My training partner

My aunt and uncle are in their 60's and they are both runners, they both tell me that it's important to always have a person to train with. They have luckily found another couple their age at church that are just as dedicated to running as they are. Every Saturday morning, rain or shine (or snow or hail), you will see my auntie Janet and her training partner cruising through Central Park in Burnaby. My training partner is 8 months old, 17 pounds and cute as button. I know a training partner is supposed to push you and keep you motivated to train and Natallie does that for me. For one, if I go for a long run it means that I don't have to get her to nap in her crib which means no tears for either of us and secondly, I know that unless I keep training and staying strong, I won't be able to lift her when she's in her carseat much longer!

Other than running with little Miss Natallie, I have been going to a fitness class at Eileen Daily Community Center in Burnaby. The instructor, Wendy, is just wonderful. It is a pre/post-natal class and I had been going since I was pregnant so it's been great to work out and meet with the other new moms and moms-to-be there. All the babies just hang out on the mats and watch as us mommies keep up with exercises and during the strengthing portion of the class I get to have Natallie right beside me. Nothing motivates me to keep up in the 'plank position' more than having Natallie right under me! However, you are only allowed to have your baby in the class if they aren't mobile and since last week, Natallie has realized she can move. It's not very efficient yet, she looks like she's doing "the worm" dance move, she gets up on all fours and the lunges forward with an huge bellyflop and then does it over and over again. This is kind of bittersweet, I am so excited that she is almost crawling but it also means that I can't be in this fitness class much longer. After some research into post-natal fitness classes, I realized that most classes don't welcome mobile babies. Boooooo. If you do know of any fitness classes that welcome a squirming creeping baby, let me know!

I am also researching and planning on getting a bike trailer. I. heart. biking. I recently got into speed biking a couple years ago. Before I was pregnant, I did 75K of the Century Ride in the Okanagon and the 100K Ride for Refuge in Richmond. I hope that getting a bike trailer will mean Natallie can come biking with me and that can be another way I can train for the half-marathon. I am signed up to the Half-Century Ride (56K) on May 27th. My mother-in-law and my husband are doing the ride too and we're planning on towing Natallie in a trailer. I don't think this is the kind of event where people have trailers, everyone is decked out in spandex and clip-in bike shoes but oh well, I want to bike and that means Natallie will come along (maybe I will put her in spandex!) I have read that you shouldn't put your babies in bike trailers until they are 1 year old, is 8 months close enough? Anyone have thoughts on this?

So that's a little bit about me and my training partner, Natallie, who gets me up at 7:00am every morning and motivates me to be the healthiest, active mom I can be.