Children and Running

I started   the Jamison Elementary School Roadrunners Running Program in 2005.  The club consisted of children grades K-6 that attended the school age childcare program at Jamison Elementary School in Jamison Pa.   The children ran in local races participating in the one mile fun runs or the 5K race. This simple program can help children get in  shape for any sport.

Program Overview- Workouts
Week 1 – Run 1 minute followed by walk 1 minute continuing this rotation until the total time is about 20 minutes.
Week 2 – Run 2 minutes followed by walk 1 minute continuing this rotation until the total time is about 20 minutes.
Week 3 – Run 3 minutes followed by walk 1 minute continuing this rotation until the total time is about 20 minutes. Week 4- Run 4 minutes followed by walk for 1 minute continuing this rotation until the total time is about 20 minutes.

Continue adding 1 minute a week to the running time with the 1 minute walk.   If the group is adjusting quicker add 2 minutes.

2005 Jamison Road Runners

Running was something that improved my self-esteem.  I  started this group  to spark the children’s interest in the sport I have learned to love.  Several of the Jamison Roadrunners realized they  enjoyed running and where talented runners as elementary school children.   They continued running on the middle school track team  and high school cross-country/ track teams.   They would have never even thought about going out for track/cross-country if not for the Jamison Roadrunners program.  They learned running can be fun!

I started running in seventh grade (I can’t believe it’s been twenty-eight years).   While in elementary school my best friend and I would bet the boys in the Presidential Physical Fitness run. After running the Presidential Physical Fitness run in gym class in seventh grade, the track coach saw my time and talked me into going out for track.   I enjoyed athletics but was small so some sports seemed useless to try.  I tried soccer but since I started at 12 years old the other girls had a lot better ball skills than I did.   In seventh grade I ran the mile and 800 meters (the longest races in Jr. High).  In high school my best friend and I went out for cross-country.  We only when it was running but had no idea what cross-country actually was.I qualified for states my first year running the sport. In college I ran the 5k and 10k in track.  Some of my college education was paid because I ran.

Running In the Family

Our family recently ran in a local 5k race in Ivyland, Pa.   Both of my daughters  where excited to run the 5k and not the “baby run”.  It sounds funny considering Shelby is 9 and Paige only 7 years old.   They used to run the mile fun runs but now that they both have run a 5k the mile fun runs are called the “baby runs”.  In most races they have to compete in the 12 and under or sometimes the 19 and under.  One time when  Shelby  was  7 years old she finished 4th in the 19 and under age group.  She thought she had a bad race but we reminded her that the age group was 19 and under, she ran against some college runners.  Our recent 5k  was a children friendly race,  it had age groups for the younger runners.  They actually have a high school team competition.  They score it like a cross-country meet.  Several of the local high school teams run  the 5k  as a tune up for the up coming cross-country season.  The start is crazy because most high school runners go out to fast.  I spent the first mile weaving  around packs of high school runners that went out to fast.

Shelby has run several 5k races and now enjoys trying to pace herself.  She is only 9 years old but usually she runs her last mile at least as fast (sometimes faster) then her first mile.  This race was no different she started out easy and finished strong.  She was passed only a few feet from the finish line by a female adult that “didn’t want to be beat by a little girl”.  The adult told us later Shelby kept her running went she wanted to stop and walk.

This race was Paige’s second 5k race. She is only 7 but has also quickly learning  how to pace a 5k race.  The last 400 meters she was picking it up to the point that some adults would have a hard time keeping up.  She was passed at the finish line by a female runner.  The adult told us later “he was focusing on Paige during the race to help her not give up, after all if a little girl can run it so can I”.

Both Shelby and Paige and myself placed second in our age groups.  We where a little disappointed because first place received a homemade pie.  Maybe next year we will all win our age groups.

Running When You Have Children Home All Day?

Every Tuesday from July until October I would help mentor a beginning woman’s running group for 10 years.  I gave me the chance to share my experiences and knowledge with women that where just starting to run.  The question  and concern I heard the most was how to run with the kids home all day.  Some used it as an excuse not to run others tried to get up before the sun or their husbands left for work.

In our prime years both my husband and I where very competitive runners.  My husband was ranked 24th in the US in the 20k and has trained as much as 150 miles a week.  While I was training up to 100 miles a week.  We where both sponsored by Nile and Adidas associated with the local running store.    Many would say impossible if you have kids.   But this is not true.  We often would “tag team” train.  One would go train, return and the other would train.  Not every day was that easy.   We had our days that one was stuck at work.  My husband and I where at the time foster parents to two seven old with special needs and behavior issues.  You can figure out the time we put in training and we had children.

