Kid Dash

A month or so ago, I saw that there would be a multiple sclerosis benefit run near our house. I thought that since there was a 1/4 mile kids dash, maybe Jupiter would be interested in trying out a race. Upon asking him, he said that he would like to run. I signed myself up for the four mile run (an effort in self-motivation toward getting back in shape) and signed him up for the kids dash.

We did a little bit of training leading up to the dash since he had never run one previously. I took him for a run to the high school and back about a week ago, which is a bit over 1/4 mile. A few nights ago, I was trying to encourage him to go for a run with me again. He told me it was too dark out. I told him we have a treadmill. He was excited about the treadmill before he tried it, but I think he realized that it can be hard work too. He did go a whole 1/4 mile though.

The dash started at the local aquatic center and went around the building which was about like running around a typical residential block in this area. They told the kids that they would be awarded with a chocolate bunny at the end of the dash. It did seem to be sufficient motivation for all of them. As you can see from this picture, no one is going to be prying the chocolate bunny from Jupiter's hands.

A few feet into the run Jupiter tripped up a little bit and got a little upset. He was very tough and motivated by the promise of chocolate, so he was going again in no time. Then, about half way in, he noticed some construction going on across the street. Being the lover of construction equipment (and pretty much any heavy machinery) that he is, he got distracted. It did not, however, slow him down too much, as he knew that there was some delicious chocolate waiting for him at the finish line.

These distractions were not important. As I told him, the most important thing was that he had fun. There were points when he wanted to slow down to a walk, but then he wanted to run again. I encouraged him to go a bit faster for the last bit before crossing the finish line. He agreed this was in line with what he sees when he watches me run, and was thus a good idea. He held my hand for most of the run, which was understandable for his first time. He did not know what to expect and having me there with him helped curb some of that anxiety.

At the end of it all, he said that he had fun and that he would love to continue to participate in similar events in the future. I was very proud of him, and I am pretty sure that he was just as proud of himself. I am glad that he is taking an interest in running for both exercise and fun.