the end and had to catch up with Ben as he took off! I believe that we could have gone faster the whole race but I was nervous to push him too much as this was his first race. Ben finished strong and right away said “my legs hurt” so I put him on my shoulders to rest those strong legs, but after a few minutes he went on with his night like usual. Ben finished in an impressive 37 minutes and we enjoyed snacks and ice cream provided by the race.

Billy raced with Dadjogger and although he did ask to stop to walk a few times, Will pushed him to just go a little further and by the time the race was over, he forgot that he was asking to walk. Billy had impressive splits of 9:52, 9:45, 8:51 and his last .1 was at a 6 minute pace! Billy looked as though he didn’t even run a race and was bouncing around like a normal self not showing any signs of fatigue. Billy is a focused athlete and when put to a task, he will complete it as best as he can!

Kids are wildly impressive and can do so much more than we give them credit for. Helpful hints for running with kids: 1)Positive encouragement – telling them how amazing they are and how proud you are of them, goes without saying! 2) Saying funny things to keep it light – I would make jokes along the way to keep a big smile on his face and distract from any pain he may have experienced. 3) I was even playing some pump up music on my phone for Ben to distract him – I played the songs aloud so I apologize to the other runners around us but just a quick minute of a song can pump you up and keep you going!

 I do not believe that I would have ever been able to run a 5k at 5 years old like Ben or even at 7 like Billy; they have the grit to push himself and it is a quality that is so admirable to watch in my children. They have big dreams for themselves when it comes to sports and I can’t wait to watch it all unfold. These truly are the best days of our lives –  watching your kids do well in school and sports is a parents dream!

Congratulations to all of the runners, let’s see what big things are to come for all of these boys in the next few years!