Hey Dad, let's go for a run!

This morning when I was running, I came upon a few nice surprises. The first was the weather. It was actually nice outside and for once I didn't feel like I was in a sauna with someone holding an iron to my face and pressing the steam button. That was nice.

The second was almost running into a deer! I was running along and heard a little shuffling sound next to me. Thinking it was a squirrel or a rabbit, I just hopped over a little to let it scurry away. Then I glanced over and saw a big deer bounding in the other direction and realized how close I came to being nose-to-nose with it! I love the wildlife on my run, but I'm not sure I want to get that up close and personal. Luckily I think she felt the same way about me.

The third really made my morning. Turning a corner to head into the homeward stretch of my five miles, I came across two other runners. Not an unusual thing, as my neighborhood is pretty well populated with people running, biking, or walking in the mornings. But these two got a second glance: a small boy, maybe third or fourth grade, running with his dad.

Awwww.

I was immediately taken back 20 years or so to when I used to run with my dad in the mornings before school. It wasn't a regular thing, and thinking back I'm sure I held him back so much that he had to go and run again at lunchtime to get his real workout in.  But those mornings were really special, and they introduced me to a sport that has been a source of pride, success, and fun for me. 

In a time when its hard to tear kids away from the TV, computer, video games, or whatever else is keeping them stationary, it was really refreshing to see this father-son workout. I wrote about the impact my dad has had on my health journey back a couple of years ago, and still love to see families in action to get healthy together.

Here are some great resources for doing just that:

Kids Exercise and Food Journal - a free online journal that teaches kids about healthy habits and rewards them for creating them.

Tips for Family Fitness - fun and easy ways to infuse your weekends with healthy fun.

Kid Fitness: When Your Child Won't Exercise

Get out there and get healthy today, and bring the kids along!

HH