There are a lot of reasons we run: to lose weight, to be more active, become one with mother nature, spread running and a healthy lifestyle to others and to feel good about oneself. For me, it WAS all of the above. I’ve been lucky to accomplish all of these goals and more. I’ve even been able to make a more meaningful connection to God thru running. All of these are great, except there’s something missing. Over the last couple of years, there’s been a void that I haven’t been able to fill, until now – passing my passion for running to the next generation.

According to the American Heart Association, one in three children in America are overweight or obese. That’s ridiculous. I know the culture in the United States provides less time for us to promote a healthy lifestyle in our kids but come on!!! How are we able to reverse this trend of Fat Americans by not attacking the root of the problem, the next generation.

Our kids idolize us. No matter what we do, the see it. Like it or not you are a roll model (take that Charles Barkley). You may not have signed the waiver but if you have kids, it’s part of the package. It’s your responsibility whether you like it or not. If you’re a runner, this should be a no brainer. Your kids WANT to be a part of your life. If running is your thing, you should be more than willing to share the experience with them.

This premise finally hit me over the head in December. The day after running the Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon, my eldest son cornered me and said he would like to try running a race with me. After processing the statement for a brief moment, my response was “heck yeah!” While I’ve always hoped my kids would follow in my footsteps, I never wanted to be that parent that “forced” their kids to fulfill my dream. The other thing this declaration did was stir another desire in me – passing what I learned (too late in life) to the next generation. If I could inspire my kids to lead a healthy, productive life – what ripple effect could that possibly create? The repercussions are limitless!!!

I grew up with a father who was part of the original running boom. Although I didn’t know it at the time, he greatly inspired me to take up running later in life. I have frequently have flashbacks of him heading off for a morning run in his cotton white t-shirt and rundown New Balance shoes held together with Shoe Goo [If he knew what he knew now, he just would have bought new shoes]. While I wish his inspiration would have grabbed my subconscious sooner than it did, I’m glad it finally burrowed its way thru my thick scull.

Now it’s my turn. While my kids have seen me head out the door running for six years now, it’s time to really set the wheels in motion. My son (11 years old) and I have started training together. We call them “Son Runs” and they’re the most fulfilling runs that I’ve ever been a part of. Not only does my heart fill with emotion when he flashes that huge grin at me before we start but we’ve gotten even closer with our solitary time spent together. It’s amazing how much you can learn about your offspring by spending 10-20 minutes with them alone on the road. You begin to realize that they do listen, they do grow up and they become a spitting image of you.

We don’t ever listen as closely as should. Our minds our preoccupied by a stressful day at work, everyday issues and the ever quickening pace of our lives. If I could ever hope anything from this post is that you’ll take two minutes out of your day and think about how you can pay it forward. How something as little as inviting your child on a run could set them on a path early in life that they will one day thank you for.

Our date has been set for the 2012 Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon. Dad and son will run together in what will be for me, the greatest moment in my life.

Thank you dad for in some way inspiring me to become the man I am today. I in turn can only hope that my sons will say the same thing to me, 20 years from now.

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Since I transformed my lifestyle 6 years ago, it’s been my goal to try and inspire others to get rid of their sedentary ways and get active. I personally saw what it did for my health and well-being and wanted to share that with as many other as I could. While I was less successful than I had hoped, I’ve taken satisfaction in the few people who joined our ranks. It’s also fun to watch as they have in turn inspired others to take up running as well.

With that being said, I pose a challenge to all runners. To combat the challenges our country faces with childhood obesity, it’s time to ingrain in our kids our healthy, active way of living. If you have kids, you’re already having an impact and you don’t even know it. Kids are extremely receptive and just seeing you head out on your training runs or supporting you at races already is making a huge impact.

Now it’s time to take it to the next level…let’s get them out there with us!!! It’s going to take a little sacrifice on our parts. You’ll need to change up your training schedule to get some short runs in with your kids but it’s going to be well worth it. I have so much fun running with my boys. You’ll share more with each other on the roads and watching them achieve goals you’ve set is rewarding for not only them but for you as well.

This weekend’s Running with the Devil 5K will mark the first timed 5K my kids will run. I’m hoping that the competitive juices will flow thru their veins and they will experience the same joy and rush we adults get out of races. This is where the foundation will be laid for what I hope will be a long, rewarding lifetime of fitness.

While I’ve had to change my own running goals, I can’t imagine a better reason to change course…can you?

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I don’t like 5K’s*. OK, I’ve said it. Prepare your insults and fire away!

