Every time the school holidays roll around I get asked about doing running coaching for children. The simple answer is that the kind of running we do is different to the kind of running that’s recommended for children – but those of us who have children might well want to run with our children, so how do you make it a good experience for everyone?

Adjust your expectations

The way that children store and use energy is different from an adult and they will naturally tend to run in short bursts, take a rest and quickly be ready to go again. It’s unlikely that they’ll manage a steady 5K at a consistent pace. You might be able to train towards that, but for a happier life you can accept that it’s probably not going to be the kind of run you usual do and go with the flow.

Embrace intervals

Intervals work brilliantly with children because they tap into their natural instinct to alternate effort and recovery. You may need to experiment with the ratio until you find the sweet spot, but start with 2 minutes run, 30 seconds walk and go from there. There are free interval timer apps available that will whistle, ding or honk to tell you when to stop and when to go.

The hare and the tortoise

Have you ever set off too quickly and run out of energy? Of course you have. We all do it. We know we should pace ourselves, but enthusiasm sometimes takes over. Sharing the story of the hare and the tortoise works well with younger children to explain why haring off like a crazy bunny is not always the best strategy.

The first ten minutes never feels good

For almost everyone I’ve ever run with there’s a bit at the beginning of every run that’s uncomfortable. You can lessen it with a good warm up – warm ups are important – but there’s a bit when you start running, before you get into your rhythm, that feels less than good. You have to move through that to get to the good bit. A child who wants to quit early on might be feeling this. Sometimes knowing that it’s normal and that it’s not permanent can be all it takes to get through it. Or you might need to find the right kind of strategies.

Rest before you need it

Children of any age might need convincing to do the recovery intervals before they are actually exhausted, especially early on in the run. I like to explain it as recharging your iPad battery before it runs out, avoiding the frustrating bit where you’re staring at a black screen. Even with the best will in the world your child might end up crashing before the end. It’s a learning experience for both of you. Chill… go home… try again another time.

Choose your location

When you’re getting the hang of running with your child a playing field is a great place to start. They can run ahead of you and you can catch up in their recovery breaks. You can stick to the edge and they can cut corners to stay with you. They can flop on the grass while you carry on, and rejoin you when they’re ready. This works particularly well if you’re running with more than one child. Once you’re practiced at running together you can give pavements, paths and trails a try.

Make it fun

Think about the games children play – chasing each other, chasing a ball – without feeling like they’re exercising. If your child is reluctant at the beginning of a run, a game might be just the thing to take their mind off what you want them to do and make them running feel like it’s more on their terms. Get them to chase you and poke you in the bum or grab a scarf from the back of your shorts. Then you chase them.

Fuelling

We adults have plenty of spare energy stored in our blood, muscles and body fat – easily enough for 10K or more without needing any extra fuel. Children’s bodies don’t work the same as ours. A tiny blood sugar boost is sometimes necessary to keep them going. It doesn’t have to be sweets – grapes are perfect or put some cordial in your water bottle. I’ve found that a reward after each kilometre or at every third or fourth walk-break is about right. A combination of rungry and hangry is really really bad. Trust me.

Points make prizes

Training for events is the chief motivator for a lot of runners and for a subset of them it’s all about the bling! For children too having a reward can be a motivation to keep running. Both 2K junior parkrun and 5K parkrun (we call it grownup parkrun) have staged rewards for children. At junior parkrun children earn wristbands at half marathon, marathon and ultra-marathon distances which equates to 11, 21 and 50 runs. At grownup parkrun under 17s earn a t-shirt after 10 runs (for adults it’s 50). Of course, at the moment (July 2020) parkruns are on hold, but you can come up with a reward scheme for recognising achievements – whether it’s choosing what you have for dinner or earning a new pair of trail shoes!

How much is too much?

Overuse and overtraining are something all runners need to be aware of, but as a parent or carer you have an extra responsibility to ensure running doesn’t cause injury to your child. Children’s bones aren’t fully hard until they’re adults – they have a softer section in the middle where all the growing happens. When a child has a growth spurt their bones and muscles may grow at different rates. Changes in your growing child’s body can affect their coordination, their balance, their speed, their energy levels. Their brains are changing too, and just like us they have different moods on different days. Sometimes they’re not in the mood. Don’t force them to run if they’re really not enjoying it. Young children definitely shouldn’t be running 5K every week even if they can, even if they want to. Few adults could manage a half-marathon every weekend. My running-obsessed son was desperate to do grownup parkrun after doing a dozen junior parkruns. We built up gradually from 2K to 4K and did one just before his sixth birthday. He loved it, but he was tired and grumpy for the rest of the weekend, much like I am after a long run. It takes me three weeks to feel back to full power after a half-marathon race. Running is brilliant, but it does deplete your energy and it can suppress your immune system. Be kind!

A wheelie a good idea?

You might be wondering about going for a run with your child on a bike or scooter. It might sound like the perfect solution when you want to get a run done and don’t have child-free time. And sometimes it is. I had a very successful eight mile run from Bath to Bitton with three year old twins on their balance bikes (and a double decker bus ride home). But that’s the only truly good run I can remember with children on wheels. More often the run will involve racing after a speeding child, cajoling a dawdling child, tending to an injured child, pushing a reluctant rider up a slope or carrying home any combination of wheeled vehicle, child and/or helmet, usually from the furthest possible point on the run. By all means, give it a try. I hope it works for you. Perhaps your children are more cooperative than mine. I’m just saying that in my experience it usually ends with whinging and tears – not all of them from the children!

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In conclusion, running with children can be a great way to get a shorter mixed pace run, especially when you’re time-poor. It gets your child active and can introduce them to running, so give it a try and see how it goes!