Cody likes to run. So does his mother, April. Sometimes, Cody and April like to run together. But they like it for different reasons.
Cody is very good at running. He is very fast. He loves competition. On the playground, he participates in races. He almost always wins in the 50-yard dash! One day, a new student came to the school. Everyone thought he looked very fast. But when he raced, Cody beat him. Cody enjoys winning and being good. This is the main reason he likes running. He is so good at it!
Cody likes being good at running. But April likes running for different reasons. April likes the benefits of running. Running helps her stay healthy. It also makes her heart strong. And it helps her feel happy. This is why April likes running. It makes her feel good!
Cody likes to sprint. He likes to run very fast. He likes how exciting it is. He becomes excited when the starter yells, “On your marks, get set, go!” He is good at starting at the right moment.
April enjoys distance running. This means that she does not try to run fast. She tries to run far. Usually, she runs more than a mile. Sometimes, she runs five or six miles! She runs them nice and slow.
One Saturday the school held a race. It was a 3-mile race. Students and parents were both invited to run. Cody really wanted to race his mother. “Please, can we go race?” Cody boasted he would beat his mother! But April just smiled.
So they went to the race. The starter yelled, “On your marks!” Cody was ready. The race began! Cody started out running fast. He ran the first mile. He looked back to see his mother. He was way ahead of her! During the second mile, Cody slowed down. His mother was catching up! Now, she was passing him! “Come on, slow-poke,” she teased. Cody dug in and ran really hard. But he could not keep it up! He was getting a cramp! Soon, April crossed the finish line. She looked back to see Cody. He was coming along slowly. “You can do it!” she shouted. Cody heard her and smiled. He headed for the finish line. He was breathing heavy. Finally, he made it!
“Not too bad for an old lady?” said April.
Cody hugged her. “Hey mom,” Cody said. “Will you teach me to run like you?”
April smiled and said, “Of course.”