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RUNNING WITH MY SEVEN YEAR OLD
What Ed has to say
Dear Coach Ed,Hello Ed, Recently I've started running again after a fairly long break. I'm a 37 year old male in good shape, who ran cross-country in high school, college, and throughout the years on and off. The issue is my 7 year old daughter. She has been accompanying me lately on my 3 mile runs. I'm was skeptical at first, thinking that the distance for a child of this age was too far. The pace we run is very slow, a mild jog at best. I've watched her carefully and ask her how her body feels as we are running. She tells me that she is fine and that she is having fun, as a matter of fact she bugs me every day after work to go running! I'm excited to finally have a running partner in the family, but my parental instinct is not so sure due to her age. She is a fit kid, softball in the spring and soccer in the fall plus full of vim and vigor. Can you advise? Sean Hi Sean, Oh to be young again. I run three miles once a week with three girls two are 7 one is 9. They talk, laugh, and giggle all the way. I know it doesn't seem right but some kids like your daughter and these three girls just have a knack for this. They are small and just seem to glide over the pavement with no pounding at all. I know your concern is about long term effects. I have coached our team's premier miler since she was 7 years old. She is now 11 and has been running distance all this time (2-3 miles every other day). The only problem I see is she keeps growing out of shoes. Keep your daughter in good shoes and enjoy your running partner. You couldn't ask for a better father daughter relationship. Coach Ed
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Ed Poirier, "Coach Ed", recently was invited by the United States Olympic
committee to attend a workshop and training seminar at the Olympic training
center in California. 