About Kids Run NoCo
Kids Run Northern Colorado is an enrichment program for children of all fitness levels. Traditional running games and drills are transformed into powerful life lessons. When your kids are with us, you know they are getting a great workout AND building strength of character.
Children are able to compete and reach the goals they once thought were beyond them when they participate in our classes. We have worked with hundreds of children of all fitness levels, and have learned fun and active tools to harness self confidence. We have found that the eight core empowerment principles we selected together create a unique and powerful curriculum. One which combines physical health with strength of character.
At Kids Run NoCo, we do not believe in the participation trophy culture.
Children may receive a t-shirt for participating, but they must EARN their end of season medal. Each season a new goal is set, and children feel part of a team as they work towards reaching that goal. We will give plenty of second chances, but we will not give a medal to avoid tears.
We teach children how to handle disappointment and use it as fuel to achieve what is really important to them. We believe in setting aggressive goals, embracing effort, learning from failure, and encourage a growth mindset. When children finally do earn that medal, it will be worth more than gold because they will know the journey of earning it!
The 8 Core Empowerment Principles of Run Club
Power Words
How we talk about ourselves defines who we are.
Positive Thoughts
We are what we think.
Agressive Goals
We dare to believe anything is possible.
Personal Resilience
Setbacks are welcome as an opportunity to grow.
Teamwork
We can do together what we cannot do alone.
Individual Integrity
We do the right thing even when no one is watching.
Community Vision
We exist in relation to others.
New Beginnings
A finish line is just the beginning of a new journey.
The 8 Running Skills We Teach
Warm Up/Cool Down
We prepare our bodies to run with a warm-up and prepare it to restore with a cool down.
Posture
Posture reflects attitude. Run Club Attitude: relaxed, light, positive feeling while running tall, controlled and looking forward.
Strength Training
Running is a whole-body exercise and strength training is an important part of any running program.
Energy Direction
Keeping good running form will make your running more efficient so you can go faster for longer periods of time.
Speed Vs. Endurance
Understand the difference between speed and endurance and how they work together.
Stride
Understand stride, cadence and how they relate to speed. Be able to find the “just right” stride during different run speeds
Pacing
Understand different pacing speeds and when to use each.
Combining Skills
Earn the end of season medal by completing the Medal Challenge and putting all of the skills together.
Meet Our Team
Keri Hanson
Keri is the founder of Kids Run Northern Colorado. She is a mother to two wonderful sons, a former teacher, passionate about all things health and certified holistic health coach, lover of the outdoors, and a very slow runner.
When she was a little girl, she never was a natural athlete. She usually was one of the last chosen for teams in PE. She played basketball in middle and high school, but practiced more than most and still warmed the bench her fair share. She tried soccer one year, but definitely felt in over her head. So the following year, she went out for track. And the year after that, she joined the first cross-country team at her high school. She wasn't fast. She wasn't the best runner. But she learned--through miles and miles, that she could do hard things. That maybe she wasn't a natural, but she could be an athlete. She learned how good it could feel to run, and also how calming it was for her mind and empowering for her spirit.
This is what she hopes to inspire in kids (and families) in her community. The feeling that we can do hard things! The feeling of joy after setting big goals and accomplishing more than you knew you could--even if you miss the mark--for example, once she set a goal of running a marathon in under 4 and a half hours. She didn't make the time goal she had set for herself, but in failing to meet it, she still had the accomplishment of running a marathon!
She can't wait to show Northern Colorado kids that their dreams are possible, that effort is worth celebrating as much as success, that failure is a chance to learn and grow, that they are strong, mighty, brave, and that they are capable of great things!
Kimberly Hrouda
We are thrilled to have Kimberly Hrouda as a Coach in 2023. Kimberly is a homeschooling mother of four and lover of the outdoors. Her husband is what we would call a true runner and also a cross country and track coach. She's been in Northern Colorado since her days at CSU where she studied Family and Consumer Science then went on to work as an advisor, caseworker and now full time mama and teacher.
Similar to Keri, she didn't grow up pursuing sports. She played a bit of soccer and a bit of basketball, but because of an early growth spurt, never quite figured out how to make everything coordinate effectively. She sadly had a coach in middle school discourage her from wanting to play again the next season. Kimberly decided to stick to choir instead.
In college she caught the running bug and into adulthood she's fallen in love with fitness in general. She's learned that she can do hard things, even basketball, with the right support system and an encouraging mindset. Kimberly is thrilled to have the opportunity to share her love of movement with kids and offer them encouragement and support they can hang onto forever.