Morning run at 5.30 am

Today I started the morning at 5.30 am. My son woke up at 5.00 am and decided to wake me too. I decided to start my early morning run, because I knew today with a meeting and work stacking up, all the signals was pointing to a day where I might just miss my run. The last 4 weeks when I left my home at Punggol for work, I was amazed to find runners on the road, pounding the streets at 7.00 am. Serious runners of all sizes training for a race and keeping fit. When I reach the famed Bidadari cremation site, I will see one of the fittest soldiers the legendary gurkhas doing their run. Nearly hit a car, for losing my focus and looking at the runners, as the cars pile up to a jam. 

Lately in the last few years, the spouses of these Gurkha soldiers have started to run as well. Many years ago, you will able to sight the reluctant housewives in their traditional sarongs doing a run or a brisk walk. What a funny sight, and I would just laugh over it every time I see them doing that. As of now, they have progressed quite a bit, in their runs. They are running really fast, in their Nikes and Adidas and dressed in their sports attire. And they are really fast too. My guess they will be able to outrun some of own boys doing their national service in the military institutions.

Today' s run was invigorating to say the least. I also met my climbing friend who once held my life in a thread, on his new Cervelo bike doing his morning ride. Mike will be having his 3rd kid soon and any temptation to go to KL with me and my son to watch the tour de langkawi, was a no no. This is us now, fathers and corporate rat racers, who can only train in the windows of the  early mornings or at night. Finished a 6 K run and got home just in time to shower and send my son to school. 

What was I doing? I am influencing my son, not through words, but through actions and deeds. What are the gaps that we grapple with every day. Do our words match what we do? Are we telling our kids or are we modelling behaviour for them to follow? I watch my son a lot and he wears his watch on his right hand, though he is not a left hander. Where did he pick that up? He picked it up from me. As fathers. if we only knew the impact we make on our kids, we will think many times over why we have not done enough. Have you done more that you can for your child, think that over and perhaps today, plan a day with your child.