ADAPTING TO THE NEW WORLD
It was always going to be a shock to the system when I had to stop running so much! With running being put on the back-burner I needed to find new activities to fill my hours!
Running had certainly taken over the last few years of my life and it is amazing how many hours there are to fill when you are not training or racing! Running has not only acted as a form of exercise for me, but was also a huge part of my social life, ability to explore the countryside and also to take photos. With such a big change I had potential to go a little nuts.
There was a lot of change all at once, but I soon started to realise it wasn’t about giving everything up – it was about adapting and just doing things slightly differently. Once I realised this everything seemed to fall into place. It was key therefore to learn how to adapt and learn how to fill my time in ways that would be beneficial for both me and the growing bump!
Adapting must have gone well as summer seems to have flown by! So quickly that I have failed to share any of my escapades from the summer months. Before I completely lose the ability to remember I thought I would try and rectify the position by sharing some of the things that have kept me occupied and made a summer full of fun. It is also a great opportunity for me to look back and appreciate how much I have still managed to achieve.
Stage 1 – Adding in some different exercise! So many people say you should rest and relax when you are expecting a baby – and although I agree it certainly is tiring – there is no need to turn into a couch potato.
I have never been a person who liked sitting still so it was important for me to find a new challenge. Swimming and an exercise bike were to become my friends over the next few months! Both have helped to keep me fighting fit and occupied! While heading towards my 23rd week I am over the moon to have smashed 1300 lengths in the pool and several hundred miles on the bike! Am hoping that both will continue for many months to come….
I even managed to throw in some park run tail walking as a marshall to keep my legs working!
Stage 2 - Using walking and hiking + a bike ride to fuel my adventurous side. I always have the urge to see new things and take a million photos. An easy way to still get out there was by walking and hiking both new and old routes. It has also given me the opportunity to do more with Garry and to enjoy the time we have together before the impending new arrival.
With the lighter evenings and warmer weather that summer brings we have been lucky to have explored some beautiful places. I have thoroughly enjoyed some of the walks we have undertaken and they have given me great inspiration for some off road buggy walking in the new year!
Orwell Country Park - what I thought was a small park tucked behind a housing estate – turned out to be an endless maze of trees, paths, walk ways and views of the River Orwell. It stretched much further than I had ever known. A beautiful place to take photos and admire the view! If you are feeling full of energy these paths can lead you all the way along the river and up the coast to Felixstowe!
Bradfield Circular Walk - as an only child I used to spend a great deal of time exploring the village I grew up in and it was lovely to have the opportunity to re-explore with Garry. Bradfield is a little village set on the side of the River Stour. There are several footpaths leading from the village church, through some fields towards the river. The coastline here provides beautiful views of the surrounding villages. It is a truly peaceful place to relax and chill on a sunny day.
Manningtree - Flatford - Dedham Circular - now this is a walk I have undertaken many times, but with a friend (Heidi) planning the route a few new surprises and footpaths were thrown in to surprise me. The walk started by meandering down the River Stour from Manningtree to Flatford and finally Dedham providing some amazing views of the countryside.
In the heart of Constable Country it provides some perfect picture moments, the opportunity to paddle / boat in the river or sneak in a cheeky ice-cream from the Dedham boat house! After walking by the river to Dedham, the return journey took us through the some beautiful countryside with some amazing views of the valley.
Walking the Suffolk Trail Running Events - Pin Mill - a new found revelation from last weekend! So I might not be able to run all the events, but why can’t I walk them! The trail routes are all there and I can still move one foot in front of the other! So we embraced heading over to Pin Mill on Sunday to hike a section of the planned Suffolk Trail Runners route!
The hike took us along the River Orwell from Pinmill to Woolverstone Marina! The views were stunning with plenty of opportunities to play on the rope swings! The bonus of these events are also the pubs! Why wouldn’t you want to finish off a lovely walk with a spot of yummy lunch!
Alton Water - now this made me laugh! Considering how many times I have run around this reservoir its crazy I have never biked it! This was a first! After hiring a bike for a couple of hours we embarked on a trip around the 8 mile route. It certainly wasn’t any easier than running…. but it was fun and certainly something I would do again… maybe next time with a picnic mid route!
Stage 3 - Adapting from participating to supporting…
For so many years people have been supporting me while I have participated in running events! Maybe now was the time to offer some support of my own!
After sneaking in both the Ipswich Twilight 10 km and the Wobbly Wobbly Log Jog to bag two medals for the bump - I decided that it was time to hang up the trainers for a bit! It was a bit strange to have Sunday mornings free, but then I realised that I could still attend the events even though I wasn’t running! I could also still rock up for a morning coffee with the coffee crew!
Supporting was fun! Not only did I get to see so many friendly running buddy faces, but I also got to feel the buzz of the race by cheering them on while taking photos of the race in action. Half the fun is sharing the photos after and hearing everyones race stories.
Have to admit that being part of both the Framingham 10 km and the Felixstowe 10 miles has helped me still feel included in the Run For Your Life crew despite not being so physically active! Cannot wait to get my cheer on at the Ipswich half at the weekend! Lets hope everyone is smiling for some great race photos!
