Do I have the words “media whore” tattooed on my forehead? I must. There is no other credible explanation for why the Austin American Statesman’s videographer plucked me out of the crowd at the Austin Marathon finish line. I had just finished my half marathon and was still in the process of making an inventory of my images when the guy snagged me and asked, “Why do you run?”
Being a good DadLabber, I gave him the company line about “doing it for the kids,” yadda, yadda, yadda.
But that is a big fat lie. I apologize to the Statesman, the videographer, and all those that watched this video. I perjured myself.
Maybe my kids are positively influenced by my exercise routine. Doubtful. Maybe they learn something about old guys keeping up their athletic ambitions, but it’s probably not the lesson I have in mind.
Doesn’t matter because my running is purely selfish. If I’d been honest, I would have said something like, “I need some time to myself, and I was kind of tired of being a fatass.” I’m not sure that would have made it into the video.
Of course, I hurt myself running the half marathon (denial is a dangerous thing), and I haven’t been able to run since. I have quickly reverted to older, less productive me time, the mostly involves playing BioShock and swilling Real Ale.
Exercise is obviously important, we all know that, especially for guys that are balancing work and family. Working out can be a hard thing to justify, especially in the family context, when owning something selfish is particularly difficult. I found it very easy to not exercise at all for a decade, in lieu of helping out with the kids.
Is finding time to exercise something that you find hard to justify to yourself or to your spouse?
You can have more than one reason to run, Clay.
I can’t seem to find time to work out – we even got an exercise bike last month that has been used a few times, but not as often as I would have liked. Still getting exercise, just in the form of moving 30 inches of snow. I’m not a huge fan of “alone time” for me, though I am for my wife because I know she needs it. I encourage her to run, jog, walk, swim – whatever it takes for her to get her body going and her mind slowing. I would hope that we all do that for each other – partnership is about improving each other in order to improve the whole.
Congrats on the run – hope you get back out there soon.
I of course do not run. I don’t believe in ‘accelerated pedestrianism.’ I don’t feel I have to justify skating to TheWife, but every once in awhile, I start feeling bad because my wife doesn’t have an activity even remotely similar, nor are her friends close enough to hang with every weekend.
But she’s awesome and totally supports my skating. It’s not a need to “get away from them” but more I need it to be me. I don’t know that it keeps me any fitter (physically), but I know it’s a huge boost to my mental well being.
It had been almost 4 weeks since my last skate session, and the winter blahs were already weighing me down. Just a one hour skate session last night really lifted my spirits, at least for a little while, because today is of course freakin’ Monday. But I think I can milk that stoke to get me through the rest of the week.
It helps when it’s a good session too. Sorry you’re injured DC. Try not to let “bioshock butt” settle in too hard.