If Only I Didn’t Need to Sleep

Written by Christopher Robinson-Keys

If only I didn’t have to sleep, I might actually get everything done in a day that I wanted.

I’m a very involved father of two.  Before our wonderful family came along, my wife and I were daily regulars at the gym.  But once you’ve helped out with the midnight feedings, wakings and diaper changes of a newborn, catching maybe 4 hours of sleep each night, the drive and energy to get up early and exercise seems to evaporate.

You would think that once kids start sleeping through the night (most of the time), the energy and drive to exercise would reassert itself. But, like any other good habit, exercise takes discipline.


So when I signed up to run 5K in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon, I thought that my greatest hurdle would be finding time to train. I worked out a schedule with my wife, where she and I alternate days getting up at 5:15am to exercise. The person who isn’t exercising that morning is in charge of any overnight wake-ups from the kids. The schedule has worked well. Most weeks I get in three days of exercise. A far cry from my pre-fatherhood days, but it’s a start. Knowing how busy life can be and how precious a commodity time is, it made me wonder how other people made time to train for the marathon.

Katherine Victorio, Wellness Coordinator at North York General Hospital where I work, was kind enough to organise lunch and learn sessions to answer our running and marathon questions. That’s when I heard stories about how other runners fit training into their schedule.

Daphne Sniekers fits in her training by running to her son’s daycare after work. Meghan Moloney is an early morning exerciser like me; waking up in the wee hours of the morning to get her training in. I could certainly relate to Meghan when she said that the 5:30am alarm becomes even harder as September approaches and the most light outside is from the street lamps. As the days get shorter, and for personal safety, Meghan changes from outside training to exercising indoors.

As a busy executive, Dr. Tim Rutledge doesn’t have a set time to exercise: “With my schedule, I need to be flexible; it can be early morning, before dinner or after dinner. I make it a priority to find time 3 to 4 times a week… whether it’s swimming, running, elliptical training, cycling or even just walking.”

Hearing all these stories made me realise that the greatest challenge to exercise… my greatest challenge to exercise isn’t time, it’s motivation. It doesn’t matter whether you exercise in the wee hours of the morning, late in the evening, or right after work. What’s important is to keep motivated.  My motivation started by committing to run 5K in the 2013 Toronto Waterfront Marathon. 

Joining the North York Generals and asking people to sponsor my run made me feel like I was part of something. Attending the Running Lunch and Learn sessions and meeting other staff running on October 20th made me feel like part of a community… part of a team. 

It doesn’t matter when you exercise or how you exercise, if you exercise alone or with part of a group.    As Dr. Rutledge said, “Our health must be a priority. The health of our mind and body are inextricably linked.”    

I’m not sure what my motivation to exercise will be after the Marathon, but I can’t help feeling that being part of the team at North York General has started me on a journey. And wherever this journey takes me, I know that I will hit the ground running.