My advise to the women that where home with children all day was to buy some sandcastle building stuff and go to the local track.  I often packed the buckets and shovels in the car and drove to the high school track.  The children could play in the long jump pit making castles while  I ran lots of laps on the track.  I could see them at all times and would close the gates leading to the track so the children didn’t go anywhere.  This may sound boring running circles but I got my workout in and had the children with me.  Later in life we had our own children.  We have three ages 9 ,7 and 2 years old.  I had days where I had to push my oldest two in a double jogger to get my run in.  Pushing a five and three-year old in a double jogger not only got my run in but also a “weight workout”.  Now the girls ride their bikes  as I push my two years old.  The weight load is lighter but having to keep an eye on two of them is harder but them Mom’s have eyes behind their heads right.  These are just a few ideas I would give to someone who has children home and can’t run because they are home.

The Daugherty Family Makes Running A Family Event

Our family has Friday family night, which usually consists of going out to eat since by Friday neither of us feel like cooking dinner.  We have three children ages 9, 6 and 1 years old.  On June 4^th we spent our family night at the Tiger Classic 5k race in Bristol Pa.  This race is special to our family because it is the race my husband and I met at.  In 1992 the race was 10K held on Memorial Day.  My husband won that race and I finished 2^nd in the women’s race.     After the race we got talking, found out we lonely lived 2 miles apart and the rest in history.  At one time we both held the 10k course records. We have traveled back to the race every year.  The girls like eating the goodies after the race and especially enjoy picking prizes from the tables of stuff the race offers.

The Daugherty Gang

The race was held on a hot Friday evening.  Shelby has run several 5k’s but this was Paige’s first 5k race.  Shelby ran the race solo because my husband ran with our 6-year-old daughter Paige. As Shelby approached the finish on the track a male runner sprinted as fast as he could the last 200 meters to beat her.  Later he told me she made him push himself to catch her because he “could not let a little girl beat him”.  She won the girls 12 and under age group with a time of 29:32 (actually beat the boys in the age group as well).   The hot weather didn’t stop Paige from running and talking the entire race without stopping.  The runner in front of her said she worked hard to stay ahead of Paige because she couldn’t let a little girl beat her.  The female runner told me she “looked back once and saw a small girl running and talking not out of breath while she was feeling exhausted.  She worked harder because she was worried the little girl would catch her and pass her”.    She was 2nd in the 12 and under age group with a time of 38:31- first place was her big sister.  She also beat the boys in the 12 and under age group. I also won my age group but the little ones stole the show.  To top off our evening we stopped for ice cream on the way home.    Paige took her medal to school the next day to tell her classmates/ teachers what she did.  Paige’s self-esteem was higher after her 5K race.  She was excited when we told her the time she ran was only two seconds slower than her big sister’s first 5K.  But it took her several 5K races to run without stopping. Paige did it on her first try!  Now she did something before big sister.   Both our daughters think nothing running a race.  The incredible thing is they don’t train at all.  They sign up for a race, the week before run 2 miles and them race the 5k.  Months later the same thing for another race.  We want them to enjoy what they are doing after all most sports use running as a punishment.  They view it as something they can do that most adults wont do.  The Tiger race next year may have another Daugherty entered.  Miles is only turning two in September but he runs around trying to keep up with his sisters, so the  1 mile should be no problem for Miles.  Look out Girls Cross Country team competitors in 2017 the Daugherty girls are coming.

Children Need To Exercise More With Products Specially Made For Them

As a certified K-12 grade Health and Physical Education teacher in the State of Pennsylvania and a childcare worker I see children getting fatter.  Children need to work on the three key elements of fitness endurance, strength and flexibility.  Endurance is developed over time as children participate in aerobic activities. During aerobic activities the heart beats faster and they breathe faster.  When done regularly over time it strengthens the heart and improves the body’s ability to circulate oxygen.

Elementary schools across the United States are trying to fight the battle of the bulge.   Children need to exercise more!  It has been recommended children over the age of two get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise on most day preferably all days of the week. Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years.  Obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008.  Today 1 out of 3 children are considered overweight or obese in the United States.  If the rates continue at this pace 75% of children will be overweight or obese by 2015.  Programs have been started during recess to encourage children to walk laps to earn prizes.  Recess is usually only 30 minutes so we need families to encourage their children to exercise at home as well.

I have found two products that are specially made with children exercising in mind.  They are the Youth Timex Collection Tween Digital and Timex IronKids sports watch.   Children like to see how fast or how long they exercise.  What better way to encourage children to exercise is by having their very own watch?    The Youth Timex Collection can be clipped the child’s belt loop making it easy to workout and share.  The Timex IronKids watch is the first child’s sport watch with fun colors and easy to use features.  It  comes in two colors variations  blue/black and  pink/silver.

