Why To Run Fun Runs by A Dad Who Dislikes (Hates) Running

Though "hate" is a word my wife and I don't allow our kids to use, it accurately describes my feelings about running.  I don't dislike physical activity.  I like elliptical; I like full court basketball; I like soccer; and I like bike riding.  I don't like running.

Too hard on my knees/ankles/feet, too painful in my chest, no scoring, not enough ground covered (to make me feel like I am accomplishing something),  you name it, I have a million reasons.

But, I am running in my second fun run type run today, the Run for the Rolls, in Chelsea.  And I am going to be miserable.  Chloe, my daughter, won't love it.  But..we've leveraged 3 to 4 days of running and bike riding out of it.

Why do you have to do a race?  Like almost all things, kids/people engage more when there is going to be an audience.  If the letter is going to grandma or grandpa, careful spelling and letter spacing are used.  If writing is to be for improving for school in the fall (without the teacher seeing it), the writing is quickly and unenthusiastically done.  It helps to have a place to show the world the fruits of your labor.

Chloe was pretty tentative before our first race.  She was nervous about racing, as fun runs seem a little bit like a race.  She's been a dance and gymnastics participant; she only played basketball for the first time last winter (and we did not keep score for the first and second graders).

She had done a running club with a couple of cool teachers at school, so that is where an interest (amplified by me) came up.

She liked the dressing up part.  She liked the excitement of race day, as we signed up.

Once we were off, we talked; sometimes, we walked.

The last quarter mile, where a small group of people gathered (waiting for their 5K or 10K), she was off.  After finishing the race, she enjoyed the small gift certificate for a free ice cream cone, but she loved the ribbon.  She had accomplished something she didn't think she wanted to do.

Here are my tips for training:

• Vary it up.  Bike riding is cool.  Playing soccer for a half hour is cool.  As long it is running, it is training.
• Let the kids use headphones.  Adding "Frozen" songs to the training made Chloe like the running portion of the training.
• Praise the effort (not how fast, how smooth, or how well he/she runs)
• It's frosting for the adults.  I do my own workout in the early morning or at night.  I do not rely on training with Chloe 

I do hate running. I will all during today's race.  However, if I am willing to coach sports I know little about, I certainly should be willing to run.  And have fun doing it.