Running with Kids...Week 1 Recap

This post series is going to be a bit different than any other post that I've done.  Why?  Because we are on a new endeavor in our family!  My son has some OT issues that we are working on, as well as some specific learning disabilities.  I want to make him stronger and feel confident about himself.  My daughter is going through puberty and has put on at least 20 pounds in the last year...she is feeling sluggish, and while she wants to be active and be "joke" like, she simply does not have the energy or endurance to succeed.  So, we are venturing on this path together.  5K bound in less than 10 weeks!

 

Now, do I expect us to walk at all in this race?  Rather, I anticipate it....but getting them out and doing this together is really going to help change our family dynamics for the better.  They weren't even bad at all, but this is going to be a great bonding experience.

 

Pros

• Time with the kids alone
• Time to encourage them when they cannot tune me out
• Forces me to be the encourager, rather than focus on my own physical shortcomings
• Love seeing them do better each week, which will make them trust me more when they realize it themselves!

 

Cons

• They may need different training speeds, which means that I have to run more (this could be considered a pro, of course, if I need to encourage myself to run more...or it could mean that I could risk injury more)
• Time commitment
• Training in summer...Florida summer
• Timing runs to meet their personal restrictions

They each have run three times thus far.  We are basically following the "Ease into 5K" training method. 

My son is 9 and is full of energy, but I ramped it up a bit more this last time, and he was hitting a mental block even though he was doing fine.  He is about 4'8" and 70 pounds...as thin as a rail.  He has a crazy gait, but I'm sure that his body will find the more efficient means to run by itself in time.  He has a lot of energy and seems to enjoy seeing that he has more energy than everyone else! 

My daughter is 10, and she is slow and sluggish, but definitely has a decent gait. She has always been athletic...and I know that this puberty thing is the cause of it (she can't possibly be as energetic when she is weighed down with the new weight!).  If she feels that she can handle a 5k running non-stop, I know that she will feel more confident in everything.  She has participated in ice skating for a few years, softball for a few years, basketball, etc.  Almost always does more than one sport at a time.  I've been telling her that the first 5-6 weeks is the hardest....but that I was just like her and I know that she can do this!  She trusts me, so she is going for it, especially if she has some cute outfits to wear :).