Together...For the School Year

By Carissa

She’s at it again.  My friend Becky, who got a group of us moms and kids moving together this summer, found a way to keep us moving as we transitioned into the school year.  During the summer we met at a track.  This was a great location. We could run or walk, the kids could lap the track or play, and the moms could keep an eye on them.  We knew that as the school year approached we could not continue meeting this way.  The schools would need their track for athletics and we would either be in the way or kicked off.  

Becky was determined to find a way to keep us together.  She solicited feedback from other moms and came up with a great idea.  Becky identified a park that had several walking paths.  The playground has a path surrounding it that we can let the youngest kids lap.  With help they can track their laps by adding a tally to our big poster board Becky brings each week and reward themselves with a gummy bear (big motivator.)  The older kids can run or bike a loop that is a quarter mile long.  The moms can run or walk around the largest loop (just under a mile in length.)  Meanwhile, each mom pitches in a few dollars to pay a babysitter who watches the kids.  Anyone is welcome to join us but Becky has focused on getting the word out to moms at the school our kids attend. 

Becky (in blue) with moms ready for some exercise

These runs have provided a chance for both moms and kids to spend more time together.  While running we have shared about our lives: the day to day surface things and the things that are deep and personal.  We have also prayed together for ourselves and others.  Each week we leave refreshed and thankful for the chance to have exercised TOGETHER.

The Kids Take Over

by Jodi

Every June for the past six years a big portion of my extended family has converged on Sunriver, a resort town in Central Oregon.  We gather to connect as a family and to participate in Pacific Crest, a weekend sports festival with race options for people of all ages and fitness levels.

When we started this tradition, our youngest (Paige) was a baby in a stroller and our oldest was only six years old.  The big event for the kids was the Splash, Pedal, and Dash - a mini triathlon geared to get even the tiniest kids excited about racing.  Pint-sized racers get official race packets that include bib numbers with timing chips, correlating stickers for their bike helmets and bikes, and finisher's T-shirts and medals.  In the past two years, they even started body marking the kids - just like the adult athletes.

The first year they all were old enough to race

It really is an endearing mass of organized chaos.  Nervous parents herd tired, hot, and confused little racers through crowded transition areas to park and pick up bikes.  Race routes lined with well-trained volunteers keep the kids on the right path and tell them to slow down around corners.  Kids finish under a big arch where an announcer calls out their name.  Proud parents and grandparents cry and snap pictures.  What's not to love?

TOGETHER...for the Summer

by Carissa

You may have noticed from our tag line, we Sole Sisters love running through life...together.  During the school year it was easy for Jodi and I, and sometimes Tanya, to drop our school-aged children off and meet for a Monday morning run.  When school wrapped up that routine was no longer an option.  I missed my weekly run with the girls immediately.

From Left to Right: Jodi, Becky, Kari and I along with some of our kids.
If all of our kids were in the picture there would be twice as many! :)

Just as the void of weekly running fellowship sunk in, I received an email from Becky, another running mama I know from school.  She said, "I would love to invite you to join me for Summer Run & Play with you and your kids at the track.  Growing up my dad took my siblings and I to the track with our bikes, trikes, scooters, and sand shovels so he could get his exercise for the day.  My sisters and I have done this for years and it works really well.  I thought it would be a great way for us (moms) to get some exercise and fellowship while our kids play together.  The kids can stroll, bike, run, or play in the sandbox.  Moms can run, walk, or sprint depending on your level of fitness.  I will come with a few workout choices for you to choose from.  I hope you will join us weekly for Summer Run & Fun!"

The first week we brainstormed about getting the kids to exercise also.  We decided to bribe the kids with one gummy bear for every lap they run.  For the kids who like charts, numbers and a little competition like my oldest son Lukas, Becky created a big poster.  Each time the kids finished a lap, they added a tally to the chart and grabbed a gummy bear.

With, Without, Together: Training with Children

By Carissa

If you had told me that I could train for a marathon while homeschooling my three sons, ages 5 and under, I would have told you that you were crazy.  Yet day after day, week after week, those boxes in my training schedule got checked off.  When I was finished I couldn't wait to do it all again.  Flexibility and creativity are key to pulling it off.  Let me share with you some of my tricks for exercising with your children, without your children, and together.

Jogging Strollers:  I have used and been a fan of B.O.B. jogging strollers since I first became a mom.  Yes, they are pricey.  When shopping for a jogging stroller it is easy to buy another cheaper brand.  I am completely sold on this brand and I’ve never heard anyone who uses a B.O.B. argue differently.  This stroller is worth the cost.  It also lasts a really long time.  I’ve been using mine for 7 years and I have no complaints about wear.  This is a great item to pick up used and it retains it’s value well for when you are ready to sell it.

I've used both the single and double B.O.B jogging strollers for the last 7 years.

Treadmill:  When our family moved to Portland we moved to an incredibly hilly neighborhood.  I needed a way to workout that didn’t involve brining the boys with me.  We purchased a new Horizon T-81 treadmill from Play Again Sports.  It cost $570 and was worth every penny.  That treadmill has guaranteed my ability to get a workout in despite weather, time of day or crazy kid schedule.