Raising a family can be a rewarding yet challenging task. As the Dad, I feel that it is important for me to set an example of how to live a healthy and happy life. Sometimes, the kids pick up on that example and want to emulate the behavior. That’s what has happened with my 5 year old. I love running and she’s watched me run since she was born. Now she wants to be a runner too. I’ve encouraged her and helped her start slow. She’s now at the point where she can run 3.1 miles (5K) without stopping so I registered her for a race. We ran the Big Dog Jingle 5K. She ran the entire distance without stopping and crossed the finish line 1 second shy of 34 minutes. Along the way, she laughed and told me how she would run faster than me when she got older. She also inspired other runners to keep going and she brought smiles to a lot of faces. I was dressed as Santa and she was my little helper and we did our best to spread some Christmas cheer.
I hope my other 2 daughters grow up and want to run. I can’t imagine a better 
Dadurday than taking off on a nice run with my wonderful children along side of me.
