Running and fatherhood

Wait, wazzat? A post not about my injury? You better believe it.

In a little under 10 weeks, all things going well (fingers crossed, touching wood etc) I become a Dad. I’m vastly excited at the prospect of it and we’re busy preparing for the little one’s arrival. A lot of people, aware of my current obsession with running, have asked me two things:

1) Am I going to stop running and turn into a slow-moving, sleep-deprived vegetable when it happens
2) Am I going to go running with a buggy

The answer to both, I’m hoping at least, is no.

On point 1), It’ll definitely be harder to find time and motivation to go running when I’m busy figuring  out how a baby works; sleep deprivation and motivation have never been good bedfellows. However; one of the things I’ve realized about myself over the last couple of years is that if I really decide something’s important and build it into a small, obsessive routine – I make it happen. I’ve also come to realize that running is pretty much the ‘quickest’ aerobic exercise you can do – all you have to do it get out the front door and you’re away and back in the minimum time you could pretty much do anything. So I’m hoping, really hoping, that the running will continue.

On point 2), if you’ve met me you’ll know that even keeping a glass of water upright on my desk at work is something of a risky proposition. Running whilst pushing the most precious cargo I could ever carry — lunacy. I’m sure that the more coordinated amongst you could manage it, but it’s not for me!

If you’re interested in more specific Dad-blogging, I’ll be doing some over on Division6, and my friend Ricky Bobby (who becomes a Dad in the next three weeks or so!) has started writing on “how to hold a baby” – and his blog does have a section on running, so its not completely OT ;-).