My son 11 yrs is a good novice runner and talented novice cyclist, is there anyone who can point me in the right direction to nurture this talent, hopefully at not too big a cost?

Don't start anything too serious cos I think you can damage kid's bones as they havent stopped growing properly. Not trying to put you off just make sure you check things like that out and if you join a club make sure they know what they are doing

Serious training for endurance events needs to be managed very carefully indeed until the bones have stopped growing. This is one reason why most marathons don't take entrants until at least 18 years of age.

I'd consult a sports physio/doctor at the very least if he's serious about doing this- the last thing you want to do is to find out later on in his life that the training has damaged his bones.

My son 11 yrs is a good novice runner and talented novice cyclist, is there anyone who can point me in the right direction to nurture this talent, hopefully at not too big a cost?
Swimming might be a good idea :hihi:

Serious training for endurance events needs to be managed very carefully indeed until the bones have stopped growing. This is one reason why most marathons don't take entrants until at least 18 years of age.

I'd consult a sports physio/doctor at the very least if he's serious about doing this- the last thing you want to do is to find out later on in his life that the training has damaged his bones.

hi, thanks for that, will do!

Swimming might be a good idea :hihi:

yes, i think so too, thanks.:)

Don't start anything too serious cos I think you can damage kid's bones as they havent stopped growing properly. Not trying to put you off just make sure you check things like that out and if you join a club make sure they know what they are doing

what type of club, do you recommend?
i am not very up on Decathlon, or triathlon.
he does do football, every week, he is very fit, and can run or cycle for hours, but i do agree about checking on the health side of it.
i used to do some long distance running, but not for alot of years. so i'm no help.
i appreciate your advice, thanks. :D

Maybe an idea to treat them all as seperate disciplines for now? If he can focus on what he enjoys doing most, then there's perhaps more likely hood that he'll stick at it long term?

I know there's a Sheffield triathlon club (sorry don't have details), and believe they do some swimming training for tri, at Rolinson sports centre.

On a more serious note, practical advice for joint/epiphyses (growth plate) protection:
1) Road running to be kept to a minimum (cross country much easier on the bones)
2) No weight training until he's at least 16, better around 18/20. If he needs power training then body-weight exercises (single-leg squats, press-ups, chin-ups) will be sufficient.
3) Swimming is the ultimate low-impact workout and its great for full body CV exercise...let him swim as much as he wants. You also tend to get tired long before you injure yourself in the water too :)
4) Upping calcium intake (plenty of milk/cheese etc.) will help with strong bone formation but don't be tempted to add lots of extra protein into his diet. Your lad could damage his kidneys if he starts taking protein supplements (outside chance but more likely than in adults). Just make sure he has a balanced diet - he needs all the energy and fat as well as protein to grow :) He'll probably just eat more of everything if he's training hard haha.

On a more serious note, practical advice for joint/epiphyses (growth plate) protection:
1) Road running to be kept to a minimum (cross country much easier on the bones)
2) No weight training until he's at least 16, better around 18/20. If he needs power training then body-weight exercises (single-leg squats, press-ups, chin-ups) will be sufficient.
3) Swimming is the ultimate low-impact workout and its great for full body CV exercise...let him swim as much as he wants. You also tend to get tired long before you injure yourself in the water too :)
4) Upping calcium intake (plenty of milk/cheese etc.) will help with strong bone formation but don't be tempted to add lots of extra protein into his diet. Your lad could damage his kidneys if he starts taking protein supplements (outside chance but more likely than in adults). Just make sure he has a balanced diet - he needs all the energy and fat as well as protein to grow :) He'll probably just eat more of everything if he's training hard haha.

wow, thanks for the advice, i have a slight problem in the swimming department, he can swim, but only under water with a diving mask on..... yes really!!! causes some problems when visiting some baths, as they don't like him wearing them. lol.
he's ADHD, so he is on the go all the time, (not naughty) he runs like the wind, ideal defender in footie, and has a great well balanced home cooking style diet. his weight is low, 5st 8lb, but has alot of trim muscle. my dads 71 and still runs 7K every morning.
he must take after him.
a friend took him on a cross country run 5k i think, and he just wanted to go more.

anyway cheers for the advice again!
I will look around for a group who can help him under proper supervision. As long as he enjoys it then i won't be worried.