Running for Mummies-Advice from an Olympic Champion

Cafe Bebe welcomes back Rachael Moore in another brilliant Running for Mummies post…heeeerrrre’s Rachael…

Thanks to my friends at Lucozade Sport today on CafeBebe we have some fab tips from Olympic runner, Liz Yelling.
As a mother to a baby girl, Liz knows what it’s like trying to juggle childcare and fitness training, so she’s come up with some great ideas to make life a bit easier.
My children are all older now (10, 8, 5 and 3) so during term time, being a marathonmummy isn’t such a challenge. But I can remember the days of struggling to get out the door and never having a moment to myself, so I really identified with a lot of these tips.

Running for Mummies with Liz Yelling

1. If you’re getting back into running make sure you take your time. Start by alternating walking with running at a nice slow pace. Be patient, you’ll soon build up your stamina. Remember no one is wonder woman!

2. Consistency is key: getting out the door regularly (3-5 times per week) even if it’s just for 15 minutes helps you establish a routine. Regular running means you are more likely to see improvements in your fitness.

3. Be flexible and adaptable: As a mum, you will encounter many barriers to your running, making it easy to miss the odd run here and there. Go with the flow and be creative about creating opportunities to run. Racing your children in the park or getting out of the car 1 mile earlier on a family journey home and running the last leg.

4. Get the support of your family and friends. Ask your family and husband to look after your children so you can run. Link up with friends to create a running club so babysitting duties can be easily shared.

5. Make sure you have healthy snacks to hand (such and fruit, nuts and vegetable sticks). Being a mum means you are often rushed of your feet and feeling hungry. At these times it’s easy to grab a packet of crisps or some chocolate for a quick fix. By stocking up the cupboards with healthy snacks you can grab and go (and still allow for the occasional treat).

6. Get the kids involved! Take the kids to the park and race them, it’s a great way to include interval training into your regime and it also allows you time to spend quality time with the kids. If you are training for a race, get the kids to make banners for race day so they feel involved.

Some great ideas there to get you out there and running!

Next week on Running for Mummies I’ll be talking about my preparation for the Virgin London Marathon. (Eek!)