As some of you know I like to partake in the odd bit of running. Having gone from a hater to a begrudging participator over the last few years, I now think I am getting to the lover stage. Today is Global Running Day and although I am not meant to be running today (and will struggle for time) the whole ‘pledge some miles’ thing has meant that I am trying to work out when I have half an hour that I could squeeze it in. This from someone who used to find any excuse not to run!

My love for running has been further fuelled by attending the magnificent Runfestrun at the weekend. An awesome 3 day festival of running, music and bugs. Having never even been camping with the girls before the thought of taking them to a festival was slightly ridiculous. However the weather was on our side and we had the best time. 

My husband and I both ran in the more serious races, but it was the family events that were the most fun. One particular moment, during the 2.5km race when my youngest was struggling, I offered her a piggy back, to which she replied ‘No mummy, I have to run or I won’t get a prize’. She had completely embraced the competitive spirit and had sheer determination to succeed, even if her running clothes consisted of a flowery skirt, buckle shoes and butterfly face paint. She may have had to concede a little, and take a lift, but she still managed a sprint finish.

Apparently girls are 80% more likely to do exercise if they see their mum doing it, so I feel it is my responsibility to encourage my daughters at every opportunity. They may only be 3 and 5, but if they see exercise as part of everyday life, then they won’t feel like it is an endurance, just more like brushing your teeth or reading a book. We are fortunate that we can cycle to school and have access to a great outdoor pool, so it doesn’t take too much encouragement. However they would also quite easily watch TV or play on the iPad, so making sure they get their daily exercise is still important. 

The final race of the weekend was the Bug Race, where everyone was in a bug team, led by a running celebrity. We had to collect pollen from crazy characters along the route, whilst being supported by amazing music and spotting inflatable plants and flowers along the way. The atmosphere was brilliant and the children’s enthusiasm was so contagious that you couldn’t help smiling all the way round. If every race was like this maybe my love for running would have come sooner, but it has definitely helped to ignite a running spark in the girls.

We might have had 4 exhausted people on Monday morning, but we also had 10 medals between us and who doesn’t love a bit of bling?

#runtogether
#thismumruns
#andsodomygirls
#mightneedtogethertrainersnowthough
#didimentionwemetpaularadcliffe
#andcolinjackson