Kids Running .

KIDS RUNNING DISTANCE
When asked to make a picture of a runner, Megan chose to draw a child dribbling a soccer ball sans ball. Running brought soccer to mind, since Megan does most of her running in a soccer game.

And how far would a soccer player run? Probably way more than a mile in a typical game. Some kids seem to be able to run forever, once they get involved with sports.

But, still how far a child should run is a reasonable concern of parents.

Dear Kids Running,
Hi, my name is Kevin and I live in England. I am an ex-marathon runner and have just started training after about 7 years off.

My 6-year-old daughter asked if she could come running with me last week. I said no it would be too far for her, however she talked me into it and I took her to the local park where I can only manage a mile and a half at the moment being out of shape. My girl did the whole mile and a half chatting all the way around and wanted more afterward!

My question is, as my running improves as it normally does quite quickly, how far should I allow her to run?

Thanks,
Kevin

Dear Kevin,
Here is a distance chart showing typical event distances for children.
Distance Chart.
Note that distances for children 6 years of age typically top out at 2 miles. That does not mean that your daughter should come to a screeching halt when she reaches a distance of 2 miles. As Megan, my little soccer player knows, kids often run more than 2 miles when playing sports.

So use the chart as a guide, but don't hold your daughter back. Just make sure you can say yes to these things.
1. She is having fun!
2. She wants to run.
3. She's setting the pace.
4. She takes walking breaks when tired.
5. She does other physical activity: cycles, hikes, plays, swims, and more.
6. She can let go. In other words, if you want to run on your own some days, she's okay with it.
7. She's feeling healthy - not injured.
8. She is eating to stay strong.
9. She has a good attitude about exercise.
10. She has enough pep left to do her homework and other chores.

Good luck. Have fun. And remember running buddies become more than father and daughter. They become best friends for life.

Best regards,
Carol Goodrow, Editor

essay

Running helps you stay in shape for soccer. If you are not fast you can practice with your sister or your brother or your mom or dad. You don't have to be perfect at soccer.
Megan, 8 years old

LINKS
Log-A-Mile Program

Kids Running Bookmarks

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