Training for a 5k

Tyson at the Lacamas Lake Kids 1k

For a while now, my 9 year old Son Tyson has expressed his interest in running and has asked me quite a few times if he can run a race.  I kept putting him off and had every excuse in the book to not get out there with him... "I have a race this month, so next month we can start training", "it's too hot, so once it cools down, we can start".  When really, the truth was I didn't want his training to interfere with MY training...  Selfish, much? :(

Since September, my "season" was officially over, I had nothing to "train" for and my mileage had been cut big time due to the Nike study... I was bummed out and really wasn't enjoying running like I usually did.  I blamed it on the Nike minimalist shoes that I am doing the study for, but I really had no desire to run, at all.

A few weeks back a friend asked me if I wanted to do a 12k with her... I could pull that off so it wouldn't mess up my Nike mileage and it would be fun to do a race again!  YES, I'm IN! She had a discount that would give $8 off each entry and as I'm signing up my husband said he would like to do the 5k. As I keep looking, I see they have a special rate of only $18 for kids under 18 and with the $8 discount that would only be $10 for Tyson...  light bulb... I should sign up Tyson!  So I did... but I didn't tell him.

Next day I asked if he wanted to go on a run with me... of course, his answer was "YES!" We went slow, took a few walk breaks and ended up walking/running 3 miles.  We chatted the whole time and he told me all about his school, friends, teachers, recess and some random-ness (of course). 

Tyson is the typical talk to much about random-ness, acts like he knows it all 9 year old boy AND he has 2 younger siblings that require a LOT of attention from me... so needless to say, he doesn't get the attention that he needs and deserves from me on a daily basis.  But just spending this 30ish minutes of just him and me on the the pavement (in the rain), I was spending quality 1 on 1 time with him while doing something he knows I love... That sparked a connection between us that I cannot explain, but I know he "gets it".

I asked him the next day if he wanted to run a 5k and he was ecstatic!  He couldn't wait to get back out and start "training".  Now, we go out 3 days a week and run at least 3 miles... The whole run, he talks all about his day at school, his friends and of course, there is some random-ness... But I feel like I am getting to know my son more and more each day. 

As soon as he gets home from school, he's asking when we are going running...  Its so cute to see him in his running clothes and grab his fuel belt with his quench gum and his iPod to get out there are hang with his Mom!  It's a special gift that I get to share this with him and I hope its something that he will want to continue and something that we can do and share together for a long time! :) So proud of my little runner-man!