Get in Shape (Without Hating It)

Start a Routine During Deployment…and Stick With It

By Thomas Litchford


Last summer, when Danielle was temporarily assigned to Virginia, my goal was to hit the streets of Newport on the bike with Sean in the toddler seat and train for an organized ride in the spring. I crashed and burned. I was in worse shape than I’d thought, and riding with an extra 30 pounds over the back tire took all the fun out of it.

Meanwhile, I’d been reading Facebook and Twitter updates from my friend John about his daily jogging and organized 5k runs. So I decided to ask him how he does it.

As a father of a two-year-old, how do you find time to run? What’s your secret? Black magic?

The secret, of course, is that there's never just one secret. 

Cliché time: I make it a priority. My health and well-being and sanity are more important than washing dishes or cleaning floors. Some days it's literally the only thing I get to do for myself, so it's gonna happen. 

I often start an exercise routine when Danielle deploys, but then I quit. Why do you think it’s difficult to stick with it? 

I think we all want to make the most of the time when we have our spouses around, by spending time with them and doing all the stuff we don't have time for when they're away ... so it's easy to let the things we should be doing, like workouts, take a back seat. 

[Ruth and I] had to take the long view of it; a half-hour together watching TV now isn't worth it if we find ourselves physically unable to do the things we want to do later on. 

You and your wife both run organized races. Does she motivate you, and vice versa? 

She helped convince me to start running, and we both keep each other going when we're having a hard time. There's nothing better for keeping with a program than having the most important person in your life be involved. 

How do you chart your progress? 

I'm a member at a free website called DailyMile (www.dailymile.com), which acts both as a training log and as sort of a virtual workout club or "Facebook for athletes." My support system stretches from Maine to California and other continents. There's no doubt in the middle of a long run I feel accountable to them to put in my miles. 

What’s the best piece of advice you have for someone who’s looking to get into shape? 

Have a written goal – "lift weights 3 times a week for three months," "run a 5k in six months," – then start slow. There are no quick results, but there are plenty of quick injuries that make it easy to get discouraged. 

You have to try different things and give them a chance until you find something you enjoy. 

What about for someone who’s started a routine but is having trouble sticking with it?

Find someone, or several someones, to work out with. Then sign up for a competition together, whether it be a 5k, a local bike race – something with an entry fee. The thought of letting down friends or wasting money can be powerful motivators.