This is a guest post from Tony Kummer of KeepChasing.com & Ministry-to-Children.com

My dad wasn’t around when I was a kid, so much of parenting my boys has felt like trial and error.

Just knowing what to talk about is a struggle.

This is where enjoying sports together has been a big help. We started with basketball a few years back, but over the last year we’ve become regular running partners.

It was all God’s timing.

My son was turning 12 and was joining the cross country team at school. I was turning 35 and starting my own jogging & weight loss story.

Early in this process, we began training for a local 5K race together. It was just me and him– hitting the road and pushing through our personal limits together. Somewhere in this process, I realized:

David was becoming a man.

This shift in my thinking was a milestone. It meant more responsibility for him. I began to let him fail or succeed on his own terms, not just in running but in real life.

We moved on to another race together, this one 5 miles. Each training jog together helped us to relate on this new level. I’m proud of him. Not just for running, but for the way he runs hardest when it hurts.

There is something profound when two men face a common challenge together. It forms the best kind of bond. This sense of unity will be vital as we face the next few years together.

Not all kids enjoy running, but the principle translate to almost any shred experience. Just be sure it’s a challenge and requires a regular investment of time spent together.

If you want to hear more about becoming a running, please check out my new blog called “Keep Chasing.”

Tony Kummer is a children’s pastor and father of six from Indiana. He’s the founder and lead editor of Ministry-To-Children.com