First run at home

I set off this evening on my first run at home. Its tricky plotting routes when you're used to doing several/many miles for a short quick run! Picking a route thats only about a mile feels very unnatural. Anyway, pick a route I did of just over a mile. P took J out in the sling for a walk in the opposite direction to me on the same loop, so we met up along the way. It was lovely to be out running over the tracks again instead of walking.

All went well again, although I can feel the impatience already starting to build. I'm making every effort to contain it as I have to concentrate on frequency of runs, form and steady running before time, distance and speed. I had several niggles this time last year of which the achilles was the worst, and if I want to keep running into old age I do need to address these first and not just pound the miles etc.

So happy to be running again though. It really has made me feel great.

Run number 2

We stopped off on the way between parents today, at Parsley Hay, near Buxton in Derbyshire. P took J for a walk in the sling carrier and I ran up and down the Tissington/High Peak Trail, again concentrating on running in good form, smoothly and not on speed or distance.  It probably totalled about 15 minutes running in 4 bursts. It almost felt harder than earlier in the week, which I loved so much, just being out again, probably because I was expecting it all to come back easily. It hurt to be honest - in that unfit way.

My achilles is quiet and I've not felt anything from it. Long may that continue.

life with a baby

Well, its been a while and my life has changed beyond all recognition. I am now the proud mother of a lovely cute baby boy, and enjoying every minute of it (well nearly every minute!). This blog is about my running, biking and climbing and I think it will continue to be so, as I am now turning my thoughts towards getting fitter again. I'm not going to talk about my baby, how the labour was (although I think being fit made the world of difference!), all the ins and outs of being a parent, but what I do want to do is use this as a motivation much like it was in the beginning to get my self fit and active.

So I've made a return to running. I have been very sensible and waited till after my 6 week check up for a run. Meanwhile I had been getting out for almost daily short walks, from very soon after the birth. I've also had to go in search of a sports bra or two!! I am also very aware that I'm 'coming back from injury' as I had stopped running just before I got pregnant for 6 weeks to rest my achilles which was suffering from tendonitis. So its back to running but not as I know it.

Today was my first 'run'. We've been down at my parents for a few days so I took advantage of flat cycle tracks and my mum, who was on pram duties, and did a few shuttle runs around their estate to get used to running again. In total I ran for about 10 minutes but for no more than 2 minutes at a time, all very slowly. We shall see how the achilles responds....

Counting Down ....

I wasn't sure whether I'd keep this blog going once I found out I was expecting, as life was in for a big change, and then I thought that it might be good to keep a record of what I did manage to get up to with a growing bump.

Either way, the blog is still here but I haven't been posting.

I am now counting down to d-day. Its strange, I guess I'm able to still do more than a lot of women at the latter stages of their pregnancy and I'm really grateful for that,  but also I'm not doing what I secretly hoped I might still be able to do. Mostly its just been tiredness that has stopped me! An unrelenting tiredness which I couldn't get away from - quite hard to deal with when you're normally a bit of a duracell bunny. It also meant that work had to come first, and everything else second, unless I pulled a huge sickie..

So, I'm still getting out walking albeit very slowly now and for short distances. A good thing about living where I do it that there's no shortage of beautiful scenery, but I have to gaze longingly up the fell tops for now. I've also been doing aqua-natal, not something I'd normally touch with a barge pole, but have found it fun. I've also been spending more time doing yoga and our pilates ball has been getting much more use!

So, its with some excitement that I'm looking forward to the next step. I know its going to be very hard, but to be able to get out with the baby in the summer will be great - if we get a summer that is!

Lurgy-fied

Last Wednesday I started feeling like a cold was coming on and a week later I'm absolutely poleaxed by it! I'd tried to fight it and keep going but I guess being pregnant means that's not always on! Still now I've stopped I realised just how run down I am, so lots of duvet time, hot ribena and good books. The weather changed today too which has made it easier to stay curled up and warm.

Blakes Heaven and Harter Fell

Didn’t manage much during the week for one reason or another. At the weekend I helped out at the Blakes Heaven Fell race, on registration and finishing funnel. It was a bit frustrating not to toe the starting line with so many of my club mates and fellow runners, but equally satisfying to help out for once! All went well, we had a record entry of 104 runners, and counted them all back in again. Conditions were near perfect for a winter’s day, with blue skies, light snow of the fell tops, hardened ground and amazing views.

On Sunday, it was a bit cloudy, and cold again. P and I went for a walk up over Harter Fell from Jubilee Bridge and back down to Hardknott Fort. There was a good covering of snow even on this lowly fell, and the higher fells looked stunning. Great cloud formations too, due to the Easterlies that were blowing. This wasn’t a long walk – as I may have learnt my lesson, but enjoyable to stretch the legs and keep the blood flowing! The bump is growing more and more now! Its all good weight training!

Evening Ride to Hardknott

Popped out after work on the bike with P to ride up the valley to Hardknott and back. Its not a strenuous or long ride, but it felt good. We kept an eye out for the Aurora but it was pretty early in the evening and the Milky Way was so bright anyway! It’s a very dark place up the top of the valley and it was an amazing experience to turn the lights off and watch the sky! We got caught in a vicious little hail storm when nearly back to the house which was a bit unfair!