*This post is sponsored by BODYARMOR in conjunction with Mom It Forward. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I was used to being the soccer mom.

Soccer mom life prepared me for long days out on a field, bringing along enough supplies that a folding wagon was a necessity.

But then my boys decided to add distance running to the activities they do. 5Ks and 10Ks.

There’s way less gear involved, but there are a few lessons I’ve learned along the way, that I’ll share with you, in case your child is interested in running.

Watch the dates and times

You want to find the sweet spot in signing your child up for a Race. There are usually early registration discounts. Sometimes even super early bird discounts. And then come the late registration fees. But you don’t want to sign up your child so early that you later end up with a scheduling conflict that means they can’t run that race and then you’ve lost your registration fee. I tend to mark the dates that fees increase on my calendar and then decide at the last minute before a fee increase.

Not only do you have to watch the sign up dates, but be aware of the start times. Usually early morning, but we’ve seen 7:00, 7:30, 8:00, 9:00… and you usually need to be there about an hour before the race, to make sure you have parking, pick up your packet (race speak for the bib with your number on it, plus whatever extras the race is giving you), stretch, etc. Not a big deal for a local race, but if your kids end up like mine and start asking to run races that are an hour or more away, timing is a huge factor.

It’s not about how they place

You’ll see the results of a race. Where your child placed overall and in their age group. But so much goes into where they place: how many total runners there, how many are in their age group, and who else shows up for that race. Child A might beat Child B by 7 minutes in a 10K on a given day, but there are more people in Child A’s age group, so Child A ends up placing third in their age group while Child B finishes first. Meanwhile, Child C beat them both and doesn’t place at all.

While they love all their ribbons and medals, my boys have had to learn that it’s more about individual times. Did they improve over their last race? What was their goal for this course? This is something I have to remind them when they’re looking at the overall race results. I’m always proud of them, no matter what their times because they’re showing such dedication and self-motivation just by running these races. Even if they do want to push themselves to do better each time. Is your young athlete working to be the best? Check out how your athlete can become the next Bodyarmor athlete here: http://bit.ly/2rsSfFI

Keep them hydrated

While you don’t need all the gear that other sports do, you absolutely need to make sure your kids are hydrated before and after a run. Not being well hydrated has thrown off many a good runner and you hate to see all their training and effort not pay off due to something that could have been easily remedied.

My boys like Sports Drinks, but  I used to be concerned about whether they were a good option. Did they need them, were they healthy? Plus, I wasn’t really a fan of the taste.

But, BODYARMOR is a healthier alternative to traditional sports drinks. It provides your body with Superior Hydration, with potassium-packed electrolytes(the boys’ running coaches are always talking to them about the importance of electrolytes). This premium sports drink has no artificial flavors or sweeteners, is made with coconut water, contains vitamins, and is high in potassium, low in sodium. And, I actually love the taste of BODYARMOR- the boys agree with me and after trying these, prefer them over others. BODYARMOR  comes in 9 great tasting flavors: fruit punch, orange mango, strawberry banana, tropical punch, blackout berry, mixed berry, grape, watermelon strawberry and lemonade.

Download a coupon to save on BODYARMOR here.

To learn more about  BODYARMOR Sports Drinks, visit them on their website or Facebook and Twitter. BODYARMOR can be found at your local Publix, Sam’s Club, Winn Dixie and more.