kid, running, and racing

[Paul Petersen]

Several people on the blog run and race with their kids. I thought the first couple questions of this interview (linked below) would be interesting to those who do. I found the age-group records (linked within the article) to be particularly interesting.

http://www.trackshark.com/blogs/division3blog/1964/Interview%3A+Jed+Christiansen+of+Calvin+College.html

I never ran as a kid, not until I got into a structured program in junior high. What is the youngest age you would let a kid run a 5k? 10k? Half? Marathon? What is the highest mileage you would let a child do?

[Sasha Pachev]

I am still in the R&D stage/play by feel, and my oldest is only 8, but here are some of principles that I discovered or believe from observations of other kids:

• Kids should run aerobically most of the time
• They can start as young as 4
• Mileage should progressively increase a bit as they get older and more fit, but to much less amounts than what you believe they could physically handle - give them a chance to grow
• It is very good, almost necessary, for them to be involved in other sports or active games
• 5 K can be run in a race when the child is able to run 2 miles in training with a negative split while maintaining a decent fraction of their mile speed. Benjamin and Jenny both were ready around 5.5 years old
• 10 K can be run once a child is comfortably running 2 miles a day, and showing the signs of physical growth as well as improvements in running speed at all distances. I would not encourage, though, it unless they get curious about it, or there is some 10 K they are just dying to run. Benjamin ran his first at 8 years old and was able to hold a steady pace that was a good match for his mile speed and recover fast.
• I would let a child try a half-marathon if they are consistently running 6 miles a day, their physical growth is going fine, and they hold a steady pace in a 10 K that matches their speed in shorter distances. But they would have to be curious about it, and it would be something we do no more than once a year.
• No marathon until they can run a really good half at least, and only if they are very very curious. Probably no earlier than 16.
• Regularly evaluate the child's biological age. Some metrics to give you guidance are height, weight, 100 meter speed, can they do push ups (how many)?, can they do pull ups (how many)? The training volume should not exceed what is appropriate for their current biological age (vs chronological).
• Discipline is important. A run must be something they do daily - a short one maybe, but it must become a part of the daily routine. Just like adults, they will fuss at first, it takes about 6 months before they start looking forward to it, at least it seemed to be the pattern in our family. Proper reward system increases motivation.

[Michael]

Glad you entered this as a topic, I was thinking of it myself because of the different feedback I have gotten.
Well I think if they can crawl they should be able to do a marathon.... (at least a 1/2)

Seriously:
There are alot of kid races that are 1/4 to 1 mile that kids can do and I agree on Sasha they can start as early as 4 years for the shorter distances. There are also track clubs, My son started that @ 7 years, he started cross-country runs with USATF @ 8 years, his first 5K was @ 8 years and first 10K was @ 9 years. I have not had him run longer races although he wants to. I may let him try to run a 1/2 marathon next year. I agree with Sasha to just do it if for his curiosity and probably just once a year. His training overall would not be geared for doing such long distances. In track he runs 800, 1500 and 3000 but tries other events for fun. In cross-country he runs mainly 3K although some are less/more. For road races he runs mainly 5Ks, I think he has done 3 10Ks in the last 2 years.
For training he trains with his teams, but he doesnt necessarily run every day or even most days. He likes other sports alot which both and I think is important for his growth, development, childhood and fun - so he gets alot of cross-training in as well as othe rrunning and fun. IE - he does soccer, basketball, baseball, swimming etc. I dont believe he has to run each day because of his other sports, our family schedule and the need to be a kid with other kid stuff. His training varies - he has run up to 10 miles in a day but that is the rare side, Id say on days he runs it varies from 2 to 4 miles and weeks average 15 to 20 miles. Will add some more in followup

[Kerry]

