How I Bonded With My Nine Year Old Son By Running With Him Every Day For a Year

Running can be more than just a physical exercise. It can also become a powerful bonding experience, creating a deeper connection between individuals. This is the story of how I bonded with my nine-year-old son by running with him every day for a year.

The Decision to Start Running Together

One day, while sitting on the couch with my son, I realized that we didn't spend enough quality time together. Our lives had become consumed by work, school, and daily routines, leaving little room for meaningful interactions.

Wanting to change that, I proposed the idea of running together to my son. Surprisingly, he agreed, and that's how our journey began.

The Mother-Son Running Streak Club: How I bonded with my nine-year-old son by running with him every day for a year

by Nancy Shohet West(Kindle Edition)

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	764 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	244 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE

The Benefits of Running

Running has numerous physical and mental benefits for both adults and children. For adults, it helps increase cardiovascular fitness, improves stamina, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases. For children, regular exercise aids in their overall growth and development, both physically and mentally.

Additionally, running releases endorphins, also known as the "feel-good" hormones, which contribute to a sense of well-being and happiness. This shared experience of running allowed us to tap into these positive emotions together, creating joyful memories that strengthened our bond.

Setting a Routine and Staying Committed

Consistency played a crucial role in our journey. We set a time each day to go for a run and made it a non-negotiable part of our routine. Rain or shine, we would lace up our running shoes and hit the pavement.

Staying committed to the daily run was not always easy, especially during busy days or times when we lacked motivation. However, we reminded ourselves of the bigger purpose and the rewards that awaited us. This dedication taught my son the value of perseverance and instilled a sense of responsibility in him.

Exploring New Places Together

Running provided us with the opportunity to explore new places and enjoy nature's beauty. We discovered local parks, scenic trails, and picturesque neighborhoods that we had never noticed before.

As we ran side by side, we engaged in conversations about our surroundings, sharing our observations and appreciating the simple wonders of nature. These shared experiences brought us closer and allowed us to see the world through each other's eyes.

Building Trust and Encouraging Each Other

Running together required trust and encouragement. I had to trust my son's abilities and allow him to set the pace at times. Conversely, my son had to trust that I would support him and be there for him every step of the way.

As we faced challenges and overcame obstacles during our runs, we learned to encourage each other. Running became a metaphor for life, teaching my son the importance of supporting and uplifting others, even when the path seems difficult.

Reflecting on the Journey

As the year came to an end, we reflected on our journey and the impact it had on our relationship. Running together had not only improved our physical health but had also strengthened our emotional connection.

We realized that those daily runs were more than just exercises. They were moments of shared vulnerability, laughter, growth, and love. We had created a treasure trove of memories that would last a lifetime.

The Lessons Learned

Our running journey taught us important life lessons. It taught us the value of prioritizing time with loved ones, even in the midst of a busy schedule. It showed us the power of shared experiences and how they can bring people closer together.

It also demonstrated that consistency and commitment are essential in any endeavor. By holding ourselves accountable and pushing through difficulties, we accomplished our goal of running together every day for a year.

The Legacy of Our Running Journey

Although our daily runs have come to an end, the legacy they left behind remains. The bond my son and I forged through running has transcended into other areas of our lives. We now approach challenges with a newfound resilience, always reminding ourselves of the strength we gained during that year.

Our running journey taught me that spending quality time with loved ones is an investment in their well-being and our own. It allowed me to become not only a father but also a friend to my son, someone he can confide in, depend on, and share his joys with.

Running together every day for a year was more than just a physical activity for my son and me. It was a transformative experience that solidified our bond and taught us valuable life lessons along the way.

Whether it's running, cycling, hiking, or any other shared activity, finding common ground with your loved ones can create lasting memories and strengthen relationships. So lace up your shoes, grab a loved one, and embark on your own journey of connection and growth.

Remember, it's not just about the destination, but the journey you take together.

The Mother-Son Running Streak Club: How I bonded with my nine-year-old son by running with him every day for a year

by Nancy Shohet West(Kindle Edition)

4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	764 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	244 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE

In the summer of 2007, Nancy Shohet West was a freelance writer and parent who faced a nagging concern about her son. At the age of nine, Tim seemed to have descended into a funk. His pediatrician said nothing was wrong physiologically; Nancy’s husband and other family members said she was simply too fixated on making him more like her: gregarious, energetic, optimistic.

But that explanation wasn’t enough for this mom, who believed she was losing her son’s affections to the lure of Major League Baseball and video games.

While working on an assignment for the Boston Globe, Nancy learned about a membership group called “streak runners” – men and women who set themselves the challenge of running a mile or more 365 days a year without ever taking a day off. Nancy was a recreational runner and Tim a baseball enthusiast; they didn’t even have a favorite sport in common. But something about the idea caught her attention. She told Tim about the streak runners and then posed a challenge: Suppose we see how many days in a row we can maintain a running streak of a mile or more?

Tim and Nancy went running for the first time together on August 12, 2007. It took three days before the 9-year-old could run a mile without stopping. But by then he was already hooked on the challenge. And in August of 2008, the two reached their goal. They had run 366 days (it was a Leap Year) of a mile or more each day. They ran in heat waves and torrential rain and blizzards and ice storms. They ran on their birthdays, on travel days, on his first and last day of third grade. They ran through episodes of family discord, financial stress and the loss of Nancy’s job. They ran first thing in the morning, after dark, mid-afternoon. They ran distances of one to six miles in five states. They completed four road races.

While they ran, they talked. Sometimes about important issues like school bullying problems, what happens after death, and the 2008 presidential race. Other times about more trivial topics: who should be pitching for the Red Sox, how many state capitals they could name, why some cows are friendlier than others (they live on a farm).

So…was the experiment a success? Well, that’s hard to say. But it made for a fascinating experience – one that Nancy has documented in a memoir titled The Mother-Son Running Streak Club: How I bonded with my nine-year-old son by running a mile with him every day for a year. The book is based on Nancy’s narrative and Tim’s running log, intermingled with on-line discussions with other runners, columns Nancy wrote for the local newspaper, Tim’s school essays, reflections on the way relationships with family and friends evolve over the course of a year, and details about life on a modern-day New England farm.