Anonymous wrote:Is running really a good sport to introduce a young kid? It's hard on the body, my brother ran since middle school, he blew out his knee in college. Also would you want your DD running by herself when she gets older? I wouldn't encourage it, try tennis or swimming instead.

Running is a great sport in moderation for kids. Little kids (younger than 3rd grade) shouldn't do distances much longer than a mile. After 3rd grade, I'd say anything up to a 5k is fine, but nothing longer than that. You might also want to look at having them train for a fast mile. In middle school, they can join the cross country team or start training with adult running clubs. When the turn 13, they can train up to a 10k. Once they hit high school, longer distances are possible and they can train 20-50 miles a week.

They should have good shoes to run in and learn to warm up beforehand and stretch afterwards. If they say they're tired or hurt, let them stop. Don't push. Try to keep them in other sports. Cross training is good for general fitness and prevents burn outs and injuries.

There is a great article here:

http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7120,s6-238-267--11817-0,00.html

Anonymous wrote:Is running really a good sport to introduce a young kid? It's hard on the body, my brother ran since middle school, he blew out his knee in college. Also would you want your DD running by herself when she gets older? I wouldn't encourage it, try tennis or swimming instead.

I've been running for 25 years. The research now says knee problems occur from injuries, not running.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is running really a good sport to introduce a young kid? It's hard on the body, my brother ran since middle school, he blew out his knee in college. Also would you want your DD running by herself when she gets older? I wouldn't encourage it, try tennis or swimming instead.

I am considering introducing my 7 year old to minimalist shoes for running to address the injury issue and use running to help strengthen her feet.

I was completely sold on the damage done by post-1970s running shoes when I read Born to Run. That said, I am using myself as a test subject first.

Please read about injuries from jumping too quickly into minimalist shoes. Minimalist shoes can be good, but you really have to build up to it slowly. Barefoot running on grass is a good way to strengthen your feet.

BTW, I've been running 25 years, and knees/joints are still going strong.

For the one who is over thinking it about running, hopefully your child will have good sense about running when older and will run with a companion. You can always get a dog and they can run together too.