When I tell people that my mum, Sandy, is my running partner, they're often surprised. Maybe they even think that it's sweet of me, a 32-year-old, to run with my 54-year-old mum (who's also a grandma to my two boys, by the way). But in any case, they're even more surprised when I tell them that not only is she a great partner, but she's also a lot faster than me.
This comes as less of a surprise to people who know my mum—she's fit, she's toned and she's the one who got me interested in running in the first place.
It all started six years ago when we took a running class. Yes, a class that teaches you how to run. I never knew this was a thing until my mum asked me to take one with her.
She wanted to get into running to mix up her fitness routine, and since we live close to each other, she convinced me to sign up for a Running 101 class with her. During the 8-week classes, we ramped up slowly, walking for a while and then running for 5 or 10 minutes at a time. Over time, we gradually increased the duration, until we could run comfortably for 40 minutes straight.
Six years later, we're an inseparable running team. Here are 4 benefits you can get from running with your mum:
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You'll change your body—with your biggest fan right by your side.
Starting a running routine was great for me because it helped me get back into shape after my first pregnancy. And a few years later, after I had my second son, running helped me lose all the baby weight—and then some. I also discovered that it has some incredible mental health benefits, too. Thanks to all the endorphins that get released when I'm huffing and puffing, running helps me relieve my work anxiety and other daily stresses. And having my biggest supporter by my side to cheer me on while I’m pushing my body to the limits is a pretty awesome feeling, too.
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You'll bond over a common hobby.
Even though my mum is basically my best friend, we hadn't exercised together much before we started running. Living in different towns, we both had memberships at different gyms, so it just didn't end up happening. But now that we have a common sport that we can do together, my mum and I plan everything around our weekend run. Running with my mum on Saturday or Sunday is fun because it means we get to have one-on-one girl time for a few hours. For Mother's Day, for example, we went running together and then got coffee and mani-pedis. We also love to shop for running clothes together, too.
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You'll be inspired to get faster and stronger.
Even though running has become our shared fitness hobby, Mum is definitely way more dedicated than I am. If not for her, I wouldn't have kept up running for this long. Between my job as a paralegal and my two sons at home, I don't get to run as often as she does. But her commitment inspires me to stick with it. She's the one who motivates me to sign up and train for races. As a result, we've run 5ks, 10ks and one half-marathon together.
Her dedication to running also means that she's become faster than me, which means that I have to push myself to keep up, and I can honestly say that she's the most motivating person I've ever run with. Of course, there are some times that I just can't maintain her pace. When we ran a 15km race this past March, she told me that she'd jog alongside me. But three minutes in, she'd run far ahead of me, and she finished 20 minutes earlier. Honestly, I was too impressed to even be annoyed.
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You'll become a better mum.
Having a mum who's so physically fit is a great reminder that I can be in shape at any age. It's also inspired me to want to run with my kids in the future. This summer, I'm excited to start running with my oldest son, who is 6 years old. Ever since I had him, my mum has encouraged and supported me as a runner, and I'm looking forward to doing the same for my children. Running with my kids will make fitness a part of their lives early on. Hopefully, it'll also be a great bonding activity for us, just as it is for my mum and me.
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