Dear Editor Carol,

Do I have to be a fast runner to be a good runner?

Dear Stephani,

Contrary to our "Tortoise and Hare" fable, I believe that you do need to be a fast runner to be a race winner, but you don't need to be a fast runner to be a great runner and a winner in life.

I like to encourage kids to enter 'everyone's a winner' type fun runs and races where all the kids receive medals or ribbons for participating.

I want all kids who are interested in maintaining a healthy life style, to find out just how much fun running can be.

I am a runner for life but will never be a race winner. Running keeps my weight down, makes my heart, bones and muscles strong, provides me with camaraderie, gets me outside to appreciate my world, and helps insure that I stay young and fit.

Running makes me look better. When I come in from a run, my face glows a nice shade of pink. My runner friend, Meg, calls it a 'Runner's Blush'. I've tried, but have never been able to buy make-up this shade at the store. Running makes me feel young. At the age of 52, I feel more vibrant and peppy than I felt at 17. I go outside to 'play' more than I did at that age.

Perhaps I'm only a 'jogger', I'm not sure, but it doesn't matter to me. Running is something that has enriched my lifestyle.

Now don't get me wrong. I love to attend and support the kids who are in the competitions. In the next couple of weeks we have AAU and USATF Youth Nationals going on in Missouri, and Nevada. There will be some remarkable kids' racing and competitions. These kids are awesome to watch. And I am truly a fan. However only some kids, can reach the levels of these runners.

I want all kids to be able to reap the benefits of running and I believe that any kid can be a winner 'in life' if running and exercise are a part of their lifestyle.

Thanks for your simple, but very profound question.

Note from the kid's editor: Amby Burfoot of Runner's World is an elite athlete, who has been running forever. At one time competition was his driving force. He now runs mainly for fitness, fun, and health reasons, more than for competition.

Manchester Road Race, November 2000

And, I, Carol Goodrow, of KidsRunning.Com have been running for 6 years. I started at the age of 46. I was never a competitive runner although I loved entering races and competing with my own (very slow) times. Now I run mainly for fitness, fun, health reasons (obesity and osteoporosis run in my family), the love of the outdoors, and my 'mental health' (after a day in the classroom with 20 kids, I often need the psychological release of running).
Amby and I are both runners for life and running keeps us young at heart. What do you think of our 'Running for Life' questions? Please let us know.

Do you have any questions about a child's running program? Feel free to email the kid's editor at carolgoodrow@verizon.net.