I *heart* my running buggy! Off we go: I’m happy, Hector’s happy.

We managed to get out at about 9.30am and there was quite a breeze, so it wasn’t too hot (actually, I really struggled pushing the buggy at one point when we found ourselves head-on to the wind!). Another glorious day, so lots of people out and about. The Chinese ladies were doing their power-walk-chat session, one lady had one of those fluffy little dogs in a basket…surely it would prefer to scamp around?! I have decided to say hello to everyone, even if they do the shifty eye-averting thing: ‘Hello! Yes, you!’ it makes it all more friendly and less threatening. One chap commented that Hector seemed to be really enjoying himself as we dashed by - he was shouting and chattering to himself at the time

Yesterday we went for a walk and ended up at the paddling pool, but I felt very unprepared so didn’t go in, apart from a toe-dip. We saw one of Hector’s friends - and his mum - and she said she had a spare nappy, but (I’ll seem like a weirdo now) I didn’t want to accept because I knew it would be a disposable nappy and I don’t want them going anywhere near Hector’s bum (it was also blazingly hot and I would rather he had on a long-sleeved top to protect his milky white skin). So today I promised that we would go for a paddle and I packed all the necessary bits and bobs.

We were the only ones there.

This didn’t matter because Hector really, really enjoyed it, even though the temperature made him gasp as he went in up to his thighs! I would heartily recommend a dip in a cool pool after a run, it felt so good to take off my running shoes and slip my feet in to the shimmery water.

As we were packing up to go I noticed a bloke at the picnic table on the other side of the railings, he was staring at us. I looked again and he was still staring and smiling, then he said hello in a slimy way. How stupid is this man? He was doing the ‘hello lovely lady’ slimy thing that lone female runners often get, but I was there with my baby, it’s totally innapropriate! Arrrghghgh, go away!

Time: 30.25

Distance: 2.97 miles

Average Pace: 10.14

Best Pace: 7.23

Calories: 340

It’s been soooo hot here recently, too hot to go out running during the day and expose poor Hector to the scorching rays. Yesterday morning he was awake at 5am - a usual time for us at the moment - and I thought, after playing, reading books, wandering around the house ‘why not go out for a run while it’s cool?!’. So we did.

It was about 6.30am by then and we were in a very strange world. Along the streets there was so much rubbish: fried chicken cartons, beer cans etc and the streets were also littered with people who were just schlepping home from the night before! As we ran around the smaller of the two parks, I felt suddenly vulnerable. There were only two other people around - two big blokes who looked like they were from the Saturday night/Sunday morning category - and I felt a bit silly for taking Hector out into this weirdness. Anyway, I decided to head over to the bigger park which was a totally different world: groups of women doing their speed walking, plodders, dog walkers, it was much friendlier and far less threatening.

We had gone out at this time to avoid the heat but it was already hotting up and I felt very thirsty - the good thing about running with the buggy is being able to carry stuff…but I hadn’t actually remembered to do so :/ We did our usual stop at the pond and saw some lovely fluffy goslings (being watched very carefully by their parents) and had a little look at the paddling pool which is now open. There was a man cleaning it, which was reassuring.

Time: 38.55

Distance: 3.60 miles

Average Pace: 10.48

Best Pace: 6.58

Calories: 450

I had a good look round for Hector’s missing sock, but it seems long gone now.

Yes, I’ve been away from here for a couple of weeks: first of all Hector had the most horrible teething time and I couldn’t put him down, and on top of that he had a cold and then I got a nasty flu type thing that then became a cough. Arrrrrghghghg! So, I haven’t really felt like running.

But this morning, wow what a gorgeous day! We had lovely weather here in London yesterday too, but this is full on scorchio at nine in the morning weather. I didn’t think I would need to slap on the sun cream and don the shades, but that’s how sunny it is. It felt great to be back out and there were an awful lot of runners/walkers/speed walkers and plodders in the park to say hello to and to smile at Hector.

Something I have noticed about running with a baby is that I have to let go of my post run routine a bit. I have always been religious about stretching, but now my priority is to sort Hector out first (feed, nappy, play etc) then grab a quick shower (whilst singing ‘This is the way we wash ourselves…’ and so on) and try and gulp down some water…I suppose I will manage a stretch at some point today!

Time: 33.32

Distance: 2.90 miles

Average Pace: 11.33

Best Pace: 8.22

Calories: 374

When we got back I noticed Hector had kicked off one of his socks, so we’ll have to pop back out and try and locate it

I somehow managed, on Tuesday, to get out for a run. Poor little Hector is really suffering with his fourth tooth and has spent the past few days asleep on my chest, or crying. To top it all, I now have a cold, or ‘Mum Flu’ - that’s a bit like ‘Man Flu’ but instead of acting like you’re on death’s door you carry on battling through as if everything was alright.

