Should children run long?
According to Le Thanh Hung - national master of the 800m and 1,500m distances, professional athletes of other distances are estimated to need about 6-12 months of accumulation to continue to practice to the marathon distance. If competing, this preparation process is even longer. Running foot, the famous coach in the movement with the nickname "Hung Hero" considers the long run to require a rigorous accumulation process, even for professional athletes, not to mention children.
Mr. Trinh Duc Thanh, Head of Athletics Department in Ho Chi Minh City analyzed: "The limit of movement for children under 10 years old should usually be only 2 hours or less. Exceeding this threshold is not good for the development of muscles, bones and joints. of children". According to this former 400m record holder, children's interest in sports in general and long runs in particular is encouraging, but parents must be very careful in approaching, which here is the exercise regime, Nutrition for physical fitness.
However, coach Hung "Hero" also suggested that children need to practice regularly if they want to participate in a healthy and safe 10 km run, not falling into overdrive and avoiding risks. He said: "I personally estimate, if they want to run 10 km, every week children will have to run and practice exercises with a total distance of about 20-25 km." This national master also emphasized the detail "just running, you have to practice exercises, not just running".
At the finish line of a running race in Dat Do district, Ba Ria - Vung Tau on February 26, many spectators expressed surprise, admiration and continuously applauded when 8-year-old young runner Nguyen Thy Ca completed the distance of 21 km. after 3 hours 45 minutes. According to Mr. Thai Ca, Thy Ca's father, this is the second time she has completed a half marathon, after the first time at a tournament in Ho Chi Minh City on January 8. Another girl known to have completed the 21km distance is Quynh Trang, 7 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City. The question is whether these two young runners are running too hard and even risking their health?
In May, 2022, the US running community was hotly debated after 6-year-old Rainier Crawford completed the FM distance (42.195km) of the Flying Pig Marathon in Cincinnati, Ohio with a time of 8 hours and 35 minutes. Many critics objected strongly because they thought this was an excessive physical challenge. But there are also many other opinions that, although cautious, still suggest rather than firmly oppose. A sports expert, who is not convenient to be named, shared that in the past 3-5 years, the strong running movement has improved the fitness level of people, so it is possible to consider special cases and have solutions. a more flexible approach, though still based on caution.
Thy Ca is currently the youngest athlete, practicing with professional athletes and coaches at the Ho Chi Minh City athletics team. Thy Ca's tracklog shows that every day, the baby wakes up at 5am and trains regularly with 5 days of running 5km/day, 1 day of long-running 10-12 km and 1 day of light running to recover 3 km , with a pace around 7:30. The family said that with the distance of 21 km, Thy Ca will consider it as a long-run session with an initial limit of 2 hours of exercise, ie, during this time, the baby can run for about 12-15 days. km, and then consider further. At the 15th kilometer, if she feels tired, she will stop running, and if she continues, Thy Ca can consider running slowly to recover to complete the distance.
An important point that Thy Ca's family said is that since increasing the long-run exercises to more than 10 km, the baby's nutrition has also changed. Until 2023, Thy Ca's daily diet, in addition to three main meals on a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet, must include three bananas, two eggs, a jar of yogurt, 0.5 liters of fresh milk. But from the beginning of 2023, when Thy Ca can complete the distance of 21km, the above diet also includes cheese, butter and 100 grams of beef.
Regarding nutrition, if children can exercise regularly, according to this coach, it is necessary to avoid dieting, because regular and reasonable exercise will help the body and body develop healthy and balanced in the long term. .
According to coach Dinh Quang Thinh, who is currently in charge of young athletes in the 400m distance in Ho Chi Minh City, if it is found that their children are gifted, or love to run, parents can take the time to consult with teachers. physical training of the school, or the coaches at the district athletics teams to have the best orientation. "If a child has a talent for sprinting, but accidentally focuses on running for a long time, for a long time, the motor nerves will get used to this, then their ability may be wasted," he said.
From the experience of himself and his daughter Thy Ca through many running races, Mr. Thai Ca believes that parents should let their children practice table tennis, if they see that children are gifted and love to run long. However, this father also emphasized that to encourage children and prevent problems, parents need to closely monitor and accompany their children both in training and when going to race.
