My wife and I recently had our first child, and while our daughter has been an incredible blessing, she is rather unhelpful in the exercise department. Just like before her arrival, I still get up in the pre-dawn hours, but my running shoes and I rarely make it out the door. Either my daughter has some need that must be fulfilled or I am too tired from tending to her earlier that I cannot possibly make it out of bed at this god-forsaken hour. Combine that with the fact that I was likely up too late the night before trying to tick off one last item on my to-do list and you get a sleepy thirty-something who has taken more than his fair share of rest days.
Now, a few solid months into being parents, my wife and I seem to have a handle on our routine (at least as much as any new parents can) and are enjoying our new baby. While that is something to be proud of, I am less thrilled about the dad-bod that has recently started staring back at me in the mirror. So, what does any runner do when the cheeks get a little more pinchable, and the love-handles start to return? Sign up for a race of course!
I’ve got the marathon on my mind and will be doing Santa Rosa in August. While I am still working out exactly what plan to follow, I have some time to figure it out. Until then, I will start building a base, one mile at a time. Now if only I could get out of bed . . .