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Four and a half months ago, little Archie popped into our lives with a bang! Nothing can prepare you for the arrival, no matter how many parenting courses you attend or number of parents you speak to, but what an experience it is. Then you realise how different things are going to be.
Being a keen runner, I would normally get out 3 or 4 times a week for my usual 10k loop in Southsea. Either before work, during my lunch break or at the end of the day, running is a great way to get some exercise and clear you head. It also becomes so addictive that you end up thinking ahead to when you can next fit a run in. My other half would also often get out a couple of times a week with friends. This was both a great way to get some exercise and also catch up with friends which is why running is such a social sport.
Then, back in March, along came Archie and how your focus in life changes! Gone are the days of having a solid 8 hours sleep or having a lie in. Gone are the days of a deciding what to do at the drop of a hat and heading out the door without a mass operation to ensure you have everything. Now, the focus of attention is this little man who needs your full time, and having the luxury of going running whenever you want is also harder to come by.
Roll on 4 months and what a difference. The nights have settled down (for me at least!) with more of a routine in place, not quite getting a solid 8 hours but enough to operate for the full day at work. Adjusting to life with this extra responsibility has been a great achievement and immensely enjoyable.
I'm still adapting to this new way of life, but Archie's mum must get a mention in this in the amazing role she has played in bringing this bundle into our lives. Us dads think we have it tough, but nothing really compares to the journey the mum goes on and the main jobs they do in bringing up these little bundles of energy.
We're now both in a place where running is more and more appealing for us, it's a great way to exercise and also as a release of energy. Archie's mum has started getting back into our local Parkrun in Southsea, which is a great way to start the weekend, and I've started getting out and hitting my trusted 10k loop from home 2 or 3 times a week.
But the one thing we're looking forward to is getting out there together, the three of us. The best way of doing this? Getting ourselves a running buggy! I've done Parkruns before where you see the mum or dad pushing a toddler in a buggy and you can feel the extra effort that it requires. A stat I came across online is that running with a buggy burns an extra 20% of calories, so there are physical benefits as well as the emotional ones of the three of us running together.
Southsea is also the perfect location for running with a buggy. The seafront is as flat as a pancake and the only extra effort required is when the wind is either a strong easterly or westerly, which means half the run can be like running in a storm!
So the question I have is which buggy do I purchase to run with? There are sites that have reviewed them and you can read each of the manufacturers reviews, but want I want know is what the running parents out there recommend. Which one do you have? Why did you buy it and would you recommend it? It's quite an important decision as it's a reasonable investment cost wise, and it's also important to get the right chair, taking into consideration the suspension, wheel structure and other structural benefits.
So please let me know your views as I'm open to any suggestions and looking forward to hearing what the running parents out there have to say!
Craig
Team runr.
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