Beginners and Beyond

12

My 5yo son wants to run 1 mile races this year, how to get him started right? (Read 260 times)

Nakedbabytoes


levitation specialist

    I have an overachiever youngest son. He is a sports fanatic and is all about games. Any game. Soccer, basketball, volleyball, baseball, football, biking, etc. He was finally old enough to do a Y program for a sports camp and he did two 4 week sessions of beginning soccer for 4yos(OMG, if that wasn't adorable!)

    So I've been running regularly since he was 3. Sometimes he will run down to the park with me(dad riding the bike), which is .24 miles away but I won't let him go any farther, so they stop and play and I go on with my run. Well this year his will be old enough to do the series of races in Lincoln called "The Kids Gran Prix" where kids aged 5 and up can run once a month timed races over the course of 5 months and get a medal at the end for completing them all. Or kids can just enter as many as they want but not get a medal. Which is fine, I really don't care if he does any or if he does all, no pressure.

    Well, he thinks he wants to do them all, and even if he does/doesn't, that doesn't matter so much as how do I get him started right? Do I have him practice at all or just figure all the running and playing and sports stuff is enough to allow him to complete a 1 miler, even if he walks(trust me, he is a competitive and proud one, so that won't happen!)

    Those of you that have kids that like to run, or ran yourself as a kid, how do you do it correctly as far as introduction goes?

    Love the Half


      The absolute worst thing you can do is try to get him into some kind of training routine.  Just let him go run.  Most kids are active enough to go run the short kid races with zero "training."  If he sprints out from the start and ends up walking, well, that will make him pretty much like every other kid out there.  Just let him go run.

      Short term goal: 17:59 5K

      Mid term goal:  2:54:59 marathon

      Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life.  (I started running at age 45).

        Check out this site...

         

        http://www.kidsrunning.com/ask/krask0219mile.html

         

        My daughter has shown the same interests and I will have her 'train' (very loosely used term) to run the mile, hopefully w/o stopping.  I think running while playing is great, but I think it's a bit different because of the starting/stopping, climbing that is involved in playground activities.

        tom1961


        Old , Ugly and slow

          I hate to say this but i agree with LTH a 5 year should not be in training.

           

          Kids should be playing every day not training. I think we start kids too early

           

          with sports. just let them have fun and play.

          first race sept 1977 last race sept 2007

           

          2019  goals   1000  miles  , 190 pounds , deadlift 400 touch my toes

            I hate to say this but i agree with LTH a 5 year should not be in training.

             

             

            +.05 ...-.05 for the unsubstantiated 'absolutely the worst thing' comment...anywho....

             

            In some ways I feel the same way as you do, especially living in Texas where the emphasis on sports at an early age is so great.  Hell, by the age of 6 or 7, a kid has already been to camps and on organized sports teams for 3 or 4 years.

              He can totally do it.

               

              This summer my 5 yr old said, "daddy I want to race you around the track." I was like nope its too hot and I had run 6 miles earlier in the day....I say this because of what happens next. After a few hours of him begging we go to the local high school track. I ask him how many he wants to do. He quickly replies 10. I am thinking shit its 98 degrees and I am about to race my kid 2.5 miles. We had fun with it. We would jog one and then walk one. We did 9 and on the last one he says we are racing this one. I did beat him at the end, but not by much. After each lap we would suck down some water. He thought that camel back was the coolest thing ever.

               

              Like LTH said let him play, let him run, let him skip, let him have fun.

              ”Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”

              “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”

               

              Tomas

              FlippyNoodle


              Not a dude

                I don't see any reason why young kids can't "train" within reason. They learn to read. They learn to write. They learn all kinds of things. I don't see why learning to have the discipline to pace themselves in order to run a mile is such a terrible thing. I don't think it should be incredibly regimented or anything like that, but having a little bit of structure isn't going to hurt them at all. I don't have a problem with kids being in organized sports from a young age either as long as the atmosphere isn't super serious and the kids are allowed to have fun and be kids. I think it just comes down to whether or not people are reasonable with regard to their expectations.

                Nakedbabytoes


                levitation specialist

                  Thanks for the feedback! I always feel like I am the kid's brake mechanism because he just loves anything physical and he has a competitive drive that just won't quit. So I want to do this right but keep him from hurting himself too. Up to this point, I have always told him "no" when he wants to run farther than the park with me, should I let him? Or when I do warmups, is it okay to let him come with me? I just am not sure where that line is that is okay.

