What it is all about

I swam 1k last night at the indoor pool.....the annoying part is that in a 25m pool that's 40 laps.

 Anyway while I was there I noticed a father and his daughter arriving to swim together, she was about 15 and he was about 40. Firstly I think its great that they were there doing something active together, and I really hope that is me and my children one day. 

The point here is that the father was very overweight. For me this was like a glimpse into what my future may have been had I not discovered my desire to run. I looked at this poor man with pity as he struggled with the walk between the seats and the pool, and I realised what my exercise regime is really about.

The way that we see ourselves is unlikely to motivate us to change our ways for the better. However once you have kids, all you need to do is imagine the way your kids see you and this is a much more powerful motivator.

I grew up with a father who was lean and fit from working in an active job. I don't remember him ever exercising as such but he had hardly an ounce of fat on him. When I think about what my kids see, its a father who is overweight because his job is to sit behind a keyboard all day. The physical aspects of my job involve walking to the cafe, and raising the coffee mug to my mouth.

Since running has entered (perhaps dominated) my life my kids see a daddy who runs real fast, who is active and committed. By the time they get to 15 I hope they see a daddy who is lean and fit, and works hard to lead an active lifestyle. Not one who (as I used to do) needs to have a lie down after mowing the lawns.

My son said the other day while playing with a car "Dadda this car is really fast, its almost as fast as you when you go out for a run" This is the kind of daddy I want my kids to see. He is starting to get upset when we go to runs and he cant run with me, but I'm not sure he is ready for a 5k just yet. 

The point here is that he wants to run. Something I never did until I turned 32 and this will help to shape the man he will become in the future.

The human body is capable of amazing things but we all need to find the trigger inside us that will drive us to achieve amazing things. In the way my kids see me, I have found my source of motivation.