Before I ever started running with my mom, I was her “bicycle escort” on long runs—mostly to keep her company and carry her water. As a city kid who did not learn to ride a bike until age eight, cycling never felt like second nature or a gateway to freedom. My own kids, on the other hand, will never remember a time before they were, literally, biking circles around me. That contrast is why our signature "run/bike" outings have become a non-negotiable weekend staple, especially when I am solo parenting all three.

However, as my easy runs increase in distance for fall marathon prep, mastering the logistics of running with kids requires raising the bar on route planning. When running in Vermont with young cyclists, design makes or breaks the experience.

A few weeks ago, I planned what I thought was a great route starting at the Cross Vermont Trail parking lot off North Williston Road. We coasted downhill toward Chef’s Corner for baked goods before turning back. A stop at the Allen Brook School playground allowed the kids to snack while I logged extra quarter-mile loops around the perimeter to stretch my legs. But the return trip quickly unraveled: facing an uphill incline, rising heat, and dwindling water supplies, we barely dragged ourselves through Village Community Park to finish the final stretch back to the car.

Trial and error proved to be our best teacher. A couple of weeks later, we tried again with critical adjustments:

• Reversed course, literally: Instead of parking at Village Community Park, we parked in Tafts Corners, meaning that we ran uphill first, had a water fountain at our turn-around point, and finished with a nice and coasty downhill back to the car.
• Packed dedicated fuel: Packed extra snacks ahead of time instead of relying on mid-run baked goods for energy.
• Anchored post-run food: Parked near Burlington Bagel so lunch was waiting right when we finished.
• Paced the playground stops: Started short with a quick stop at Allen Brook School playground, where I prepped the kids for my running loops using a countdown game my youngest loved (and now I have my own personal cheering section).
• Added ice cream (always a good addition): Grabbed ice cream at Judi’s after eating our bagels.

A Lovely View for a Run

My kids are total troopers, but running and biking with kids only works if I put in the preparatory work to set us all up for success. Sometimes that means setting aside what I originally wanted out of a workout, but whatever direction the run goes, my kids are seeing me find fun ways to fit movement into our everyday life. Eventually, the stroller will be long retired, and they will be the ones cycling alongside me, carrying my water bottles instead of me packing theirs.