Learning To Hate Running

On the way to school this morning my daughter asked me to pause her favorite song, Let It Go to tell me something. I knew shit just got serious!  Then was heart broken when she told me "I love running at recess, but hate running in gym. I'm not fast. I'm no good at running. "

This really saddened me. We had worked so hard last year to build up mileage when she started soccer so he could enjoy soccer...even training for her first race!  She really enjoyed running. I was determined not to have her grow up hating running like I did. In an attempt to address this before she hates all running, I wrote her teacher....

"Dear Mrs. Formica,

Kennedy has been showing a lot of stress when it comes to gym class and running. She's concerned that she's not fast enough. As a child who hated running, the pressure of speed made me not want to run. 

It wasn't until I was in my twenties that I finally enjoyed running. It was no longer about speed. It was about improving just a little more each time, distance, and enjoying it!  That enjoying it part, no pressure, is what finally made running fun for me. And fun running is something that I will actually do. I'm now an avid runner, logging at least 10 miles a week. This is what I want for Kennedy. 

She's never going to be a Kenyan track star, but learning how to enjoy running she can do. Last year, she and I trained for the Chicago Hot Chocolate 2 mile fun run. She enjoyed the training, and loved the "race". It was about doing something healthy and enjoying it so you want to do it again. 

I'm not saying that she shouldn't push herself some and try to improve, but it's more important for her to love running than to be a speed demon.  After all, the health benefits of running a 12:00/mile and a 6:00/mile are actually the same. 

The reason that I'm writing is that I am asking, if it's possible to focus on improving and enjoying running in gym instead of just getting faster? So we can help foster a love for running and a lifelong habit?  

Any help or insight you may have is greatly appreciated. 

Respectfully,

_______ _______"

I will not allow my daughter to give up on herself because of a focus on competition instead of health. Here's hoping her teacher can understand and see it this way too. Fingers crossed!