After a difficult night on Monday, Hector seemed to be picking up so I thought he might drop off if I took him out for a run, but he was quite awake once we got going and chattered away to himself as we did a few circuits of the park. I did know he wasn’t quite himself when we stopped off at the pond and he just stared at the birds

So, I don’t think we’ll get out today - I’m feeling too crappy (and sooooo tired), but maybe tomorrow.

Time: 34.06

Distance: 3.06 miles

Average Pace: 11.09

Best Pace: 8.41

Calories: 372

I have given FitArtist a new look to go with the renewed enthusiasm. I will try and add a new photo at the top to reflect the weather and our routes. I have also added a Tag Cloud facility, but don’t have any tags yet. i doubt I will ever manage to add tags to all of my posts, so this will reflect just the recent ones…I do like tag clouds, they look so interesting.

I’m so happy

I have been looking at running buggies on Ebay for a while and keep missing out - why do people insist on bidding early and bumping the price up, don’t they know you’re supposed to lurk in the background and leap in at the last minute?! So, these buggies are going for at the cheapest £100 and I don’t have £100 right now so decided to chance it on Freecycle. Now Freecycle is simply marvellous: you join your local group and you can look at the things people are offering, things they no longer need and you can also make requests for things you need. We have given a few things away and it’s a lovely way to meet local people and have a sense of community, so I put up a ‘wanted’ post for a running buggy.

These buggies have three large, bicycle type wheels and are incredibly lightweight with a hand-break on the handle bars and a wrist strap in case you let go. The ‘one’ is an American make called Baby Jogger, which has received good reviews, but is quite expensive. Anyway, I had not one, but two offers and yesterday Hector and I went over to collect the first one we were offered. I was so excited! The lovely chap showed us how to assemble the buggy and gave us the instruction book, and I put a sleeping Hector in and off we went (I decided to walk home to get used to it). It’s lovely! I couldn’t believe how light it is and how easily it rolls over different surfaces; I had quite a spring in my step!

This morning I couldn’t wait to strap Hector in and have a run in the park, so off we went. At first I felt a little self-conscious running along our road and had to negotiate all the curbs and wonky paving slabs, but I soon got the hang of it and also realised that people had stopped staring at me and were distracted by the smiling baby on board! I now have something to hide behind when I run The park bit of the run was great: they have recently laid new paths so they are very smooth and wide, giving Hector a brisk ride. It reminded me of when I was a child and I would rush off with my friends, roller skates on, and try out the newly-laid carpark, what fun!

I felt the buggy slowed me down at first, but once I’d got used to it I realised that i could just rest my finger tips on the handle bar, go one-handed and even run alongside for a bit (with the wrist strap firmly in place, of course!). Hector seemed happy enough, but I did make two stops: one to see the ducks, geese, pigeons etc and one to have a ride on the swings, I didn’t want him to feel as if he was being ignored.

Time: 36.12

Distance: 3 miles 29

Average Pace: 10.59

Best Pace: 9.10

Calories: 377

I made it out again on Saturday morning while Edward entertained Hector. it does feel odd going around the park without the little chap in the sling - I even think to myself ‘Oh look, a doggie!’ when I pass a dog walker!

I decided to try and slow down a bit, which worked this time and my chest felt less tight. it was pretty windy and quite cold, but beautifully sunny and crisp…my favourite kind of morning. On a Saturday you see more plodders, maybe just weekend plodders, and small groups of older women who do a kind of speedwalk. I decided to say hello to everyone I passed because they would so easily just skulk past without acknowledging you and I think it’s good to feel a part of the park community!

I had forgotten about slimeballs who shout things as you run by. As i neared home and bloke called out ‘You wan’ company?’. Hmmmm, if I wanted company I would be with my boys, not hanging out with you, Mr Greasy!

Time: 24.38

Distance: 2.47 miles

Average Pace: 9.58

Best Pace: 7.02

Calories: 268

I sneaked a little run in this morning Hector has not been fooled by this clock-changing malarky and was awake at 6am as usual (in ‘old’ time terms, that’s 5am, remember!). I managed to entertain him for about half an hour before he ’said’ ‘right, get up, I want to play!’. I thought it was Edward’s turn, since he was out playing/watching football last night, so let him do the playing. As I lay there I thought ‘Oooh, I could just leap up and go for a run right now!’, so I did.

