The Running Dad and the Mission Inn Half Marathon

Hello there! Welcome back to Unexpected Abundance! I’m really glad you’re back for another great conversation. Since I began blogging last year in April, I had no idea what this would turn into. Of course, I had visions and goals, which I still do, but I didn’t know what to expect! I was engaged when I started posting, and over the course of a year and some months, my life has transformed into something so beautiful that I didn’t know could happen. My wife and I got married last September, and we welcomed our beautiful baby boy this past June.

Since becoming a parent, I’ve gained a lot of perspective on a lot of things in life. I’d like to think I was grateful before, but I truly gained a sense of gratitude for every small and big thing in life. I never thought I’d enjoy hearing a baby cry in the middle of the night. Not that I enjoy hearing him in pain, but the sound of him being alive and healthy is reflected through his loud cries. It brings me joy and peace to see him open his eyes and see the world around him. To hear his baby noises and carry him in my arms brings me so much peace and happiness.

It's the little things that bring me happiness nowadays. Not that I didn’t enjoy them before, but I have found a new sense of gratitude and joy. A similar thing happened to me when I first started running. I found running to be hard and stressful. A run of 3 miles really stressed me out because I was scared to get shin splints, or to feel pain. I was afraid to push myself and go long distances. I always thought, “That is too long of a distance for me.” In hindsight, that mentality didn’t let me enjoy the little things with running.

Fast forward to now, running is still hard, but I focus on the small things more. The feeling of my feet hitting the pavement or the feeling of my lungs working with each breath. Or that feeling when I lace up the shoes and get the run underway. Or even better, when I run early in the morning before the world is awake and there’s a sense of stillness and peace. Running 20 miles still sucks, but it’s the little things that keep me going. Not to mention the sense of accomplishment I feel when I do complete a run, whether it’s a 15 minute recovery run or the LA Marathon.

Now that I’m a father, things have changed quite a bit. Most of my time and energy is focused more on my family. Nothing has really mattered in the last few months except for God and family. As I begin to transition to this new life of a father, I’ve learned that maximizing time is going to be important in order for me to take care of myself. To be the father and husband I want to be, I need to prioritize my health and fitness. So I’ve signed up for the Mission Inn Half Marathon on Oct. 20th here in Riverside, CA.

Training for it has been different than my other marathon preps. I help feed the baby throughout the night, so I never run on 8 hours of sleep. Sometimes, the baby has a rough feeding, so the timing doesn’t work out for me to go run before work. My wife spends all day with the baby, and I want to give her a break and provide support. I can’t spend 4 hours running on a Saturday morning because I want to spend time with the baby and my wife needs help with feeding him. But I have enjoyed the runs I’ve done so far, and I’m looking forward to training in this new phase of my life. I hear people mention that their lives stopped once they had kids, and although that is true to an extent because you’re busy with the kids, that doesn’t mean you should lose interest in your hobbies or stop taking care of yourself. I’ve completed two weeks of training and they have gone really well.

I’m looking forward to providing the next update on how my training is going. I’m embracing this amazing new phase of my life, and making the adjustments to fulfill my role as father and husband to the best of my ability, all while taking care of myself. For experienced dads, I’d love advice on how you approached your health while being present as a father. There’s still so much for me to learn on this journey, but I know that God has given me the vocation of being a father and husband, and I’m going to maximize and enjoy each day. Today, I am filled with gratitude for the small things. I have a renewed perspective on life, and I’m looking forward to applying it in life and on the pavement.

Thank you for joining me today! I know today’s post was a little different, but it’s important to reflect and be grateful. Expect to see more posts on my training for the Mission Inn half marathon, along with more blogs coming down the road.

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Until next time, happy running!