One of the most interesting articles that I’ve read this week has to be “See Jane Run, Bike and Swim” from the New York Times. In this article, writer Sarah Bowen Shea explores the phenomenon of children’s triathlons. At the Silicon Valley Kids Triathlon, children aged 3 to 15 can participate in a scaled-down version of the running, swimming and biking event.

The article is written in a somewhat cautious tone; parents and pediatricians alike express concern that the event might be too much for a young child to handle physically or psychologically. Will they strain their developing bodies with too much training? Are they ready to face the emotional consequences of competition?

The decision to participate in a children’s triathlon is obviously up to each parents and children, working in consultation with a pediatrician. But no matter what you think about this particular event, it is nice to see an article about children exercising instead of watching hours and hours of television.