Jogging with My Son and How to No Longer Make Excuses

20 Jun 2012

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Healthy Weight Loss

by Tony

The term “No Excuses” is different for everyone. Some people like to yell it at others when they do not want to do something, such as workout or eat right. Some people use it as a way to motivate themselves through the day. Some people just like to say it for no apparent reason.

For me it is a little different. It is personal.

I have been making excuses my whole life. Excuses got me to 420 pounds. Excuses got me to taking heart and cholesterol medications. Excuses got me to worry more about reality shows than my own life. Excuses have taken away the ability to be the best I could be.

When tragedy hit my family a year ago I knew that life needed to go on. It is never easy. In fact, it was the hardest thing I ever went through.

Healthy eating could not take a break or I would go back to wearing 5XL shirts. I have a food addiction. My addiction is fueled by hard times. I had to be there for my wife and my son. My wife has supported me throughout my weight loss, and I know she did not want me to go back to my old ways.

Workouts also could not stop. Yet, at the time, I could not go to the gym as much. My wife was still recovering from the hospital and I was in charge of our two year old son.

I could have taken time off. There was a fear though. A fear I would not want to work out again. Was there a way for me to work out?

This is where I decided to start running with my son.

I hate running. I hate it with a passion. I have never liked it.

I know that some people love it and devote their lives to entering millions of races. They talk about being in 5K races and all the fun apps that track their trails.

Me… I love going to the gym. I love free weights and cardio machines.

But I also know I could not make excuses. I could not go a day, week, month or year without working out…

So I thought I had it all planned out. We have a stroller at home, yet my wife told me it was not designed for jogging. This is funny since almost every one of our strollers is the brand “Baby Jogger”.

“But it is called Baby Jogger?”
“That is just the brand. The model we have is not designed for jogging.”
“But it is called Baby Jogger?
“Just go out and get a cheap jogging stroller”
“But it is called Baby Jogger?”
“GET OUT!!!”

So I went to Babies R Us and got a cheap running stroller.

This stroller felt like it weighed 50 pounds. It was bulky and did not fold up well. But it had speakers on it, so I could play music for my son.

The first time my son and I went jogging, he hated it. He screamed the whole time. I had to stop every five seconds to give him a different snack. Plus, I forgot to put sunscreen on him, so he got a little burnt. I know what you are thinking… FATHER OF THE YEAR!!

But I noticed one thing. When I would go a little faster than normal, he would laugh. I decided to try again.

So the next time we did this, I went a little faster. He did not cry. I ran for over an hour. He had sunscreen on. It was much better.

So we would go a few times a week. He would wave at all the lady joggers who thought he was cute. I would wave at all the lady joggers who thought I might have kidnapped this cute kid in a stroller.

But it was a pretty good workout. I would wear a hoodie outside and sweat. He would look at me in the stroller and throw his fist in the air to go faster. My times are not anything to brag about. They are actually pretty slow. But my heart rate stayed up.

My wife recovered from the hospital and I was able to go back to the gym like normal.

Once in a while, I go running with my son. Only with him. I will not run by myself.

My wife said I should enter in some races like a 5K. I tell her I still hate running. This is a personal thing for my son and me.

I love being with my son. Sometimes in order to live, you have to do things outside of your comfort zone. I love the fact that my son will never got to meet the 420 pound version of his dad.

So if you see a short bald man in your neighborhood wearing a hoodie, sweating profusely and pushing a stroller that is blasting Demi Lovato with the cutest kid in the world, remember one thing.

He has made enough excuses in his life. This is his definition of “No Excuses”. This is definition of real living.

Be well!

Tony

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