Stage 4 - Catching up with friends and enjoying eating for two
Yeah it is a myth for sure - there really is no need to eat for two, but it’s been nice to have a treat or two while having the time to catch up with friends! I have been lucky enough to visit some yummy places over the summer. It certainly has all been about CAKE CAKE CAKE and a dollop of ICE CREAM.
Alder Carr Farm in Needham Market - now this place was adorable! So pleased I got to visit with the Colchester girls. There is a small nursery, gift shops and a lovely restaurant that serves a wide selection of food - from breakfast to afternoon tea! Now we only visited for cake, but the cake has to be the best bit of carrot cake I have ever eaten! This alone has made me rave about the place to everyone since my visit! It certainly is one to have on the list to go to - although definitely book if you want to be guaranteed a space to eat.
Hall Farm in Dedham - have mentioned this in previous posts - but Sunday morning breakfast with friends is perfect here - especially if the sun is shining and you can sit in the court yard looking over the Dedham Vale.
Suffolk Food Hall - now this might have been a one off, but I was lucky enough to attend a hen do afternoon tea here! It was a unique afternoon tea that involved sausage rolls and little rolls instead of sandwiches. It was an interesting twist to go alongside the usual yummy cakes! It was a great location to catch up with friends while enjoying the panoramic view of the River Orwell.
Angel at Bury St Edmunds - now you may start to think I have an afternoon tea obsession, but who can turn down the opportunity for a scone hey! The reason for mentioning this venue is that they were super helpful to cater for my nut allergy! There were yummy options for everything and they looked after us so well. The evening meals also looked lovely and we certainly took note to return one evening for a girly night out.
I-SCREAM on St Nicholas Street - Now this is a very popular ice cream place in Ipswich and after 11 years of living here I thought it was about time I saw what all the fuss was about! It is basically pick your own flavours,sauces and sweets. In all honesty it was prettier than it was tasty, but I think maybe I had just had an overload of sugar! It is worth a visit, but maybe next time only the one scoop!!!
Stage 5 - Making the most of what is around you!!
So much costs money these days, but if you look hard enough you will find so many free or relatively cheap things to fill the hours. We only scrapped the surface with a few events, but it has made me realise that in 2018 there will be loads of opportunities for me to embrace.
So starting with the free events we have…
Maritime Festival and Fireworks in Ipswich - this is certainly an occasion you can spend as little or as much time as you like at. There are so many opportunities to buy yummy food, drinks and enjoy the rides, but it is also fun to just go down to the docks and soak up the atmosphere. What I love best about this festival is the free fireworks display on the Sunday evening! We often try and head down as I watched them the night before I got married so brings back many happy memories.
Mersea Island Regatta - from mid afternoon the Islanders partake in races in the river - some of them hilarious. One of my favourites has to be rowing with a paper bag on your head! Absolute carnage! The greasy pole is also a good laugh - and it still surprises me that some people are successful enough to get to the end to retrieve the flag! On a sunny day you can sit for hours watching the races and enjoying the festival feel.
The evening also provides lots of fun and entertainment! For many years since I have been small we also enjoy the evening fireworks! These are by far hands down the best fireworks ever! They are free to a degree but a contribution to the cost is normally required! If you are feeling truly adventurous the post firework fair is always a great place to visit. If you are lucky enough you may even come home with a gold fish!
Then there are some reasonable cheap...
Bradfield Open Gardens Day - yes I know - old before my time - but these events can be great fun! For a small cost of a programme and a map you get to go and be nosey round peoples gardens while eating cake and drinking tea! It’s a great way to get inspiration for home projects of your own! One garden this year though won hands down! It has a mini railway of their own! I have never seen the boys quite so in their element!
Mersea Art Festival - similar vibe - but this time you also got to visit peoples houses while looking at art they have produced. We initially thought we could pick up a bargain or two…. but some of the paintings were rather pricey! For now therefore the event will be used as inspiration for my own creations! Will have to get the easel out and see if I can get my creative hat on!
Stage 6 – learning to appreciate being sober and enjoying the company of those who can still enjoy gin! Yes! Probably the next saddest thing to giving up running is having to give up gin for a period of time! This was even more sad considering we had brought tickets to go to the Ipswich Gin Festival.
Determined to still make use of our £15.00 tickets I embraced the festival consuming ginger ale and lemonade and tried to not look sad at all the pretty bottles of gin I couldn’t try.
Despite the sober approach to the event – I have to say it was amazing and definitely one to have in the diary for future years. The corn exchange was transformed into a massive gin bar, with 100s of different types to try, buy and also learn about. We also got to take goodie bags home with an amazing gin glass! Something for me to appreciate with a post baby gin! It’s always good to wet the new born babies head yeah? Any excuse!
So that is summer in a nutshell! For what could have been an endless amount of days sofa bound has actually turned into an amazing fun filled summer. So many great adventures, events and good times with friends and family.
It is always sad to see the nice weather go, but the best is actually yet to come. The last quarter of the year is certainly my most favourite! How can anyone not be excited when you get to celebrate Halloween/ Fireworks Night/ Birthdays and Christmas. So much fun to be had and all while getting to wear snuggly jumpers, big boots and bobble hats!