It felt very odd being out of the house without Hector, but it was only for twenty minutes and this time I had my - charged up - Garmin on, so could see how fast, long and far I was going. As I had suspected, I was going quite fast, no wonder my lungs were aching! But, for some reason, I found it very difficult to slow down. Before I had a baby I had reached a point in my running where I didn’t feel I had to prove anything: I had conquered great distances so felt valid in my running, but now I feel like a beginner all over again and set off way too fast as if I’m saying ‘Look at me, I can do it!’. I really do need to get over this and pull back a bit when I run or I’ll end up injured.

So, here goes, here are the stats for my first run with my Garmin since starting back:

Time: 22.17 mins

Distance: 2.21 miles

Average Pace: 10.04

Best Pace: 7.16

Calories: 240

Minus the to and from home, the run looked a bit like this:

After breakfast, we went swimming, so I got my upper body workout whilst bobbing Hector up and down in the water and squatting low in the shallow end.

Yes, I am still here! Goodness me, it’s been months since I updated…I haven’t really been a very FitArtist recently and the day-to-day duties are preventing me from finding time to update here as well. Right, excuses over, I am back out running properly and will try and update more often!

So, it’s Mother’s Day here in the UK and that means my very first Mother’s Day as a real mother, and what a treat I’m having! The boys have really been looking after me: a fantastic card from Hector with his first finger painting (I’m so proud), a mini lie-in (half an hour extra!), a delicious big breakfast/brunch, lamb shanks on the way and I got out for a run We went to the butcher’s to get the lamb, Edward with Hector in the buggy and me in my running gear taking in laps of the two parks along the route. I felt fantastic in my muscles, limbs, and bones but my chest was tight: my asthma is a bit bad at the moment. I had forgotten how annoying people can be if you go out running in the middle of the day: salivating old men having a good stare at my running tights region, stupid chavvy girls giggling at me and the Sunday league footballers stopping play to take it all in. I suppose I am out of practice and will re-learn how to ignore this sort of thing soon enough (or stick to early mornings where it’s just me and the dog walkers).

I don’t know how far or fast I ran as my Garmin was out of juice (Edward has been using it on his bike ride to work), and that might be why I felt it a challenge in my chest: I think I was running quite fast. This is not the only run I have done since the last post, by the way, I had a particularly good streak at the end of last year/beginning of this when we spent a week away in Norfolk. We were staying just minutes from a gorgeous sandy beach and really took advantage of this with fantastic birthday and New Year’s Day runs in the blustery air…hmmmmm, it was wonderful to look ahead and see waves crashing and an empty beach stretched out in front…

I decided to defer the London Marathon until next year, when I will hopefully be able to give it the training it needs and I will have my own little fan club to cheer me on rather than wanting me to stop and feed him! I will aim instead to build back up to my pre-pregnancy fitness over the next year with a few shorter races in the meantime to give me goals to work towards. For now I think I will work towards a 10k and see how it goes - this will be made up of two runs at the weekend and an attempt to fit one in during the week while the boys sleep. We’ll see!

After trying in the ballot for the past five years, I have finally got a place in the London Marathon! I knew when the envelope arrived this morning because it’s normally clear plastic and you can see the big ‘Sorry!’ before you hurriedly open it, but this time the envelope was dark blue and revealed this when I ripped it open:

I was very excited, but soon realised I will probably have to defer entry because I can’t realistically train at the moment. Hmmmm, and I would have been eligable for an automatic entry in 2009 anyway if I had been rejected 5 times!

I would love to run in 2008…

We took Hector for another swim on Friday after having such a lovely time last week. The pool is heated to the perfect temperature for tiny bodies and feels like climbing into a bath. Hector absolutely loves it: he looks at the surface of the water, fascinated by the ripples and jumping light and he lays back in our arms and has a good old kick. The first week we went, I was able to have a little swim whilst Edward played with Hector and it was simply delicious to be back in the water, stretching my limbs out and easing my stiff back (lifting and carrying a growing baby is not good for the old back bones). This week we were unfortunately kicked out. No, we weren’t up to no good ‘heavy petting’ or ‘dive bombing’ or anything like that, we had just timed it badly and ended up clashing with a swimming lesson. What is it about swimming instructors? Every time I have been at a public pool when a lesson is taking place, I have been very rudely asked to leave, they have no charm whatsoever.

Anyway, Edward complained to the man on the desk and he eventually gave us vouchers for two free swims, quite right too when he should have told us before we went in. He said ‘half an hour is usually long enough for most people’, but he has obviously never had to undress both himself and a little baby whilst trying not to let his clothes fall onto the wet floor…we will persevere though and go again next week, it’s so good to get Hector feeling happy in the water. How lovely to have a real water baby