Kids Bowl Free

The dog days of summer are here.  You've done your running before the kids even get out of bed yet you're faced with a whole day ahead of you.

Do you cringe everytime your kids tell you they're bored?
Are you looking for something they can do that's a bit more active than video games?
Are you looking for an activity that is way cheaper than an amusement park or water slide park?

Then try out the Kids Bowl Free program.  Each of your kids gets 2 games per day of free bowling!  They even have a discount card for the adults to be able to play too.

Football and Running

What do football and long distance running have to do with each other?

Fitness and goals.

My son started youth tackle football last year.  After the season ended we needed a way for him to stay somewhat in shape for this year's season.  So ever since last November we've been doing Fit Kids with him and our daughters.  Then ever since school got out last May we've taken them to the track to run and walk a mile.

All our hard work paid off.

Yesterday he started football practice.  He was a little sore today but nothing like he was last year or would've been this year had we not been focused on maintaining his fitness.  His goal is to make the A team of his age group this year.  And, as all runners know, the desire is 90% of the solution.

Hike to the G

Our local high school has a large "G" up on the mountain.  We can see the G from our backyard and not so long ago my 4 year old realized that that's the same letter that her name begins with.  Ever since then we call it Gabriella mountain.  So what better summer hike then to go to the G on the mountain.

As you can see from the elevation graph below, it's a steep hike (rising 900 feet in 3/4 of a mile).  Thank goodness the kids have been running the track this summer.  If they hadn't been in decent shape we'd have never made it.  There are sections that are so steep you have to grab onto bush branches to help pull yourself up (my achilles tendon sure didn't like these parts).

It took almost an hour but we made it!  Hopefully it gave the kids a sense of accomplishment - not to mention bragging rights.  As for me and my husband, we counted it as a great cross training workout.

Best Words a Runner Mom Could Hear

My first goal for my kids' summer vacation was to help them exercise more.  We're now on our second week of going to the track 4 days a week.  The deal is I have them run one full lap without stopping, then briskly walk the other 3 laps.  I'm not saying that I'm not met with a barrage of complaints or that my kids don't suddenly develop leg injuries that they claim will cripple them if they have to continue one more step.  But we all persevere and we're better for it.

After the track time this morning my 10 year old son notified me that he not only ran the whole first lap but all the straightaways after that. 

Then he said the best words ever: "You know what Mom? It felt good to run."