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Leo Baubata is one workout daddy that you must read about!

Leo is the author of one of my favorite blogs, Zen Habits, which is a blog about everything from achieving goals to getting organized. In addition to his full time writing and blogging, Leo is a dad to SIX, (yes six!), children.

And he is a runner. A marathon runner at that. An event which requires hours upon hours of training and daily dedication.

Leo took up running in December of 2005 (after quitting smoking) and he is now training for his second marathon.

How does he have the time, right? I got the chance to ask him just that question and he graciously agreed to be interviewed for Workout Mommy.

Below is our interview, and here are a few key points:

• Make exercise an appointment in your day that cannot be canceled.
• Exercise with your partner or give each other the time to exercise alone. Hire a babysitter if necessary.
• The best blog posts are created while running. (more reason to run, right?)
• Yet another person who loves their Asics! We don’t leave home without them!

Q: You have six children, how do you find time each day to exercise?

A: Well, I set aside a block of time for exercise and I don’t let that block be violated. This often means that my wife will watch the kids while I exercise, or we’ll find a babysitter if we want to exercise together. We plan our day around this block of time.Another thing that also works for me is finding an exercise partner, because that helps ensure that you’ll stick to the appointment. I’m fortunate to have my wife and my sister as exercise partners. Also, I find times that work well for my schedule, including early morning (5a.m. usually) or early evening (6 p.m. or so), when I have time to exercise. One more tip: get your kids involved in exercise! My kids like to go with us to the park and ride their bikes, and two of my sons are starting to jog with me. It’s a lot of fun, and it’s a good way to get kids active and healthy.

Q: You haven’t always been a runner, how has it changed your life (outside of the physical changes)? Why do you enjoy running?

A: Running is one of my favorite things to do nowadays. I love it because it’s such a release of all the stresses of the day, from work to dealing with the kids to dealing with the million things that need to get done around the house. It’s also a great time to think, to commune with nature, and to meditate. I always feel better when I run.

Q: Does your wife exercise as well and when does she find the time?

A: My wife runs, but not as much as I do. Often we’ll go together, a few times a week, in the evenings. Sometimes, when we can’t find a babysitter, I’ll watch the kids while she runs in the evening.

Q: Has your training for your second marathon changed from the training you did for your first?

A: Well, I had a better base of mileage the second time around, because I was more of a runner this time. The first time, I kinda dove right into it almost as soon as I started running — I was barely running 3 miles when I decided I would go for the marathon. I should have given myself more time to build up endurance, in retrospect. This time around, my endurance was much better, so I didn’t need as much time (just a few months as opposed to a year the first time). However, I would have liked an extra month of training this time to be better prepared. I just hope to finish, and ideally beat my time from the first one (I hit the wall and finished real slow the first time).

Q: Do you “blog” in your head while you are running?

A: Definitely! Running is one of my favorite times to come up with blog ideas, and sometimes I’ll think an idea through and practically compose the entire post in my head. Then I just spit it out when I sit down at the computer. Running is a great time for reflection, and that’s where I get my best blog posts.

Q: What brand of running shoes do you wear?

A: Asics - Gel Cumulus. Some of my running friends swear by other brands (Saucony, Mizuno, Brooks), and they sound great, but I just don’t have the courage to stray from a model that works well for me. It’s hard for me (as a cheapskate dad) to shell out $100 for a shoe that might not be what I’m looking for. I think we runners often develop too much of a loyalty to our brands because of this!

Please visit Zen Habits for some excellent tips, ideas, and thoughts on just about everything. I also highly recommend his ebook, Zen To Done: The Ultimate Simple Productivity System. It is a great resource that will help simplify your life.

Thank you Leo for inspiring me to make exercise a priority in my day and my life!

I’m off to be active gang, I hope you are too!

Written on Friday, March 14th, 2008 at 12:06 am
Filed under interviews.
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