About three or four weeks after I started the Couch 2 5K program, my husband suggested maybe getting the children involved. I figured, “Why not?”
Just after finishing the program, I ran in my first 5K. My husband and (at the time) seven year old son ran it with me. My seven year old beat me across the finish line.
That night we registered for another race scheduled for the next month and this time we decided to run it as a family (minus our youngest who was five at the time). My oldest son won his age group, our daughter won her age group, and the rest of the family was so proud.
As the seasons turned to fall and winter, we bought cold weather gear for everyone and started running three days a week as a family.
My oldest received an entry level road bike and started training for his first triathlon.
This motivated my husband to get his road bike out of the attic and start riding again. He just completed his first 100K in 20+ years a few weeks ago.
My husband and I ran a half-marathon together while our children cheered us on.
My daughter and I are training to run St. Jude’s Half-Marathon together in December. My husband and oldest are running it together, too.
Ok. I’ll stop blabbering on.
Do you see what’s happened?
Becoming healthy evolved into something that was no longer just about me. It became about our family.
Our family slowly began to change.
I want to encourage you to make living a healthy life into a family thing.
What will this look like? Well, maybe not like it does for my family. All of the examples I shared about my family included either running or cycling. Maybe you don’t enjoy running. Maybe your family can try taking walks, riding bikes, or swimming.
Making it a family thing has benefits:
(1) It provides family time.
Good, quality, healthy family time. We have talked about so many different issues while exercising together. We’ve laughed together. We’ve ::cough:: whined together. We’ve learned how to encourage one another, when to be silent and give one another space
It’s just been great time together.
(2) It takes away the “no time” excuse.
If you’re worried about taking time away from your family while maintaining an exercise routine, this may be the answer for you.
(3) It sets such a great example for your children.
Y’all want to know something? I really, really, really don’t want my children to struggle as I have. I want them to start living a healthy life now, while they’re young.
I like you!
I kinda like you, too
It was my 17yo daughters love for running that inspired me to start C25K. Even though she is much faster than I we still will go for runs “together”. And now on Saturdays the rest of the kids come along on my long run and bike the trail. My running then got my husband to buy a new mountain bike and get out there and enjoy riding. Making it a family affair makes it all that much more fun!
Love it!
I have been running since my kids were little, Last year I started doing obstacles and mud runs. Now, I have my daughter doing them with me and my little one just did a kid mud run….. I am so a proud mommy watching my kids kick butt and it motivates me to want to do better, be a good example!
Thank you, each post you write seems to fall into line with where I want to be. One day at a time, one run at a time, one moment!
Thank you for sharing your story!