A number of charitable organizations offer programs where you can train and compete for a cause.
Do your non-cycling friends think you’re overly ambitious (or insane) when you tell them you’re going to ride 100 miles in a day?
I consider myself the
ultimate auntie. Between my and my husband’s families, we have 19 nieces and
nephews. Over the years at family gatherings, Shaun and I always look forward
to our time with the kids.
And I think the parents always look forward to it, too.
Why? I remember one family Thanksgiving in Florida where we had a beautiful house on the beach. Shaun and I rallied the troops for a game of beach Ultimate and the kids were psyched. A few of the parents said, “Oh yeah, we’ll be down in just a minute.” Many minutes later as the game was going full swing with kids of all ages and sizes (including us) charging through the sand and diving after the disc, those parents were still sitting up on the balcony spectating, relaxing, drinking wine and secretly thanking Aunt Becca and Uncle Shaun for taking on entertainment duties so they could chill. We were more than happy to do it.
Shaun and I like to think we’re setting good examples for the kids to lead active and healthy lives. It’s also an ego boost for us when we sometimes kick their butts—all in good fun, of course. So we started a tradition that when a niece or nephew graduates from high school they can bring a friend or sibling for a fun-filled Colorado weekend of their choice. So far we’ve had three nephews come out for ski trips—which they still talk about to this day. The next graduates have already told us they want a summer hiking/backpacking trip.
We’ve always been active types: neither Shaun nor I do well chilling for very long, particularly when we’re traveling. You won’t catch either of us lounging and sunbathing on a beach all day. Our vacations attest to this fact as we typically plan our trips around the best hiking or mountain bike trails, or the best places to ski. Our ideal day is filled with a great ride, hike or ski tour followed by a rewarding hot tub soak (if we’re lucky to have access to one), a good glass of wine or beer, and a relaxing, healthy meal. Okay, so we can chill but not until we’ve burned off some calories.
When there are energetic kids around, we’ve got yet another avenue to channel our energy. Even with my little 18-month-old niece, Summer (pictured at left), I can expend energy chasing her around the house playing the “Rowr!” game.
I’m always impressed by how my active friends with kids find a way to work in their workouts. There’s definitely plenty of juggling going on between mom and dad, but today’s sporty parents have great gear options to help with play time. I’m guessing practically every family garage in Colorado has a baby backpack, a BOB jogger and a Chariot trailer—the handy carrier that goes from a baby jogger to a bike trailer to a sled with a few adjustments.
One of my friends is a master at finding ways to create active family experiences that are fun for her two daughters as well as for she and her husband. Every winter, the kids go to ski school during one weekend day so mom and dad can rip it up on the slopes for a few hours. Vacations are a mix of everyone’s wish list: short bike rides and hikes to appease mom and dad’s need to exercise, then opportunities for shopping and relaxing for the girls. One vacation was a bike trip along the Mickelson Trail in South Dakota where everyone would ride together for 7-10 miles with plenty of stops along the way for swims in the creek. Then dad would ride back to get the car—and get in some more bike miles.
It’s a matter of sometimes just being creative and flexible—and patient. To help active parents, we’ve been running our monthly Kidding Around section in which we cover everything from outdoor youth programs to family vacations to kid gear and more. This month (see page 22), we highlight a number of great kid-friendly events in running, cycling, triathlon and swimming. More and more “adult” running events are offering a kid option, such as a 1K or one-mile walk/run, so you can make it an outing for young and old.
I’m looking forward to a family gathering at the end of this month here in Colorado where Shaun and I will hopefully get some nieces and nephews out biking and hiking. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll let them take the lead...just for a bit.
Rebecca Heaton, Editor
rheaton@rockymountainsports.com
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