Dear Parents and Caregivers,
One of my first memories of running took place close to Thanksgiving when I was about eight years old. My mom would wake up before the sun to run before work. I would get up with her and do my best to hang on while we jogged to a creek, 1.5 miles away from our house, and back. I valued this time with her and I felt challenged and rewarded by the task.
These runs took place in the Rocky Mountains in Montana where I grew up. The temperatures are cold in November, so we had to bundle up in our sweatsuits, gloves, and hats. This is likely where I learned a very valuable lesson about running that extends to exercise in general: the body is equipped to create heat with movement. If it is cold outside all you need to do is exercise and you will find that cold temperatures are no match to your own ability to create warmth.
Beyond running with my mom, I loved participating in indoor sports like basketball and swimming. I also credit some of the fitness I acquired in my youth to helping my family in the yard, raking leaves and picking up pinecones. When the weather would turn and the snow would fall, I would get exercise by playing in the snow or ice skating.
As we look towards the end of the Kilometer Kids season, we encourage you to be thinking about ways to keep your family involved with regular exercise. You can find running opportunities through Atlanta Track Club like the November Midweek Mile and Dash, Invesco QQQ Thanksgiving Day Half Marathon, 5K, Mile and Dash, Resolution Run 5K on New Year's Eve, and more. Or look into ice skating or swimming opportunities for your family.
Sincerely,
Sadi Henderson, Professional Runner & Program Coordinator - Family and Elite Athlete Engagement