                    My four year old runs with me.  Today we did 2 miles.  We run a bit, we walk a bit, I push him a little bit to go further than he thinks he can, but it's all in good fun.  We did our 2 miles in about 30 minutes today.  It's just for fun.  He loves going out on runs with me, I give him little tips on how to breathe (he thinks he needs to hyperventilate or sing Rudolph while running), or if he runs out too fast, but mostly it's just fun.  I'd say let your son do it, run with him a little bit but I don't think there is a need for official training.  Let him get out there, feel important, and do what Momma does..

                    sirdizzy


                      Yea just go let him run, no need for training they can worry about that when they get older.  I let my 3 year old do a 5k in September because he loves to run he may have only completed half of it and I carried him the other half but he had a blast and that is what matters.  At 5 they don't need structure and healthy 5 year olds can easily run a mile.

                        If he's an active kid who likes to run around the backyard after a ball, he's already "training".  He's good to go.  Just let him do it and have fun.  

                        "...You have to have faith, to know that you can do what you want to do."  -Joseph Nzau

                        FlippyNoodle


                        Not a dude

                          Let him run with you!

                           

                          IMO, the line that is not okay is when it ceases to be fun for him and becomes something he HAS to do or feels FORCED to do. As long as he's still allowed to be a kid, he'll be fine. As for structure, I meant that loosely. Not "Okay, today we're going to run 2x800m repeats. Now GO!" I meant "Okay, slow it down a bit so you can go a little further." and maybe to have some type of goal in mind for that day - 5 minutes, 10 minutes, a mile, etc. You can easily turn it into a game.

                           

                          Don't forget that YOU need to have fun with it too. If you have fun, he'll have fun. I love running with my kids! We're planning to run a 5k together as a family this spring. I can't wait!

                          Love the Half


                            Thanks for the feedback! I always feel like I am the kid's brake mechanism because he just loves anything physical and he has a competitive drive that just won't quit. So I want to do this right but keep him from hurting himself too. Up to this point, I have always told him "no" when he wants to run farther than the park with me, should I let him? Or when I do warmups, is it okay to let him come with me? I just am not sure where that line is that is okay.

                             

                            Kids aren't as stupid as adults.  They'll quit before they hurt themselves.  Plus, it's ok to let him make mistakes.  You can tell him all you want about not going out too hard and blowing up but he probably won't pay too much attention until it actually happens.  When it does happen, it's still no big deal.  Whatever keeps him happy and enjoying it is what is important.

                             

                            I have two daughters, ages 7 and soon to be 3.  I see parents spending insane sums of money on dance for their girls when the reality is that not a single one of those kids will be a professional dancer.  We chose the dance teacher our kids go to specifically because she takes a much more laid back attitude.  I was talking with her one day and she said that in her 30 years of teaching, she has had precisely 2 kids come through that had the talent to really take it to a professional level.  

                             

                            Maybe it's just my parenting perspective but I think it is far more important to let kids be active and explore various activities rather than pushing them to excel in any particular one.  They'll discover their talents in due time.

                             

                            BTW, in my avatar is my 7 year old finishing my 50 mile birthday run with me.  That was by far the best running experience for me with the possible exception of running with her in her first 1K.

                            Short term goal: 17:59 5K

                            Mid term goal:  2:54:59 marathon

                            Long term goal: To say I've been a runner half my life.  (I started running at age 45).

                            FlippyNoodle


                            Not a dude


                              Maybe it's just my parenting perspective but I think it is far more important to let kids be active and explore various activities rather than pushing them to excel in any particular one.  They'll discover their talents in due time.

                               

                               

                              I completely agree with that. My son has already played basketball and soccer, will be in spring track, and he wants to try flag football next fall. I think he should try lots of stuff until he figures out what he really enjoys. I just hope running will make his short list. Big grin

                                I sometimes wish I was in a larger town that had more to offer. Our town has t-ball in the spring and tackle football in the fall. I am not a big fan of t-ball, but my kid has fun and he thinks I love it. The tackle football for 4-6 yr olds is nuts, but thats what is offered in south texas.

                                 

                                I would rather kids be out playing something than be inside on a video game any day.

                                ”Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”

                                “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.”

                                 

                                Tomas

                                12