I have been known to run my mouth, run a fever and especially since I’ve become a dad run late. But I don’t actually run. I do not run in races, marathons, with clubs or by myself. Running has become quite the craze in recent years. Also it seems like a large percentage of the blogging world is also part of the running world which is fine it is just not really my thing.

Do you know what also isn’t really my thing? Getting pelted with stuff. It is true. I would say I actively avoid being pelted with stuff on most occasions. But that is not what I did today. Today for reasons beyond me I went for a run, and got pelted with stuff all at the same time.

Today I participated in Run Or Dye along with 6500+ of my closest friends. It was an interesting experience that is for sure. The atmosphere was one of a lot of fun and excitement. There was loud music and a lot of shouting. The crowd was filled with people that clearly were running junkies. Even though most of them were not wearing their previous race gear they had that vibe about them. There also seemed to be a good contingent of people there that like to sign up to do wacky things. Things like mud sliding and pumpkin racing, and giant food fights. Thankfully there were also people there that seemed more like me. People who don’t run and don’t typically allow themselves to be pelted with things. People who wanted to take their kids out for something that likely would be fun.

We decided to name our team Rainbow Dash. This came about because Laura of Mommy-Miracles heard me remark about two years ago that out of the kids shows we were watching I liked My Little Pony’s the best. That was not so much an endorsement of My Little Pony’s as it was a reflection of everything else we were watching. At the time it was the only childrens show we were watching that had plot and character development. Since then she has insisted on describing me as a Brony.

The name turned out to be fairly accurate. I ended up being fairly rainbowie and I did some dashing. With Asher safely on my back covered by his ergo baby carrier I did my best to keep pace with Simeon. We did something that look more or less like jogging most of the way. In the end we finished the the race in 35:49:12. I know that is hardly a groundbreaking land record but it was the only 5ks* I have ever done and we had a lot of fun.

This race, among other things, has caused me to think more about my level of health and fitness. The kids are all getting older, more active, and they still want to play with me. A few weeks ago Simeon and I were playing at the Sackville Sports Stadium. We were jumping in and out of the pool, jumping off the diving board, running along the floating platform. It was a lot of fun, but boy oh boy did my muscles ache and did I ever feel winded.

Oh yeah Daddy this is lots of fun…

I don’t like feeling that way. I want to be able to play at full tilt with my kids and not feeling like I am going to pass out. Does this mean I will pick up the mantle of the runner? I doubt it. I really don’t like to run. But I know it is high time to make some changes. Because I know the next time we go as a family to Run or Dye I want to be able to run without feeling like I am going to die.