I did something yesterday that I never thought I’d do. Been too afraid to try.
After my morning hill workout, and after everyone ate breakfast and had time to digest, I took Bennie (the crazy dog) and T Junior (the crazy 3-year-old) for…wait for it…
Duhn-duhn-duhn!!!!
A run.
Yikes.
The plan: tire them out.
Just getting ready to go had me feeling tired. But we made it out with only a few obstacles: T Junior opening the door and setting the dog free being the most stressful. (He was a good boy and came to me when I called him.)
Anyway, I’m happy to report, the plan worked. Afterward, Bennie snored, twitched and dreamed, and T Junior looked like he was going to fall asleep while eating his peanut butter and jelly sandwich, although now I can hear him playing in bed. Probably because I gave him chocolate milk (best recovery drink ever). After all, he did run an entire mile.
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| The coolest place to rest is, surprisingly, in front of the fireplace. |
T Junior’s mile was slow (he has little legs!), but he ran the whole way. I kept asking him if he wanted to take a break and letting him know it was okay to walk, but he refused.
The only time he wasn’t running was the moment he stopped right in front of two passing women to tell them: “I’m going for a run! I’m going for a run with Bennie!” The women doted on him, telling him he was a good runner. “Thank you,” he yelled over his shoulder as he resumed his run.
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| Somebody get this kid some running shoes. |
Later, he told me, “We’re exercising!”
“That’s right,” I said. “Are you having fun?”
“Yes!”
I almost cried.
The walk home, though, was brutal. His little legs were tired and getting home took forever. I offered to carry him, but he wouldn’t let me. He also kept getting distracted by: a dude on a bike, a leaf, a stick. I’m talking about the kid even though these are the same exact things the dog was distracted by. Hmmm.
Next time, I’m bringing the jogging stroller and he can ride home. The kid; not the dog.
The dog, however, was relatively good. Not too many people on the trail on a Monday afternoon, which was nice. Bennie was hot, though. Next time, I’m bringing him some water. I’ll put it in the jogging stroller.
Despite the little problems, now I know I can take the kid and the dog “running” together! I loooove to multitask and I burned a few more calories. Another fear conquered! I’m on a roll this week.
Do your kids like to exercise? Are you brave enough to take them and the dog?
17 comments
You are a brave woman! So glad it went [mostly] well. AWESOME that T Junior loves to run!
Love it! Glad everyone had a good time. I had THing 2 in the jogger and thing 1 on her bike once, I ended up pushing the stroller and pulling the bike. Never dared add the dogs to that debacle.
How brave! Great pic of T Junior running! Clearly he has a future in running!
Yes, my dog LOVES to run with me. She's so focused.My oldest son likes to run with me and my youngest will do it, but not because he likes it. Now that they are old enough, they ride their bikes with me A LOT! We have great conversations while they ride. Neither of them are speedsters so it all goes smoothly.
My child loves to run with me. She actually gets upset when she can't go with me. Last night she asked why she couldn't go to the gym, I said becuase you don't like the daycare. She said, but I want to workout with you. I am tempted to take her to SJR this weekend then let her do the kids run….not sure if I want to push the almost 40lbs on the 5K though.
My kids love running too. My 4 year old can go at a pretty good clip. My (almost) 3 year old, is slower (understandably) but she sometimes stops and insists we cheer for her, which is really cute.
woah. My problem with the dog is that he stops to sniff EVERYTHING!!! My daughter, I've tried and after about 10 feet she's says she too tired…agh! I'll try again with her maybe next year. I could totally see my son getting into it though!
You rock! So awesome. You were brave and it paid off. Great job. Love it!
That is so great! My kids love to exercise. My 5 yr old loves doing Insanity workouts with me!!! He is too cute doing them! My oldest (8) has run 2 8Ks and wants to run a 5K this summer. He has the running bug for sure!
Oh, and the dog stays home . . . I would be DRAGGING her on the run!
Ahh! That is SO CUTE!! I have fantasies of my little boys becoming runners too… that is awesome!
My son who is turning 5 this week loves running with us. He has his running shirt and shorts and gets really excited to run.We did a race with him a few months ago and loved it. Kids are so much fun!
What cutie-patooties! Glad you were able to tire them both out at once!
I think your plan worked – at least for the dog. He looks exhausted!
I don't have a dog, but you know Al likes to run! ;o) She's very excited for our next race!
I can't wait to take my Golden on a run. The vet said a year.. he is 8 months old. How old is your dog? I've been thinking about taking him on mile runs. Thoughts?
Your boxer is beautiful! Your son is adorable! I have been slacking on running with my dog, because the heat has been keeping me running inside. I need to get out and tackle it…. I love this post. It's so wonderful to hear that you could take him and that he enjoyed it! Exercise should be fun! It's so encouraging to hear parents who make it a part of their lives and encourage their children to exercise, but not pressure them.