Category Archives: Running

When I think about you, I kick myself

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“So, we meet again Mr Jogging Dad. How are we this time around?” He said in an annoyingly nonchalant tone.

“Fuck off, I’m in no mood for this shit right now” I replied.

Crushed by Him, again

Crushed by Him, again

“I must say, you’re looking rather well, certainly better than the last time I saw you at this point. Still, looks can be deceiving. Let me just wonder insider your mind to see how you really are, shall I?”

Before I could abuse Him again, everything went silent except my own heavy breathing which, by this time, was gradually drowning out the music coming through the earphones.

Then He was back but, this time, with a much more malicious edge to His voice. Continue reading →

These are a few of my favourite scenes

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Last Thursday, Roger Ebert passed away in Chicago. For those who don’t know him, you may find this post to be as boring as bat-shit, perhaps even more so than my usual ramblings.

What's the matter with you?!

What’s the matter with you?!

I have been following Mr Ebert’s film reviews since I was in my late teens, a time when I lived and breathed movies, so much so that I was even foolish enough to have dreamt of becoming a movie director one day. Fast forward 20 years, I now live and breathe being a family man, so much so that I no longer dream of becoming anything. However, the love for films has remained to this day and so has my habit of reading Mr Ebert’s film reviews. Continue reading →

Music to my ears

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Can't run without it.

Can’t run without it.

I have been sent a number of emails since this Blog began in October last year, asking me one question. Actually, I lie. I say “a number of emails” only to give the impression that I have a big following in the blogsphere. In fact, I have had just three emails in all that time asking me to explain or elaborate one aspect of my life. The question is actually quite mundane and merely reflects the curiosity that these three much-valued readers (a rather material percentage of my readership) has about this strange person called The Jogging Dad.

However, before I address this question (which will take just a couple of sentences), I just want to ramble a bit on another mundane aspect of my life – something that I sporadically talk about but in no way does justice to how much of an integral and personal part of my running life it is, namely, music. Continue reading →

When running on empty …

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I went for another long run early this afternoon, in preparation for my marathon next month. It was a 30-degree celsius day but felt like at least 35, as the cloudless sky gave no respite from the fierce sun.

At around the 23km mark, I really began to suffer from the heat. It didn’t help that my mind

Run, Jogging Dad, run
Run, Jogging Dad, run

started to be unkind, niggling me with remarks such as: “You’re tired already? After only 20-odd km’s? Do you realise that you’re barely half-way through the distance that you will be running next month“?

So I decided to give this mind of mine something to think about, something to dwell on instead of needling me on the preposterousness of running in this heat. I challenged it to come up with the most inspiring books and films on running that it has come across. Continue reading →

Why we do the things we do

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Running, parenting - all for love

Running, parenting – all for love

I have a marathon next month in Canberra, the capital city of Australia with a population of about one-tenth of Sydney – perfect for holding a 42.2km race without the need to disturb any traffic or anyone.

In preparation for this event (my second attempt at the distance), I decided to go for a long 24km run this afternoon. Not nearly enough but neither is the availability of time, what with my weekend bathing duties with the kids and the witching hour that is dinner.

At the risk of sounding self-congratulatory, it is amazing how far I have come though. If someone had told me in 2006 when I picked up running again, that I would reach a stage where 24km of non-stop pounding of the pavement and the heart will become as nonchalant a task as cleaning the car, I would have laughed at his face. I still remember the enormous struggle I had just to run 4km in those early days, and suffering the next morning as if I had done 40.

Continue reading →