I have a hard time justifying paying money to run a training run. Sure, it’s cheaper than your longer distances and you can find one to run every weekend but I still don’t like them. Yes it’s cool to be part of the throng at the start, get goosebumps and add another t-shirt to pile but I still don’t like them.

Oh wait…there’s an asterisk? I don’t like asterisks either but let me clarify. I don’t like running 5K’s alone. Since I’ve started running, I’ve saved 5K’s for family time. If I can’t run a 5K with a family member, I won’t run it. The distance is short enough that my kids and wife can cover the mileage by running/walking and still able to have fun.

My youngest son (8) joined me a couple of weeks ago at the Las Vegas Susan G Komen event. It’s always a joy to watch my kids take in the surroundings of each event and push themselves to their physical limits. As parents and runners, we carry the responsibility of passing the torch to younger generations. While they might not take to sport right away, our actions can sometimes speak louder than words.

My father was one of those crazy runners when I was young. He never pushed me to join him during his mega mileage weeks or even to join him on a cool down. The memories of his running lifestyle though still stick with me today from his glued shoes to his white cotton shirts. While I may not have run by his side then, I do now because of the example he set so long ago.

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It’s tough being a dad. I never put much thought into it until I had kids. Looking back on it, I don’t think I’ve very good at it. Don’t get me wrong, I love my kids and try to raise them the best I know how (my wife is the pro and keeps this ship from sinking). I’m not the wise elder and consider myself the cool, fun dad – it’s my personality. I’m not a great philosopher (in fact I hated philosphy – Descartes was simply insane) and I’m more of an irrational thinker. I have to work hard at keeping myself out of trouble by not thinking through my answers. Where conventional wisdom has failed me, running education has stepped in to bail me out.

On Sondays, when my son and I share some quality one-on-one time, I’ve tried to weave in some parental advice without lecturing. The easiest way of doing this is applying it to what we’ve doing – exercise. From what I’ve learned through running, I can know apply to my newly found wisdom.

Goals
Every young adult needs to know they can accomplish any goal if they set their mind to it. We live in a pretty hilly area. The downhills were no problem for my son on his bike. It was the uphills I would lose him on. While encouragement could coax him for a period of time, it was applied wisdom that seemed to do the trick. Instead of looking at the goal as this long distance we needed to travel, I broke it up into a bunch of much smaller goals that looked attainable without much effort. This is the same trick I think we all use in our running. Instead of looking at a marathon as the full 26.2 miles – you break it up into miles, 5Ks or halves. This tricks your mind into attaining smaller goals while whittling away the longer goal.

Fortitude
When your younger or under duress, the path of least resistance is a natural instinct. It’s not until you test yourself and battle through adversity until you can see what you’re really able to do. We’re back at the Home Hill and he’s almost to the 2nd to last goal. I try and remind him that if he can just keep pushing through to the next goal that it will get flat (that and the fact that I’m going to keep going). He struggles to the top and with a bead of sweat making it’s way down his cheek, he smiles. “That wasn’t too bad, dad.” “It never is,” I remind him. We all have mental walls we need to break down and until you take out the hammer and give it a couple of whacks, you’ll never know what’s on the other side.

While I may not be a scholarly individual, there still are some life lessons to be taught. It’s just the medium that needed to be tweaked. Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge with others. It just might make the difference in somebody’s life.

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There are some runs when you just don’t know what to expect. You could run into somebody and share interesting stories, encounter a bizarre event or see something unexpected. It’s something totally different when you get throw a curveball from you kids.

In the middle of an easy 5 miles with my iPod on shuffle, who should come blaring thru my headphones but Alvin and the Chipmunks and their Witch Doctor anthem. After my initial shock, I couldn’t keep from smiling. Obviously, they must have been messing with my iTunes playlists and added this cult classic into my hard rock playlist.

They didn’t know they did it but it definitely added a little something extra into an ordinary run.

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Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sonday, Sunday.

I’ve changed my running schedule. I am now moving my long distance running days to Sunday because Saturdays have become Sondays. This is quality time that my son and I spend cruising around the neighborhood – me in my running shoes and him on his bike.

As your kids grow older, the quality time we get to spend with them seems to get less and less. I’ve now found out how cool it is to run and break down the “little things” in life with him. We find time to talk about the important things in life: the future, television shows and Bakugan. Every once and I while we get a couple of life lessons thrown in for good measure but it’s not about lecturing. This is dad and son time. It’s about being together and being active. It’s about instilling a lifestyle that you hope will stick with him as he grows older. Most of all, it’s about memories. I want him to be able to look back on these times with fondness and hopefully pass them along to his kids.

