I’ve been running fairly regularly again – but with a different focus. My average 3 mile pace is now around 10:30 to 12, rather than the 8 to 9:30 it was. No, I’m not injured – I have a new running partner. I have found that having a running partner helps to get me out of bed in the morning as I know someone is depending on me. No longer do I lay in bed trying to find the motivation – now I just lay in bed for the 10 minutes between my alarms enjoying the morning. As soon as the second one goes – I am UP! I know I have to meet my running partner promptly at 5:40.
So, you see, my first alarm goes off at 5:30, then the second at 5:40. With that, I get up, walk down the hall, and wake up my son.
We have been doing it for about a week and a half now, with our standard distance being 3 miles. Let me take a few steps back.
Long time readers may remember that Bryce has run a couple of 5k’s with me in the past where we would run, and walk as he wished. Great bonding, but he had no concern with his time (and there is NOTHING wrong with that!) with our time for a 5k being almost 45 minutes. Well, that changed a few weeks ago. On the first weekend of April, we ran a 5k that my wife was running helping to manage. I guess it was seeing this little girl (much shorter than he was) out there, but he informed her mom he was going to beat her. Then he sped up. I let him go (helping him develop that ever-so-important sense of independence) as I figured he would get ahead and slow down. He kept his speed up. As he was starting to get out of sight, I picked up my speed to catch him (after making sure another Mom was willing to keep an eye on my daughter who was walking also in the 5k.
He kicked butt. He knocked 15 minutes off of his personal best going from 45 minutes and change to 31:20 (on a course that was actually 3.3 miles.)
Two days later he was doing his mile run in gym class, and went from a 12 minute and change, down to 8:20. From middle of the class, to second place. He is pumped. He has run with me for two weeks, one day he didn’t’ feel we ran enough so he went home and did another 3 miles on the treadmill (not surprisingly, the next day he asked if we could NOT do the full three miles.)
I’m not sure if he likes running, or if he likes the idea of being a runner AND the quality time with Dad. Either way I’m enjoying the time I am getting with him, and REALLY enjoying the fact that it is helping me to get my lazy butt out of bed!
Consequently, I don’t expect any personal records this year, but I think I am ok with that.
I run, because I am a runner. Having realized that I have always "been a runner" - even when I went years with out running, I am learning how it has integrated itself in all aspects of my life. When I started running in highschool, my perspective on life changed. Funny that I didn't realize how much it had affected it until just recently.
Once and Future Runner 
You might be surprised about the PRs! Consistency produced results.
I think the consistency is likely to get him up to my speed faster than I expect!