Travis Barker Says Running Makes Him a Better Father: 'I'm Never Tired Around My 2 Kids'

Blink-182’s Travis Barker decided to start running as soon as he found out he was going to be a father — and his dedication to the sport has had a positive impact on almost every aspect of his life.

“I first laced up for a serious run the day I found out my ex-wife [Shanna Moakler] was pregnant with our son, Landon [now 13],” the musician, 41, tells Runner’s World for its July issue. “I came home from the doctor’s office and ran to the freeway, which was four miles away. I’d never really run for fun before, but I did it every day until he was born. I was going to be responsible for someone and be a role model. That was the beginning of being in shape.”

Barker quickly fell in love with running, and so he was devastated when doctors told him he may never be able to hit the pavement again after a plane crash in 2008 left him seriously injured.

“Sixty-five percent of my body was burned and my right foot was almost amputated,” he said. “Doctors told me, ‘You will probably never run again. You may not play drums again.’ The minute they said that, those became challenges for me. Once I taught myself to walk again in the hospital, the first thing I wanted to do was play drums and run.”

Fortunately, he didn’t have to give up running — but he did give up many of his vices after the traumatic incident.

“I’ve been sober since the accident, but I’ve replaced all my bad addictions with good ones,” he said. “Now I get high off running.”

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In a behind-the-scenes video, Barker told the magazine that he likes to go for hour-long runs whenever he can.

“I’ll try to run for my cardio every day,” he said. “I don’t really listen to music or anything. It’s just my time to kind of vibe out and enjoy silence.”

Barker believes running helps him in all aspects of his life — including his career.

“I find that it helps my cardio,” he said. “Usually we do an hour and a half to two hour sets, so my stamina’s definitely got to be there.”

He also feels it helps him be a better father to son Landon and daughter Alabama, 11.

“I just love running. It makes me feel like I can conquer anything that comes at me,” said Barker. “I’m never tapped out. I’m never tired around my two kids. I owe a lot of that to running.”