This KidsRunning.com Editor Knows Running Can Help Most Children Stay Fit While Having Fun 

    Carol Goodrow didn’t discover her love of running until her own children left for college. Now, she spends her time helping children discover the benefits of a pastime she loves so much. Thirteen years since she laced up her first pair of running shoes, Carol has now written three books about running for children; is the editor if kidsrunning.com and is the founding member of Happy Feet, Healthy Food, a club that teaches children to love running.

FitKids: What inspired you to start Happy Feet, Healthy Food?
In ’95, I started running because my kids were in college and I found myself with a lot of time on my hands. I started in my classroom and in a year or two, I was approached by a Web site called waycoolrunning.com to develop content for their site. After that, I approached Runner’s World to see if they wanted someone to write children’s content. That’s where kidsrunning.com started.
Why do you recommend running as opposed to other sports?
Running is the foundation for all sports and is an activity that will last a lifetime. Our club doesn’t just run though—we run, walk and hike. Children have the option of doing these activities at home with their parents or here with our group.
I’m a ‘back of the packer’ and I want to introduce running to all children regardless of their ability. It’s natural for kids to run if you treat it right and they can have fun, exercise together and go their own pace.
Running is also great because it doesn’t cost any money. You just need sneakers.
What are some of the top reasons for kids to start running at an early age?
It boosts cardio, strengthens muscles, uses insulin, lowers your blood sugar and releases endorphins.
More than that, it’s important for kids to set their own goals and achieve them. It builds their self-esteem at an early age.
How do you keep running interesting for children?
For me, running is interesting because when I go out and run, I get ideas. The rhythm of running makes you creative. I like to incorporate goal setting for kids along with fun runs. Another thing I do is always run to different places. Sometimes I encourage parents to buy matching singlets to wear when they run with their children or give their children a reward when they reach a goal (like a ribbon for every quarter mile).
How can parents keep running and fitness fun and top of mind without being overbearing?
I think it’s okay for parents to encourage their children to run, but when your child gets obsessed, you need to know when to pull back. We typically recommend that kids only do four competitive runs a year, maybe holiday races. When kids are racing more than that, they’ll get injured or disappointed. The fact is you can’t keep getting faster and faster; you’ll get disappointed pretty fast. Instead, find ways to keep it fun, like have kids keep journals about running or draw pictures of what they see on their runs.