I personally  founded the Jamison Elementary School Roadrunners running program in 2005.  To read more about starting you own running group read my blog titled “How to Start A Children’s Running Program” I am  a mother of three children ages 9, 6 and 1.  Her 9 and 6 year old girls think nothing of lacing up for a local 5K race. For Timex IronKids and Youth Times Collection Tween Digital visit Web Warez Watches.com

Running in the Family Genes- Paige Daugherty

Paige showing everyone her first medal

In the fall of 2006 Paige asked to run a 1 mile fun run race  at the age of three.  Running at a young age was not a real surprise to us since her big sister started running 1 mile fun runs at three.  However Paige had shown no interest in running before this   On November 25, 2006 she ran a 1 mile fun run at a local race.  She started the race slow at the first turn she was in last place.  Paige knew to start slow from years of hearing her Dad (who coaches the Boys cross-country  at our  H.S.) tell his cross-country team go out slow.  By half was she pasted about 25 children.  By the finish she was 4th girl and 13th out of about 50 children.  The race was actually only 3/4 mile but she ran the entire thing with only two very brief stops (to look for traffic at road crossing).  In the spring of 2007 she ran her first full 1 mile race.  While running with her Dad she started to complain about the rain.  To make it fun they started to jump in all the puddles to see who could make the biggest splashes.  As the race ended “Dad” was soaked and Paige laughing because she soaked him.  Paige is our second daughter so she tries to keep up with her big sister.  She was surprised to find out she was third in the 8 and under age group (at the age of three) and ran 1 second slower than her big sister at the same age.

Paige finishing

Late May of 2010 Paige asked to go out for a three-mile run.  As of that time her longest run was 1 mile.  My husband challenged Paige “if you run 2 miles without stopping we will get ice cream or Slurpees”.  I ran the 2 miles with her.  She talked the entire time and ran the second mile 1 minute faster I guess the thought of getting ice cream helped.  As soon as she saw her Dad, big sister and little brother about 1/4 mile from home she proudly told them we are getting slurpees.  She enjoyed her mixed flavored Slurpee.  Two weeks later she ran a local 5K race.  The race was held on a hot Friday evening.  But that didn’t stop Paige from running  and talking the entire race without stopping.  The runner in front of her said she worked hard to stay ahead of Paige because she couldn’t let a little girl beat her.  She was 2nd in the 12 and under age group- first place was her big sister.  She took her medal to school the next day to tell her classmates/ teachers what she did.  Paige’s self-esteem was higher after her 5K race.  She was excited when we told her the time she ran was only two seconds slower than her big sister’s first 5K.  But it took her several 5K races to run without stopping. Paige did it on her first try!  Now she did something before big sister.   Look out Girls Cross Country team competitors in 2017 the Daugherty girls are coming.

Running in the Family Genes – Shelby Daugherty

Shelby shows everyone her ribbon

This is the story about how our oldest daughter started running and parts are funny. One Saturday in April 2004 while at a local 5k race. our daughter Shelby approached us about participating in the 1-mile fun run. She saw other children getting numbers and pinning them on their tee shirts and wanted to run. My husband and I where a little skeptical about letting our three-year old run 1-mile. What would other people think? But after talking to friends who have children that run we decided to let her. She was only three and all the other children where at least double her age. She ran ¾ miles, stopped for about 10 seconds and continued running to the finish. The race was held on the roads and at the time she held our hand whenever she was walking in the street. My husband ran with her, holding her hand the entire race. After the race we asked her if her legs where sore and she responded “no my arm is”. Every 1-mile fun run after she ran the entire distance. During the races she would keep constant conversation, even chatting with spectators. As a three-year old she would tell everyone cheering, “ I’m the fastest three-year old. “ She often was the youngest in the races. Sometimes adults would have to work to keep up with her as she talked to them and encouraged them to run fast. I guess we should have realized that Shelby would develop an interest in running. At the age of 2, she would run laps around the kitchen sometimes for 10 minutes. Shelby told a local newspaper reporter who interviewed her that she runs “because I get prizes.” Besides the occasional fun run, Shelby didn’t practice or train and did no additional running other than normal age appropriate playing. She saw both her parents lacing up for runs everyday so it seemed natural to her. One day she had a temper tantrum because I wouldn’t let her come on a three-mile run with me. She wanted to run with me, I told her three miles is too much for a three-year old and she started to cry. She asked how old you have to be to run the 5k races. We told her about 6-8 years old. Little did we know that she would hold us to our words?

Shelby not slowing at the end of 5k

When she turned 6 years old she asked us about running a 5k. In August 2007 she ran her first 5k. We told her to stay with and run with a friend’s daughter who was also 6 years old. During the race she would get ahead of the other girl and then wait up. We asked her if she was tired when she waited up and she responded with “no you told me to run with her the whole race”.