Jimmy Davis is a former professional triathlete and top level runner, but above all he is a great friend! He is that guy that everyone wants to be around, always with a contagious smile and a positive outlook for life. When we invited him to help us coach the Kailua Run Club, we knew that it would be hard, since he has three babies at home. But he said ”Yes!, and I am going to bring my two assistants”. His lovely assistants are his four and two year old daughters. Fatherhood didn’t stop him from chasing his adventures but now he adapts and includes his babies in anyway he can. Lucky babies! Meet coach and dad Jimmy Davis:
What do you love about running?
Ideally, I love when my fitness is solid and my body is in “the zone,” when everything feels smooth and my I am lost in the moment. Running has such a variety too offer, we run slow and easy and think about life, our work, relationships, or problems that need to be worked out. Many of my work-related design challenges are solved mid-run with an inspirational thought. But what I really love is to run hard and fast, when my only thoughts are on the current moment, and my focus is absolute. If you want to feel absolute focus, run ten fast intervals on one minute recovery. It is an amazing experience when your body adapts over time to running fast intervals. I also love finding interesting races and combining vacation travel with races all around the world. One of my favorites was a race in Sardinia, Italy backpacking with my little brother, where nobody spoke any English and we embraced the culture and ate the best food you could imagine, and drank local wine all night long after the race.
Many of my work-related design challenges are solved mid-run with an inspirational thought. But what I really love is to run hard and fast, when my only thoughts are on the current moment, and my focus is absolute.
How do you balance fatherhood with your passion for running?
Honestly, running has taken a back seat to fatherhood. I am lucky to have had 12 years of racing before I became a father, so for the most part my competitive side is fulfilled. I still crave challenges, but I want to roll around the floor with my two year old and that doesn’t happen after long runs when I’m tired. I sneak runs when I can get them, mid-day in the hot sun, early morning before the family wakes up, or with the kids on Wednesday nights, pushing my two girls all around Kailua in the jogging stroller at Lanikai Juice Run Club. My competitive passion now guides my goal to complete all the long-standing races on Oahu: HURT 100, Pearl Harbor Bikepath 10k, even Ekiden, and all these races that have been around for a while that I have yet to do. I did the Waikiki Roughwater Swim last fall for the first time, and had the idea to spend the next few years and finish these Oahu events.
I still crave challenges, but I want to roll around the floor with my two year old and that doesn’t happen after long runs when I’m tired.
What is your favorite thing about the Lanikai Juice Run Club?
I really like the camaraderie that exists in the Kailua group, everyone knows each other, we have great conversations before and after the runs, we have a lot of single’s who come and meet other people, it reminds me of the early days of the Niketown run club in Waikiki. The ambiance at our run club is very friendly, and we have such great support from Lanikai Juice with giveaways, free smoothies, incredibly knowledgeable coaches. We do our small part in supporting a positive spirit for healthy living.
You get a bit of exercise here and there, but it’s not the time to count on routine training (or you may come home to an empty house), it’s time to exercise when you can, but not at the expense of being present to help out and build a bond with a new baby. A rested mother is so much more pleasant than an exhausted mother, so do your best to give her time to rest when she’s tired.
One tip for all dads that wants to keep in shape…
After three kids I can honestly say that the first 6 months after a baby is born are a wash. You get a bit of exercise here and there, but it’s not the time to count on routine training (or you may come home to an empty house), it’s time to exercise when you can, but not at the expense of being present to help out and build a bond with a new baby. A rested mother is so much more pleasant than an exhausted mother, so do your best to give her time to rest when she’s tired. When I did this my wife would then smile and push me out the door for a workout. It’s a give and take, and mutually beneficial. It gets easier once the kids are toddlers and your routine will return to normal. It’s also smart to have your running clothes and shoes in the car at all times, so if you’re out with your family you can run home instead of driving, or catch an hour to run at the park while the baby is sleeping and momma is pushing him around in the stroller. Often times we are type-A endurance athletes, but if we can be adaptable and it’s a lot more likely we’ll get our time to workout.
thank you for sharing Jimmy!
wish you all a lovely father’s day
mariane
