BASS PRO MIDWEEK MOTIVATION - Run and Race Like a Kid

Hello runner friends!

Welcome back to the Bass Pro Fitness Series

MIDWEEK M😊TIVATI😊N blog!

Now let's get started by talking about why we could all benefit from running like kids once in a while. This was something I was thinking about as I watched the 100+ kids cross the start and finish line of the 5k race I was blessed to direct on Friday night (Bass Pro also has a 5k race!). There were young kids there with their parents, older kids there with their friends, and several cross country teams there to run as a group. Some ran fast and some ran slow but they all seemed to run with joy. This radiant enthusiasm for life and happiness is something kids are known for, for many different reasons. But when it comes to running with joy as adults, here are a few reasons every “seasoned “ runner should run like a kid as they approach their final weeks of Bass Pro and/or Dogwood training. 

Kids don't take it too seriously

Whereas adults might find themselves obsessing over their finishing times, kids just want to run. Which is the very reason they might stop to inspect a flower, stare up at the clouds, or to pet a dog along their route. Time isn't the important thing to kids. Enjoying the moment is. Take the time occasionally to literally stop and smell the roses and reflect on how good life is. 

Kids believe they can do anything

The beauty of being young is that kids haven’t lived long enough to know much about failure; to a kid, the possibilities are endless and there isn’t anything they can’t do. If you ask a kid how far and fast they can run, they’ll likely tell you, “A hundred miles an hour” and probably believe it. Next time you head out for a run, plan a longer one than usual. You may not be able to run 100 miles in one hour, but you can certainly go a little further or faster than you did yesterday once you take it less seriously and just run. 

Kids run in packs and cheer each other on

Although each of the cross country runners was using the race as a practice run, they started the race together before getting into an all out sprint. When the fastest runners finished, they went back and finished again with their teammates. Some of them going back three or four times until their last teammate completed the race. It was a heartening scene to watch and a great reminder that we can go at our own pace and still finish as a "group." 

Kids get over failures and try again

When kids don’t succeed at something, they don’t beat themselves up. Sure, they may sulk, but then they try again. If they lose a race on the playground or at a track meet, you can bet they’ll immediately demand a rematch and give it their all. So the next time a race doesn’t go the way you want it to, don’t dwell on all the reasons you think you messed up; go home and sign up for the next race and plot your comeback.

Kids run for fun

For a kid, running is just plain fun. They don’t run to stay fit or hit a personal best; kids run to play tag, to chase the dog in the yard, or to catch the ice cream truck. Channel their spirit and do something fun on your next run. Take your pooch to the park or run with your best friend before going out for coffee (or ice cream since you’re channeling a kids inner spirit). Speaking of ice cream, don’t knock running after the ice cream truck like kids do—that’s just fun no matter how old you are.

Kids enjoy fartleks... even when they don't know what they are or that they’re doing them

As I watched the kids warming up, I laughed as I saw them chase one another at full speed, and then upon catching their teammate stop to catch their breath, laugh and joke around, only chase one another again. 

The word ‘fartlek’ is a Swedish term which means ‘speed play’. It’s a running session that combines speed and endurance. The principle behind fartlek training is to enable the body to adapt to various speeds, conditioning the body to become faster over the longer distance.It’s typically done by choosing an object to sprint to then allowing your heart rate to go down before doing it again. 

Kids gain the benefits of fartleks without the stress of “training.” They merely have fun which means their workouts don’t feel like workouts. 

And there you have it friends. There are so many reasons we should run like kids every once in a while. It will remind us that running is not something we have to do, it’s something we choose to do. And since we choose it, shouldn’t we choose to have fun and find joy in it?  Of course! So channel your inner child from time to time and don’t take it so seriously. Just get out there and have fun! You’ll be so glad you did. Happy Running!