This is a question I've wrestled with for a long time. On the one hand, you don't want to suck all the fun out of something by putting adult expectations on your children, but on the other hand most kids aren't going to try to stretch themselves with casual encouragement alone. I might be erring on the side of caution, but as far as running goes, I've haven't pushed my daughters at all, but just tried to take advantage of every opportunity to bike or play soccer or just about anything that gets them out for some exercise. The tough part about this question is that you really don't know how the experiment turns out until they're adults. The long-term goal is to get your kids to adopt a healthy lifestyle that is second nature to them.  Since your kids will make their own choices, that may or may not include running. Having said that, I think that example is a powerful thing and I have hopes of some day running a marathon with one or both of my daughters. My youngest (10) was really inspired by all the energy and excitement at the Boston Marathon this last spring and is already planning on running it with me as soon as she's eligible. She ran her first race this summer (a mile) after training sporadically for about six weeks. She surprised herself at how well she did, but threw up shortly after finishing. We've helped her realize that isn't an inevitable part of running, but it's made her a little more wary. The key, I suppose, is taking each child's differences into account, not saddling him or her with your own ambitions and keeping the big picture always in mind.

[Michael]

A few other things Ive thought of:
On longer races Im concerned that there is traffic sometimes and kids may not be as safety minded as adults. Then there is stranger danger. Ill have him wait until older to do longer races. Then their bodies are still developing and Im not sure if longer races are the best for growing bodies

Reward system that Sasha mentions is helpful - it helps to make the running funner.

Stretching, warm-up, cool-down arent that fun for kids (me either) so that can be challenging to emphasize its importance.

Kerrys point that each kid is different is a good point. Also his point about their interest. Ive read alot that kids often burn out and are more likely to eventually quit a sport if that particular sport is all they do, if there is too much emphasis or intensity of it. There is in my opinion no need to concentrate in just one sport until they can start making decisions on their interests, thats probably more like high school even then you cant quit the variety and fun aspects.I hope my son keeps running for his health and I hope he becomes a great runner but in the long run the decision is his. Luckily he lives for his sport days, emphasizes the fun with them, he is excited when he wins, but his losses are quickly forgotton and he still takes the time to be a young boy/kid and do the other fun kid stuff. Like us kids, too have different levels of drive, competition, concentration, genes etc.

Ive seen different situations and the kids and parents happy with it:
- running frequent long distance (this one Im concerned with)
- Kids running on most days i.e. Sasha's kids running a consistent 2 miles a day to others running 5 to 7 miles a day
- One has their kid run 4 days on and 3 days off
- Another allows their kid to only run every other day and not longer than a 4K at this time (the kid is one of the best in the nation @ 10 years old)

Now all of these examples are of kids who are top runners so it appears to work (at least so far. Im not sure what is best. My sons running seems to vary but he loves it, constantly improves and stays healthy. There are other kids who probably dont run much at home and run mainly at practices or meets. Ive noticed these kids in general seem to struggle more and may quit sooner which points out that parental involvement and some extra running helps. There needs to be more emphasis on having all kids who run feel like winners i.e. ribbons and prizes for all, more emphasis on completing the race, doing their best, improving as they can. Its abit alarming that interest in running by kids seems to be declining. Although it seems to pick up some again in high school. There used to be more clubs in Utah and more kids participating. Too many kids would rather do their video games, TV etc. ie Americas physical decline and obesity or others would rather do other sports which they may feel is more fun. Some think running is too much work and boring. Many kids at my sons school think my son is abit strange liking to run. One challenge too of clubs and kid races is that it takes commitment, organization and time by adults. I admit I get my son to practices and races, but probably havent helped out as much as I should. Im thankful to the people like Phil Olsen, Tony Glover, Mike Durman, Mark Oftedahl etc. that have helped our youth with their time and commitment.

One thing that would be cool is if more bloggers could comment on the kids who run and blog. I know my son always is excited when a top runner gives some comment and support to him instead of hearing from just slow old Dad

So for me Im struggling some with what is the right amount for my son who is a great runner - how often, how much, how far etc. So Id like to hear from other bloggers, but Ive more or less come to the conclusion its an individual thing as long as you take in account some of the other stuff Ive mentioned

[Tom]

"One thing that would be cool is if more bloggers could comment on the kids who run and blog. I know my son always is excited when a top runner gives some comment and support to him instead of hearing from just slow old Dad"

Regarding the above suggestion......I know in my case I've wanted on occasion to give some encouraging comments to the kids that are on the blog. However with all the stuff you hear about predators and stalkers and such on the internet I've been hesitant to comment out of fear a parent will have concern that me - a stranger - is showing some kind of improper interest in their child. Same thing with posting comments on some of the women's blogs...I've kind of been following the rule that unless I already know them or they post on my blog first I'll refrain from the comments so nobody thinks I'm some kind of stalker of something. I'm thinking maybe I'm being a bit too much of a worry wart here? I guess since it would be pretty easy for anyone to figure out who I am and where I live based off what I've already posted on the blog I probably shouldn't worry so much about it.

