I love spending time outdoors and of course running. I love it even more when my children are with me and enjoying themselves. Both girls enjoy running, my eldest more so, and our Sunday mornings are running mornings at Junior parkrun. I strongly feel that running has to be fun and something you enjoy, otherwise there really is no point and I carry this through with the girls. I ask them on a Saturday night if they want to get up in the morning for running, should they say no I don't wake them. My youngest decided not to go as she was too tired and so it was just my eldest.
Spending one on one time is really lovely and I was looking forward to our morning together. It was a rather lovely wintry morning. Not too cold, but cold enough to still feel fresh outside. We wrapped up warm, my daughter in her 'running' hoody and running t-shirt and myself wrapped in my Saltrock microfleece.
My eldest sometimes gets a little nervous before parkrun starts. I think it is because she runs without me running with her, but once she gets going she is fine. Hand in Hand we walked over to the start line, both of us keeping warm as we went.
I took up my spot at the furthest point of one end of the course. The weather slowly getting colder and with the wintry wind picking up I pulled the hood over my hat to protect the back of my neck and my hands inside my zipped pockets to keep them warm.
The best part of the spot I was volunteering in is that the kids all run past at the start and then I am no longer needed to stand there after the last runner has gone past. I can therefore walk to the finish line in order to see my daughter finish.
I am always very proud of her for running, regardless of her time or where she finishes. The fact she wants to get up and run is more than enough for me. We normally stay for a drink in the cafe but the weather was beginning to turn so we headed back for the car.
I was really surprised at how warm we both were, given the weather. I had been stood still for 20 minutes in a place very open to the elements yet I had kept incredibly warm. My fleece jacket is incredibly light weight and incredibly soft to the touch. I was surprised at how warm it had kept me. The sleeves were the perfect length to tuck my hands in to to keep them warm, and the pockets deep enough to carry my phone and camera, plus all the other requirements you need when out and about. Not to mention the hood which kept the wind from the back of my neck.
The weekend is almost upon us again and provided we don't get snowed in we will be running! If we do get snowed in at least we can keep warm playing in the snow!
This day I love keeping warm and helping out
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