RunningMoms.com
Do running moms run with their kids?
This is something I wonder about when I read Mommy Blogs about finding the time to run. So, I got up the nerve to ask Amy Leger, founder of the new Web site runningmoms.com this very question. I was pleased to hear a resounding, "Yes!" On that note, I asked Amy to write about her children's fitness adventures for kids running. Here is her article.
- Carol Goodrow
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 Trials and Triumphs of a Race
My husband and I are often signing up for races (running, duathlons, and triathlons) and as a result our girls, ages Emma 9 and Grace 6tag along and help crew if necessary. But they're starting to gain an interest in the various sports and for the first time both girls competed in a kids' duathlon. What we found was this experience was definitely one we could learn from - in more ways than one.
It was a cool day for the Osceola (Wisconsin) Duathlon last September, there was even a little mist in the air. But that didn't deter our oldest daughter from her excitement. She had done this duathlon just once before and was giving hints to her sister Grace, who was new to this duathlon thing. They both had new running shoes and new bikes they were thinking "how could they lose?"
Emma's age group had a half-mile run, then 1-mile bike ride, and finished with a half-mile run. Grace's age group was shorter, 1/8 mile run, half- mile bike, quarter-mile run, and my husband could help in this age group; by showing her where to go and help her find her bike and get her helmet on in the transition area.
Our younger daughter was up first. It was fantastic to watch! All she did was smile and giggle the whole time and she ran like the wind even "passing the boys!" My husband was running around making sure his little girl did the best she possibly could do. She made it through the finish passing one more girl at the last minute and was grinning ear to ear but pretty tired. My husband and I were so proud! But we couldn't bask in her glory for very long because within about five minutes was the 9-year-old age group was up and we needed to get her ready.
Emma was psyched up, ready to go. And off they went, a sea of boys and girls trying to outdo one another. The 9- and 10-year-olds understood the competition more than the 5 and 6-year-olds that was for sure. She did really well in the first run staying near the front on the pack. She also did pretty well in transition and then took off on her bike. Then we waited - and waited -
- and waited.
 What possibly could be taking her so long? All the kids were coming back and running again, but not our Emma. This was very unlike her.
My husband ran down to their last turn, to see if he could see her in the distance. He couldn't at first. But then there she was biking up the road slowly. "I couldn't figure it out, why was she going so slowly," my husband recalled. He could see that every time her foot went around something weird happened. "I didn't know if she had fallen and gotten hurt or what was going on". As she got closer he could see something in her hand - a pedal!
Yup, Emma's pedal came off of her brand new bike right around the first corner, just out of sight of the starting line, "I stopped and tried to get it on and finally I just grabbed the pedal, got back on my bike and tried to finish. I almost quit and walked back but then I thought I should try to finish," Emma later said. She finally got back to transition, dumped her bike and started running, giving her helmet to my husband along the way. She did end up passing one participant before hitting the finish line.
She was so frustrated and disappointed. But my husband and I explained to her what a victory it really was: Emma persevered through a really tough moment, she problem-solved and she finished the race. That's certainly more than I could say for myself when I was her age.
But that wasn't all. Her frustration was compounded about 20 minutes later when she found out her younger sibling got first place for 6-year-old girls. Then the tears started flowing. We felt so bad for Emma but at the same time we really proud of Grace, who just won her first-ever duathlon. It was a difficult parenting moment to be sure. The moment was eased a little, at least in our eyes when Grace, upon seeing Emma crying, offered to share her trophy with her big sister. Our daughter was quiet and frustrated the rest of the day, but she got over it pretty quickly.
So what did we learn? That problem-solving in difficult and stressful times is a skill to be valued! That just because you win doesn't mean you're the only winner. Oh - and parents -- always double check the pedals of your kid's bike before the big race!
Amy Leger is co-founder of and writer for a new running site for women, runningmoms.com.
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