Dorian has always enjoyed running. When he was about two, he was already zipping away from us and he was fast enough that it was a real challenge to catch him.
As he grew, he continued to love running. He got us to time him and was excited about his speed. When we were in Canada, my dad took the boys to the track and Dorian ran two laps without stopping, which impressed us all.
More recently, he’s been talking about the Olympics and how he’d like to run in them someday. We told him it would take a lot of training. He kept talking about it. So, finally, we looked into getting him into track. It turns out that it’s crazy simple. You just show up.
There is a running coach in our town and a track just five minutes away where a large group of runners meets twice week. We took Dorian for his first time last week and he did really well. He’s the smallest of the entire group and the only other kids are all girls who have a lot of training under their belts (their dads are runners in the adult group).
His first evening went well, but was pretty simple. He ran laps with his cousin and the other girls, did some sprints and then another lap. While he did well, he wasn’t really pushing it too hard. He had fun, but the next day, he told us he didn’t really want to go back. He said it was a lot of work. He didn’t like having to have a shower after practice. And everyone was faster than he was.
I explained that he’d wanted this for a long time and told him that he needed to give it a chance. That the things worth doing in life are sometimes hard and they require work, but it is so worth it in the end. Also, it would be really good for his intestines and all that running would help him avoid so many visits to the doctor and other unpleasant situations.
He agreed to try for a while longer and so tonight we packed everyone into the car and headed to his second practice, without Zanelle, since she had art class.
This time, he was more familiar with the routine. The coach took time to talk to him and to show him the proper techniques for doing things. Dorian was the only kid this time, so he ran with the adults. He couldn’t keep up, of course, but he ran his three laps steadily, with a grin on his face.
He did his sprints with the coach, while the adults did dashes. Then he ran another lap with an older man who wasn’t preparing for a race and ended up passing him and running full out all the way to the end. He was so hyped after practice that he ran around us as we headed back to the car.
This is our first foray into the world of organized sports/lessons. I have to say it’s a bit weird to have to be somewhere twice a week! It’s very rewarding to watch my son enjoying himself, doing what he loves and learning how to do it even better. The other boys enjoy the time, too, running around the space outside the field and getting their own form of exercise. We have three worn out kids by the time practice is over!
I’ve rented a small two room space just up the street from us and will be working there most weekdays. 