[Lulu]

Very interesting topic. Tom, I just want you to know that you can comment on my blog all you want. I love the comments you contribute. I use an alias so no one knows who I really am anyway. I already have my own personal stalker so you can't have that job!

I do worry about some of the kids posting personal information on this blog, but I assume they are doing it with parental permission. I think a kid would love to have your encouragement. Look up a kid named Jared -- he loves it when people post comments.

[Michael]

I think it is OK on this blog to post comments to kids in most cases if it is done appropriately. Im not sure what other parents do but as a parent, I monitor my kids blog - he doesnt do the blog without me - in other words I see his version for the blog before he submits it and he isnt allowed to do it on his own. Its also good for computer skills I feel for him. I try to let him use his words but I sometimes he has something I have him remove or edit. Same goes with the responses he receives, I read them first and then show him. He isnt allowed to have a seperate email address. Now some may say you could be showing him something that later in his older rebellion years that he might try and get himself in trouble - well I would argue he is going to find out about it anyway and I can at least give him now some guidance on the direction to follow and hope he develops that in his life. The few blog replies he has received have given him encouragement. Sasha has been good at that. Id be alarmed if it was someone trying to get personal info out of him, trying to arrange for him to run with them, trying to find out his schedule. For running he isnt allowed to run alone (not even to school), he runs with me or his Mom, runs with friends, runs with teamates. If Im running too slow I have him stay in sight and run back to me for extra mileage. I also go over repeatedly over stranger danger with him including running. Its sad that this is the way the world is. I think Lulu is right several kids on the blog would enjoy appropriate congratulations and encouragement. Thanks

And Lulu I thought you were a famous British female singer on the blog - youre probably a Boston Marathon female winner in disguise.

[Jon Allen]

I'm answering only Paul's question and avoiding the stalker portion.

My personal belief is that kids should be encouraged to play and be active outdoors.  A lot.  However, I don't think any daily or structured training routine should be implemented before at least age 10, probably closer to middle school age.  If they want to run, let them.  But I think simple play and perhaps organized sports (I did soccer from age 5 on) are more enjoyable to them.  I think some training is appropriate once they are in middle school, and of course in high school.

For distances, I think under age 14 should be limited- 1 mile to 10k (max).  High school can be up to half marathon, and I don't recommend marathons until age 18, maybe 16 if they really want it. 

This is just my opinion, and is different than some of the views expressed above.  But overall I think that people have enough time in their adult life to just "run" that they should just "play" and do youth sports when they are young. 

[breanna cobler]

