Family Ties

We recently decided as a family that we wanted to run a 5K together. The kids see my husband and I competing in races throughout the spring and summer and it's only natural that they would want to be a part of something like this as well.

The children are nearing 6.5 and 8 and we knew this would not be an easy task for either of them. It was obvious we would need to set aside time to train for the children to truly be ready for an endeavor like this.

We first had to find a race that appealed to us. It felt like it would be more meaningful if we did a race that would be going towards a good cause. When we received the information about the new U of MN Goldy's Run and learned that the proceeds would be going towards the new Amplatz Children's Hospital, our decision was easily made.

With the extended snow we have had this winter we weren't really able to train as early as we would have liked; however, we were determined to still make this race a success for our family. We made a training schedule about 3 weeks before the race that included stretching, running, and walking.

The first time out after stretching was not as successful as we would have liked. We were a little over ambitious thinking that we could do a mile right away. Instead we ran about 1/2 mile and then walked a bit, ran some more, walked a bit, etc. The following time out we were determined to run the whole time for the mile. We were pretty much successful with this.

We did most of our training on the weekends, but there were also a couple mornings during the week that we decided to wake a little earlier to get a run in before work and school. This proved to be a great way for all of us to start our day, but unfortunately this schedule does not always work for us.

As we ran more we determined that it will be very tough for the kids to run the full 5K, so we decided to have a family meeting to discuss how we wanted to tackle this race. We decided, as a family, that we would run the first mile, walk the next mile, and then run the rest. We practiced this and we all felt great about this.

The actual day of the race we had the perfect conditions for running: not too cold and not too hot and only a slight breeze. The kids were very excited to be a part of the excitement leading up to the race and even got their picture taken with Goldy Gopher prior to the run.

It's hard for me to put into words how it felt to be running as a family. My husband and I are very active individuals and have quickly seen how our children are very much similar to us in this way. Is this nurture or nature? It's really hard to say for sure. At any rate, we knew we would someday run a race as a family, but I don't think we ever anticipated it going as well as it did. It was amazing to see that adrenaline can kick in for two people who are really still quite young.

As we were approaching the end of the first mile my 8 year old son said, "I'm not ready to stop. I'm going to keep running." My husband kept going with him. My 6.5 year old daughter said she needed to walk for a little while, but very quickly said, "Mom, it actually feels better to run." So, we started up again! At this point my husband and son were ahead of us enough that we were now running in pairs rather than all together, but this seemed to work out just fine.

As my daughter and I ran we chatted about so many wonderful things...the type of conversations you would have with a good friend as you run together. I suddenly forgot I was actually running with a child. It's wonderful to have those moments as a mom where you can see that our children eventually become our friends too. Here I was, running with my 6.5 year old daughter and she is feeling good, happy, and so proud of herself. What more could a mom ask for?!?!

Both the children ran most of the way. My son maybe walked about a total of a 1/4 of a mile and my daughter maybe about a 1/2 mile total. My daughter and I finished the race only 2 minutes after my son and husband and there they were cheering us on as we ended in the stadium. I think my son has a new found respect for his sister that she was able to do this. In fact, I think we all have a new found respect for each other. Most importantly both my husband and I feel like this activity tied our family together even tighter than it was before. We had a common goal and worked towards it as a family.

This would not have to be running a race together for a family. It could be learning to play tennis together as a family, or working on a service project together, or doing landscaping in the yard together.

Set a goal, make a plan, and work towards it together...it's that simple, yet extremely rewarding! Take time to think about what types of family activities tie your family together. I'd love to hear about them....

This family activity was recently featured on Twin Cities Live.