Hello!

As the title says, this blog is about how I tackle the world of running with a passenger in tow. About 18mths ago I decided I was way to heavy. I'd given birth to two boys and had never bothered to shift the weight with either of them, so it grew. I decided Zumba was fun, and a way I could do it at home as well as a class a couple of times a week. In the space of a few months I started to see the difference, but something unexpected happened... I fell pregnant.

Determined to keep the fitness levels up, I Zumba'd right through to 35weeks pregnant. My sons birth was the quickest and easiest of all three, and two weeks after his birth I weighed myself and found I'd only gained two pounds! I was determined to get back on the Zumba horse as soon as I could. The problem was my baby wasn't the easiest of babies to care for. Each time I turned on the Wii to get some exercise, baby N would scream. I needed to find something else if I wanted to keep the weight loss going. My husband had lost six stones just a year before and he'd really gotten into running. He said I could do it with the baby--he'd seen people. Now, please bear in mind, previous to this I wouldn't (and couldn't) have run for a bus! So for him to suggest this was a little...crazy to me but I went along with it. I bought some decent running shoes, some basic leggings and a t-shirt that covered me up as much as possible. I hid. I walked to the most deserted place near my home and tried it. I COULDN'T RUN.

Shocker. I truly believed I could run for longer than three seconds without feeling exhausted. I was so very disillusioned. It upset me, because I knew I was overweight but I thought I was relatively fit. However, I swiftly learned that running is a whole new level in cardio. I will blog further, and in more detail about my journey. I just don't want every detail in the first post! I've been running now for four months. I run four-five times a week, doing 3.5k in the park (with baby N) Monday-Friday, and I try to fit in a solo 5k at the weekends. My times aren't great. I still run/walk. However, now I can run for 1k without needing to walk for 30 seconds. I've lost another 24lbs though I still have a long way to go. My husband thought we needed a goal...he signed us both up for the Bupa 10k race in May. I am determined. And once I set my mind on something I go for it....I just hope I'm not crawling over that finish line. Hopefully, I can blog once a month about my progress. Maybe I can inspire someone to buckle the baby up, strap her trainers on and RUN... ...Because you totally can! M.A. Stacie xxx