Nothing is more important than kids. When I started my journey on a ketogenic lifestyle, the main push was to make sure I would be around for my kids for as long as possible. Absolutely I wanted to lose weight and feel better, but being able to chase them around and live an active healthy lifestyle is invaluable.
As the years progress, my children are more aware of what I am doing. What I am eating, what I won’t eat, what exercises I do, etc. They also want to be involved. They’ve asked to run with me a few times and I’ve been skittish. The oldest is 7 and youngest 4. Been debating what to let them start with.
This past weekend, my mom and sister were vising. It was pretty perfect timing. The kids asked to run and I said yes. Any opportunity I get to torture my sister into running tickles me pink. Actually red. We both get insane red faces with bodily exertion (thanks Mom).
This picture is from the prior weekend. I can’t even describe the joy I get from making her endure a run with me. She does amazing, but always complains and says she doesn’t want to go. So I beg. I have no shame.
The kids were ecstatic to say the least about their impending adventure. We’ve walked together plenty of times, but this is the first distance run. I’ve sprinted with them in the yard whenever they get too big for their britches and tell me I’m not as fast or strong as them. I do what any awesome mom should do and teach them who’s boss.
Our neighborhood is a good mile run just from the house to the end of the street and back. I was praying they could make the first mile. We attempted a group pic showing our muscles. No one even looked at the camera in this picture, but it’s marvelous.
I attempted a little coaching prior to letting them out of the gates. Stretches. Told them how to pace themselves.
They didn’t listen. I bet they started at 7-8 mile per hour pace. It was a dead sprint. I was trying to capture a picture of them as they started. They were getting so ahead of me it was truly a challenge with my phone’s pace increasing and bouncing with each step!
But look how cute they are as they scare a gaggle of geese.
After catching up with the litter, they were starting to slow down. I reiterated all the pace speak, but I’m sure they still weren’t listening. What does mom know? Anabel plainly told me, “This is not running, this is jogging.” She wasn’t wrong, but they are just figuring out the difference in sprinting and endurance. Henry said I was going too slow. Kayden and Roselyn were just happy to have wind blowing through their hair.
As the run progressed, they did really well for the first half mile. Besides the constant yelling to stay on the side of the street instead of the middle. Henry slowed down to stay with Aunt Tawny and I. The other three pretty much did intervals. Sprint 30 secs, walk 30 secs.
At a half a mile, Anabel (the oldest) was trying to sit down in the middle of the road. More yelling from me about her safety, and she started walking the rest. Aunt Tawny graciously jogged not too far ahead of her and then in place to wait on her while I chased the other three.
At a mile, Henry (next oldest) is attempting to sit down. Again, more yelling from this drill sergeant. Henry had requested a sprint so I was waiting for the last leg before the house to do that with him. However, he sat down right before it. I had the two youngest in front of me running a nice fast pace while I am getting him to his feet. To my surprise, he still wanted to race. So we did. I should be ashamed. I did smoke him and pass the two youngest. But I’m just not all for letting the kids win all the time. Absolutely they should have self confidence and I’ll play some games where I let them. However, it is also good to learn to work hard. Not everything is easy. Practice makes perfect. And sometimes you just gotta sweat!
All the kids went into the house around a mile and half. There was a lot of jogging in place and around the yard to get them all back to safety with their grandmother so I could continue my workout without them. I was actually quite impressed with their first distance attempt.
Tawny ran a little more with me, then I finished my planned 6 miles total. It was the longest run I’ve done since the Derby Mini.
Now to finish this post with the another tortured picture of Tawny.
