C Hits the Road

Our oldest daughter, C, is going to run her first 5k road race tomorrow. She's all of 6 years old.

Yeah, yeah, I know...too young. In most cases, I'd agree. C is a different sort of animal with regard to athletics. She's got the most unbelievable energy level, she excels at nearly any physical activity she tries out, and she's competitive to the point of irritation at times. She NEEDS to have some sort of physical activity to do, and she's been practically begging us to let her run in one of these races. So whatchagonnado?

I have no doubt she can do it. She's already done a relatively vigorous 10k hike this summer to the top of Crazy Horse monument in South Dakota. My wife and I are going to run along with her tomorrow and have told her that she needs to stop and walk during the race if she gets tired. It should be fun.

I worry sometimes about her competitive nature. You see it all too often; parents pushing their kids too hard to live vicariously through them. I'd be perfectly happy if she chose not to participate in sports at all, but she seems to crave the competition. It's just a fundamental part of her personality. I think the best we can do, as parents, is to support her interests and try to make her understand that she doesn't always have to win (or that not everything is a competition).

I'll let you know how her first road race goes.