Travis Barker gets in a major workout every time he’s behind the drum kit with Blink-182, but he’s just as committed to staying fit off the stage as well.
After surviving a 2008 plane crash that left most of his body covered in burns, the musician, who turns 50 later this month, recommitted himself to health and wellness. Now he’s the proud proprietor of Run Travis Run, which hosts 5K races across the U.S. (the next one is set for Sunday, November 9, in Santa Monica). “We’ve had mariachi bands, we’ve had marching bands, drum lines, all sorts of things, to keep you motivated throughout the run,” he tells Us of the events, which draw “runners, athletes, punk rockers, cool artists” and more.
Barker tells Us more about why he loves running (and why he sometimes leaves wife Kourtney Kardashian at the starting line).
Are you a solo runner, or do you like to exercise with other people?
If my wife’s there, I’ll ask her, “Hey, do you want me to run with you?” And if I run with her, then I stay at her pace. But some mornings, I’m like, “Babe, I’m feeling kind of like I want to challenge myself,” and I’ll go for my personal record. There are times where I’m feeling great and I’m trying to break my own records, and then there’s times where I’m just there running with the family or Kourtney and just cruising. I want to get [our 2-year-old son] Rocky one of those runner [strollers] that you can push him in.
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Will he be into that?
As long as he has his guitar in his hand, he’s fine. He’s obsessed with music, specifically guitars, and he doesn’t go anywhere without a guitar. He walks through airports holding a guitar.
Are you at all offended that he’s taking up the guitar over the drums?
Well, he plays drums a little bit too. But what it’s done is it’s challenged me to learn the guitar with him so I can teach him, so I play guitar every day right now. And my oldest son, Landon, plays guitar, so it’s something we can all do together.
You took up running when you were recovering from the plane crash. What about running specifically was so healing for you?
I was told after my accident that I wouldn’t run again. I was told I possibly wouldn’t play drums again, and this list — I just kept checking everything off one by one. I just believe the bigger the sacrifice, the bigger the reward, and I live my life like that.
What do you love most about the support you get from the running community?
It’s meeting people that have never run before or walked before, been a part of a 5K, and them telling me how much it did for them. On every event that I’ve hosted, I’ve met someone that’s pushed me or or ran alongside me, and we motivated each other and we pushed each other. And the places it’s taken me, whether it’s beaches in South Carolina preparing for a race that I had a few days later, or running through Chicago or running through New York, those are just experiences I wouldn’t have without running.
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Are most of the people that come fans of your music and Blink-182, or is it a mix of everybody?
If I focus runs around a show that I’m playing, a lot of fans show up. But there’s people there in black metal makeup, there’s people in banana suits, there’s people in wheelchairs. It’s not a race. There’s Olympians there at the same time, right? So there’s people that are professional athletes — it’s really all over the place in the best way. And it was really important that my 5K’s and my races didn’t feel discouraging for anyone. Yes, you can go there and race. Yes, you can go there if you’re an athlete, but you can also go if you’re a normal person with kids and you just want to go walk and you want to be around people. It’s about bringing communities together too.
You’re turning 50 on November 14. How do you feel about that milestone?
I’m so proud of where I’m at at 50. It’s incredible. I’m healthier now than I’ve ever been, I’m in better shape now than I’ve ever been. I’m happier now than I’ve ever been. So it’s just, I just see it as a blessing. I love being 50. I love to say that I’m here. And I figured out so much that I didn’t know even five years ago.
When do you feel the strongest in your life?
Maybe after a cold plunge — cold plunge makes me feel so good. But I really don’t have bad days. I’ve been sober on and off for years, and I feel like I have no regrets with making my health and my wellness my No. 1 priority. It adds years to my life for me and my children, me and my family. To grow old with my kids and my wife, making good decisions and enjoying the benefits, it’s priceless.
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How does touring look different for you now than it did back when Blink-182 was first starting out?
Oh, so much has changed. I mean, with me personally, I always had a hard time flying. So, I would self-medicate for years just to be able to get on airplanes, and that led to a really, really unhealthy lifestyle. Led to an addiction. It never affected my drumming, and I was still able to play drums the way I wanted. But wow, overcoming that and taking care of myself, and getting to the point where anything I think of in my head I could play — and I’m in shape to play. Anything I want to do, as far as exercise or anything I can imagine, I pretty much can pull off because I’m taking care of myself, and it’s a different lifestyle. I tour with my kids. I also got to live that part of my life, so I’m never, [like], “Oh, I missed out on this. I missed out on that.” I’m so thankful for the way things are now. And I thought everything was easy then, but it’s so much easier the way I live now, with a healthy lifestyle and taking care of myself and being sober and eating right and training a lot.
You’re sober, you work really hard to eat healthily, but what’s your biggest indulgence?
Coffee and matcha. I love caffeine. It’s my only vice. And overtraining — like, not running three half-marathons before [another] half-marathon. You don’t need to do that. It’s just an ongoing process. I feel like you never stop learning or figuring things out.