This is my personal experience/opinion. I think that when you are young and just starting to run you should have parents or a coach to make sure that you aren't going to injure yourself, but I think you should be allowed to do  as much as you would like within reason. Before I started running I had tried many sports or other physical activities like soccer, dance, karate, etc. When I first started running I was 9. I was a gymnast and I was at the gym 5-6 hours a day 6 days a week. I wasn't running consistently and probably only running 20 miles a week max for the first year. Obviously, I didn't need any more exercise than I was getting. I was content with this and enjoyed it very much. At this time I was only doing road races. Then I was invited to be on a cross-country team. I joined the team and my very first race I did really well. This excited me and made me want to work more. Being a gymnast, I was very competitive and had a good work ethic. I knew what it took to be good and thanks to gymnastics I was disciplined enough to do it. I kept running races and training at this point I ran 30-40 miles a week from the time I was 10-11. Then I joined Wasatch Athletics. I loved running with the adults and doing speed workouts with them. I loved running so much at this point that Demetrio had to hold me back. He would tell me to go for a long run of 8 miles and I would beg him to let me go 14. When I was about 12 I decided to quit gymnastics because it was too dangerous. I also decided that when I was 40 doing back flips in the park wouldn't work out so well, but I could run forever. Now I had all this spare time in my hands and so I trained harder (not quantity but quality). I've been working hard ever since, and I love it. I do limit myself so that I don't get injured, because otherwise I would run alot more than I do. I won't run anymore than 60 miles a week and that's only during base training. Alot of those miles are recovery and not spped. During racing season I keep it between 45-50. Some people think this is alot for someone my age but I know of alot of other kids my age that do more than this. I've done lots of different races: 5k's, 10k's, 1/2 marathons, cross-country races, track races, relays, steeple chase, snow shoeing races, sprinting. There are so many different sports within running. I like them all but I do have favorites (1/2 marathon). I would love to try a marathon but Demetrio says not until I'm really ready (well-trained, done growing, out of high school and maybe college too) and I agree with him. Kids shouldn't run marathons, it's not good for them. It's hard enough on your body when your older. I don't think really young kids should do 1/2 marathons either. I did my first one when I was 11, I think that is a good age but I wouldn't run one any younger than that.
As for burnout, people have told me that I was going to burnout all my life. I even know of people that have said I was burned out and had already hit my peak.  Burnout is when your not getting what you want out of the sport. As long as you still enjoy it your not burnt out, it's when you dread doing it (everyone dreads workouts once in a while I mean dreading it every day). I think if you let kids run as much or as little as they would like within reason then burnout shouldn't be an issue. I know I'm not burnt out. I love running. It helps me in so many ways. It helps me deal with stress or when I'm upset about something and need to cool off. And I love the feeling of running as fast as you can and seeing how hard you can actually make yourself work. Running is so much fun, and I wouldn't trade it for any other sport.
I think rewards are good. For me, rewards have always been going to big races like regionals, nationals, or other races. They are fun and give you good motivation to train. Other smaller rewards are good as long as it isn't a bribe because then you aren't running because you love it, your running because you want whatever you are being bribed with.
These are just a few of my personal thoughts and experiences, I know lots of people feel differently but this is what has worked for me.

[Ruth Hilton]

   Well, I thought that I'd add a bit of personal experience along with Breanna's.  I didn't grow up in a 'running family,' so I didn't start all that young. For the most part, I started running because I was good at it (didn't train much at all, just raced in Hershey's meets) and kept doing it because of that. There wasn't much parental pressure to keep running, they've always just been supportive of anything I do that's constructive, so they went along with the running thing as I did it.
   Mostly, I just gradually matured as a runner. I got my first coach at 12 yrs or so and did all the Hershey's track and field stuff then, mostly training just twice a week, then started running with High School team as an 8th grader and still only ran in structured 'practices.' My first dip into road racing and running on my own was in my Freshman year when I decided to run the Painter's Half here in St. George. As an XC team, we had twice-a-week practices and Holt just gave us a general schedule for half-marathon training. Really, I didn't stick to it all that well and had a pretty hard time adjusting to the difference between "I'm going to practice" and "I'm going out on my own for a run," since I hadn't seen in my family any independent running and didn't really know how to make time for runs. The first 'on my own' runs I did were running home from school (5-6 miles) because that way I could kind of force myself to get out and train a little.
   From there it just progressed to more and more running by myself as I started running on Saturdays during the track and XC seasons and did the Painter's Half between XC and track each year of HS. I really started running daily off-season last year while training for the Painter's Half and really figured out how to make time to make runs and go running (getting a GPS watch helped, too, since once I got it I had a lot more freedom of where to run). I've now gotten to the point where I run everyday, no matter what (except Sundays), not just to train for specific seasons and races, but because I love it. It definitely didn't start out that way, but once I really caught the 'running bug,' I've just done it more and more and loved it more and more as I've done it.
   So, to relate this to the actual topic of this discussion, I'd say the best thing a a parent could do for a kid (from personal experience) is just let them grow to love it. If they've really got running in their blood, they'll keep doing it and enjoy it more and more as they do.     

[Kory Wheatley]

I really think it depends on the kid.  Some will be better developed than others.  My daughter did a 4 mile race at 10.  Now at 11 I think she could handle a 10 miler.  Like I said it depends on the kid and how they train.