Buggy running in Richmond Park, London

Richmond Park is pretty much up there as one of my favourite places of all time. I used to come here in my young, free and single days to do loops of the park (I’m an avid runner). Over the years I’ve spotted a celeb or two here too – Nell McAndrew, Andrew Marr, Ben Shepherd plus many gazelle-like Kenyan athletes effortlessly bounding past me. I’ve got so many lovely memories of the park – all linked to running – so when I was first able to come back here with Freddie I was in my element.I wasn’t in a very good place when Freddie was young. I missed London. I missed my freedom and I missed running. We moved out of London just before Freddie was born. In hindsight that was a mistake. I found having a baby almost too overwhelming at times. I felt like I had been hit by a truck but had to carry on as normal as there was no alternative. I don’t think I was suffering from post natal depression but I wasn’t far off it. Some people find the newborn months an absolute breeze. I hated them. I loved Freddie. I just felt completely out of my depth and panicked. That combined with living in a strange, unknown place made for a horrible time, when I happily thought a few months before, it was going to be the best of my life. Just goes to show things are never what you seem. Anyway, getting out of the house on a daily basis was essential for me to maintain any level of sanity on maternity leave. Even better if it was to one of my all time favourite places. 

We bought a running buggy when Freddie was four months old. Richmond Park is an ideal spot to go running with a buggy as there is offroad gravelly trail all the way around the edge of the park. Plus there are toilets and cafes en route so it’s a lovely way to spend a few hours with a baby out in the greenery but with facilities to hand. It’s really easy to park there on a weekday, and it’s free too! I felt so free again being able to go running in Richmond Park, but with Freddie. I guess one of the hardest things I found about the newborn stage is that you are a little like a prisoner. You are tied to this vulnerable person 24/7. They need you on call day and night. I think I went for a very short jog around six weeks after Freddie arrived, but didn’t really manage much till he was around four months old. You are tired, your pelvic floor muscles aren’t what they were, you have no time to go to the loo or drink a cup of tea, let alone go for a run! Which made this trip all the more exciting as I felt like the old me again, just with my new best friend and sidekick tagging along!