Running

Running is more than just a pass time. It's more than just a form of exercise. For runners, running brings a deeper sense of calm and peace. This time on The Children's Hour we meet with multiple runners whose running influences their physical, spiritual, and social lives, including a blind Olympic champion runner George Mendoza, kids and others from the indigenous club Running Medicine, and Rep. Gabe Vasquez whose running helps him run for Congress. Get running with our Kids Crew, this time on The Children's Hour.

Find the full episode page at https://ChildrensHour.org/running

How can a blind person run and even make it to the Olympics? The Kids Crew meets artist, author, and blind Olympic champion runner, George Mendoza. His running and athleticism inspire amazing art. His paintings illustrate the new book, Colors of the Wind: The Story of Blind Artist and Champion Runner George Mendoza. You'll meet George, and hear his amazing story, and Katie reads his book.

Then, we are joined by kids and adults from Running Medicine, a project of the Native Health Initiative where whole communities run together, no matter age, ability, or skill level. Leanne, Joshua, Payton and Maya from Running Medicine teach us about how running together has helped them in ways beyond just the physical.

When the Kids Crew talk about how they run, and Cade mentioned Parkour as his inspiration, we got to thinking about the science behind why runners feel so good after a run, in spite of the muscle soreness they might experience. Running releases chemicals in our brains that make us happy, and help us cope with stress and anxiety. It also has real physical benefits to our hearts, lungs, bones, and muscles.

As we learn from the lyrics of one of our songs, kids need 60 minutes a day of movement and activity for their bodies to grow and be healthy. No wonder running feels so good!

Finally we meet Congressman Gabe Vasquez, a runner whose running supports his run for his seat every two years. He is currently running to keep his position as New Mexico's Representative for Congressional District 2, and the Kids Crew wanted to find out more about how his running helps him cope with the stress on the campaign trail and his work.

This episode is mixed with great music. Find our playlists on Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/5zARCKhKZAwNCq1SRVXqWZ

The Children's Hour is written and produced by Katie Stone with help from Senior Producer Christina Stella. Chad Scheer is our engineer at Outpost Performance Space, and Thaniel the Intern helps with transcripts and playlists.

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