Very few things come as natural as running. Actually, I’ll name two others…crawling and walking. You have kids so you know what I’m talking about. As soon as they get a handle on walking, they find so much joy out of taking off and running, FOR NO APPARENT REASON! My three-and-a-half-year-old daughter will take off running in the Safeway grocery store. In Target. Close to streets! That’s terribly scary at times. But it comes so natural to her. But when it’s structured and under supervision, it’s so fun to watch, encourage and join in.
My one-year old son just got his legs under him. So, he’s not getting anywhere fast. But I know my son. He is mischievous. He is destructive, in ways his sister never was. Hence, his moniker Tiras The Tyrant. I know he is going to be a runner. So, in the spirit of National Running Day (#NationalRunningDay), like many times before, I will be taking my little ones on a run. Tiras will be in one of my favorite ACTIVE-DAD go-tos, the B.O.B. Jogging Stroller (#BOBdads).
The first Wednesday in June, people across the U. S. participate in National Running Day. It a good day for beginners to begin a life-changing commitment to running.
Run Wild Child
When my wife was working 10 to 12 hour shifts on weekends at an urgent care clinic, she had to leave the house by 6:30 a.m. This meant if I wanted to engage in any physical activity I had three choices; A) Wake up really early to run [no gyms were open that early], B) Go for a run or short gym sesh after she got back home from work, C) Bring my daughter along for the run in our B.O.B. Jogging Stroller.
Because I wanted a chance to somewhat sleep in on the weekends, and I didn’t want to be a jerk by having my wife go from a long shift to a whiny kid, option C it was!
I can honestly say my daughter was a super trooper and loved it. She would motivate me by telling me to go faster. I packed plenty of the essentials…snacks, water and diapers for poops. Our longest ride together was 7 miles! But I started off incrementally. So I am not surprised at her zeal to run til this day.
nothing to it, but to do it
In your younger days, when you were preparing to get yourself into shape, what was the main activity? Running! Football, wrestling, baseball, you ran! Even if you didn’t play organized sports, running is the most fundamental of cardiovascular activity.
I run because it’s instinctual. When the gyms are closed, when I have to travel away from home, when I need a little weight maintenance—I go for a run. Let’s keep it simple, running is:
- Low Cost: You need a pair of shoes, and clothes (shorts, tights and a shirt) and you’re ready to go!
- No Membership Required: You don’t need a membership or approval. Just go outside. (You Can Take Your Gym Membership and SHOVE IT!)
- Hours of Operation: Outside is always open—morning, noon and night.
Take It Slow
Remember when you were super motivated at the beginning of January? You made a resolution to get back in shape, joined a boot camp and you went H.A.M. for about a week! Within a couple of days, you were sore beyond believe! What happened after that? Did you stick to it or bail?
Likewise, have you ever performed an activity or task so much that you got pretty darn good at it. Life happened, you stopped doing that something and you tried to jump right back where you stopped. How did that go for you? Were you able to start where you left off?
At one point I was able to maintain a 7 minute to 7.5 minute per mile pace for about four miles. I broke from that training regime to pursue more weight training. Due to the current gym closures, I was forced to rely on primarily on running. My runs have been nowhere near my previous times and that’s ok. I would practically kill myself trying to get those times.
You’ve been contemplating going for a run for awhile now. Stop contemplating and take the advice from R&B singer extraordinaire John Legend and “Take it Slow”. The end goal is to get started AND be consistent. If you go Too Fast, Too Furious, you risk sacrificing consistency.
bring it all together
I post my runs on my Facebook page all the time. Sometimes my friends make fun of my times. “Were you walking or running?” they say jokingly. Does it matter? It feels good either way.
You’ve got kids now. You got a little older and a little slower, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start at your current level and just be consistent. Who cares what you look like when you’re running. Who cares about your pace, times and all that. Don’t allow your past take your motivation away from your present. Turn your eyes forward!
Take your kids with you. Bring your wife with you. Or go solo and escape into your mind. The rhythm. The sounds. The sights. The smells. Alone with your thoughts. I do some of my best thinking out on runs. Chase the feeling. Get back to that feeling! Introduce yourself or get reacquainted. We’ll be ready when you are!