Planting the Running Seed

I recently received a mailing from Pretzel City Sports of Reading PA which included nearly a dozen applications for road and trail running races in the area this fall. My eldest son (6yrs old) began reading them and searching for applications which included a kids run or a fun run. We found a run in mid August, called the Legs for Lindsey 5K in Collegeville PA. The run is on a Wednesday evening at the Evansburg State Park and includes a one mile fun run. Collegeville is nearly a two hour commute for us.

There is a race in Reading PA next Sunday morning which has a half mile fun run with a goodie bag for the kids. It's at Gring's Mill park near the Penn State Berks county campus and only one hour away. I am leaning toward taking the family to this race instead of the Collegeville run. This race was not included in the literature we received.

I am very pleased my son has taken an interest in running. My adoption of running this summer has served a dual purpose. I wanted to get back in shape. My blood pressure was skyrocketing and I needed to become more physically fit. My weight loss was a natural byproduct of my training.

My second purpose was to plant the athletic seed for my eldest son, Dylan. (My youngest son is a year old and not impressionable with my running exploits now.) I was hoping that while watching me as a spectator during races that Dylan would also want to partake in running.

I have no aspirations of living vicariously through my son. While I would immensely enjoy my sons actively engaged in sports as they age, I would be equally as happy if they played in the band, acted in school plays, and/or were academically oriented. I am merely exposing him to the sport of running.

Now the irony is Dylan wants to run a race by himself, with no assistance from either mom or dad. My visions of father-son runs have already been dashed by his insistence to run solo.

NOTE: This past week I went over the 200 mile mark for running this year.