Kids Running - Mountain Climb, Valley Sprint

MOUNTAIN CLIMB, VALLEY SPRINT - Training Game
In this article, Brianna K. Grant, author of We Are Girls Who Love to Run (Somos Chicas y A Nosotras Nos Encanta Correr) shares her adaptation of Carol's Butterfly and Triangle Training Games. Brianna tried this out with kids and the outcome was a mountain of fun. Read on.

Activity by Brianna K. Grant, Mountain-Valley Graphic by Carol Goodrow

OUNTAIN CLIMB, VALLEY SPRINT
From Brianna - I combined 2 other running games you can find on KidsRunning.com to create one that I thought would be well received by upper elementary and middle school students. Because I like the element of choice that the Butterfly Training provides and I like the variety of speeds the kids try out with the Triangle Training, I integrated them to create the Mountain Climb, Valley Sprint Training Game (the theme is appropriate out here in western Washington with our numerous mountains).

The design of the course prevents kids from comparing themselves with others, thus enabling them to enjoy the non-competitive running experience and identify which pace feels best for their bodies. "Hiking" allows the runners to see how recovery time enables them to keep moving and then have energy to run again.

I'm happy to report that when I implemented this activity during a recent school visit with 4th and 5th graders, that's JUST what happened. Some of the kids were feeling a bit winded from repeatedly choosing the running side of the course and started to alternate between the sides. It kept them going strong for at least another 5 minutes! And then, after a debriefing time, they asked if they could run the course again.

I designed a take-home "map" of the mountains so each child would have a tangible way to remember the experience.

First, I drew something similar to Carol's butterfly, but instead of wings, I drew two non-symmetrical triangles to represent mountains (the lack of symmetry also helps kids avoid comparing how fast the kids on the "other mountain" are going). At the "peak" of each mountain, I have the kids do 10 jumping jacks (my time with students is limited, so I won't have a chance to do a song or anything more complicated like is suggested with the Triangle Training - but that's a super option for an after-school or summer running club to incorporate). For the left-hand mountain, the kids "hike" (walk) to the peak and then jog down the other side. The right-hand mountain offers the kids the chance to run to the top and jog down. The space between the mountains is the Valley Sprint for the kids to run ALL OUT!

We thank Brianna for her contribution to KidsRunning.Com. If you like her activity or it sparks your creativity to adapt his kids' training activity even further, please send us a note. And while you're online, stop by Brianna's blog and say, "hello". She would love to hear from you.

LINKS
Brianna's Blog Girl Who Loves to Run
Brianna's Email brianna@balancedsteps.com
Brianna's Book and Web site http://www.balancedsteps.com/
Carol's Activity #1 Butterfly Training
Carol's Activity #2 Triangle Training
Carol's Kids Running book with more games Kids Running
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Carol Goodrow is the Founding Editor of KidsRunning.Com, full-time teacher, and author/illustrator of three children's running and fitness books: Happy Feet Healthy Food, The Treasure of Health and Happiness, and Kids Running. Her schoolchildren always have fun when they combine running and literacy.

carolgoodrow@verizon.net