One day this routine will grow into us running together. One day my youngest son will be able to join our duet. One day, this day will be known as Sonsday.

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Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas Marathon Review (2 of 3) Kids Rock Las Vegas

Since I’ve started running, I’ve tried to encourage my kids to be more physically active since they’re really not into any sports. Earlier this year, we all ran in Mickey’s Main Street U.S.A. 5K as part of the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon weekend. With the inaugural Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas Marathon, another opportunity presented itself with Kids Rock Las Vegas.

This event was part of a training program by Rod Dixon and sponsored by McDonalds and Springfield products. As part of the event, kids were asked to partake in an 8-week training program which would total 25.2 miles. Then on December 4th, all the kids got together at the UNLV track and ran the last mile together. Although the boyz and I did not complete the entire training program, it was a great event to keep them active and running.

It just happened to be the coldest morning of the winter so far in Las Vegas but that didn’t dampen the spirit of the hundreds of kids at the track. There were a number of schools that participated and they showed up by the bus load. On the infield, they had areas for all the kids separated by grades Kindergarten thru 6th grade. Members of the UNLV track team were there and did a great job warming up the kids and getting them to the starting line. My only suggestion next time would be to have the younger kids go first. Waiting over an hour for the younger kids seemed to make things a little harder on the kids AND volunteers.

The event started with the national anthem and a flyover by two military helicopters – we didn’t even get a flyover for the marathon!!! Just as they would eventually do in the marathon, the kids were started in waves. Not only did this prevent some crazy smashups but it also allowed more than one runner to jump out to a lead. Ronald McDonald was in the house and ran the first half lap with the kids and then stayed at the finish to high five the runners as they passed (yes, this was a big deal). After completing 3 1/2 laps, they had a entire finish area set up for just the kids. They got to take photos, receive a goodie bag and were treated to free food and drinks. The biggest deal of the whole thing was getting an actual metal medal!!!

I really thought it was cool to have Rod Dixon at the event. Not only was it his program but he personally ran with each age group. And he didn’t just run up front. He picked out a kid that was slow or struggling and ran the entire mile with them encouraging them the whole way. In between races he signed autographs and chatted with a bunch of the kids.

Overall it was a great event and I can only hope that it grows with more kids and schools participating every year.

As part of the the Rock-n-Roll Las Vegas Marathon, the Competitor Group is also offering Kids Rock Las Vegas presented by McDonald’s and Springfield. Basically, kids are asked to run 3-4 times a week for 8 weeks. After the 8 weeks, their total mileage will be 25.2 miles. Then, on the Saturday before the Las Vegas Marathon, all the kids participating in the program get together at the UNLV track facility to run the last mile.

Included in the $25 entry fee you get:

• A Springfield Training Guide & Activities Booklet that includes a training program, kid articles on fitness and nutrition plus some activities and games.
• Rockin’ Race T-Shirt (I thought it funny they didn’t ask for sizes when registering)
• Official Race Number (kids love anything “official”)
• Finisher’s Medal (we’ll see if they’re actually metal)
• Kids Goodie Bag
• Post-Race Refreshments (if McDonald’s doesn’t have chicken nuggets at the finish, my boyz are going to be so disappointed)

My boyz aren’t into any team sports but they love running with/like dad. With so many of our youth obese and inactive, I think we should all encourage our kids to run and exercise as much as possible. If you’re running the Las Vegas Marathon, check this program out and get your kids involved.

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I have two young boyz and they’re some of my biggest fans. They don’t think much of dad heading out for a run and coming back two hours later. I’ve been doing it long enough that it’s not that big of deal. They’re not really into sports. Neither of them wants to go out for baseball or soccer and are content with their Nintendo DS, Wii or computer.

With that being said, I’ve tried to coax them towards running – at least every once in awhile. We trained for and ran in Mickey’s Main Street USA 5K in September and we had a blast. This year, with the Competitor Group taking over the Las Vegas Marathon and making it a Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon, they’ve added some cool things.

Kids Rock Las Vegas is a training program for kids grades K-6. Upon registering, you receive a training program that totals 25.2 miles. You do it in short segments and on your own time. Then, on the Saturday before the race, everybody will gather to run the last mile of the “marathon” together.

In a country of access and lethargy I think we owe it to our kids to keep them active and healthy. It’s programs like this that are going to make a difference. If you’re running Las Vegas, I highly encourage you to bring along the kids and enter. You know what they say…the family that runs together, stays together (or something like that).