My Return to Running after having Arthur has been a slow but steady journey, and this final phase (not to suggest this is the endpoint) is about celebrating what I’ve achieved. With that in mind, I signed up for the Bedford Running Festival 5k a couple of weeks ago, wanting to claim a medal that I could hang up as proof of my accomplishment!
Bedford Running Festival Race Recap
The Bedford Running Festival 5k took place on Saturday 7th September as part of a packed weekend of events, ranging from the family-friendly Mini Mile, 5k and Twilight 10k, through to the half marathon and 20-mile race on Sunday. My 5k started at 3 pm, a difficult start time for a race when planning what to eat, but otherwise made for a nice leisurely morning.
We arrived at the race village in Russell Park with plenty of time for me to grab my race bib, visit the portaloos (no queue!) and join the Everyone Active led warm-up. The feeling of being back at an event after such a long time was familiar but strange, and I felt a little like the ‘old me’, but with the bonus of having an awesome cheer squad along for the day!
The 5k route was lovely and scenic taking runners along the river to Priory Country Park and back again. A lot of the course was on footpaths or trails so traffic-free and quiet. This did make for a few bottlenecks in places, but I wasn’t aiming to smash out a super fast time so didn’t mind too much.
I did unfortunately get a stitch at 3km so had to stop and walk for a minute, but otherwise I felt good the whole way around and managed to finish strongly with a little toddler waving a flag bemusedly at me as I ran past! (Note: Free race photos meant I could download this great shot of me smiling as I crossed the line).
Once over the finish line I collected my medal, grabbed a few snacks (no goody bag as such, you could just pick up the items you wanted) and headed to find my support crew. They seemed to have had a fun half an hour exploring the race village, which had lots of stalls and activities for both runners and spectators. There was also a funfair and selection of food vendors, although we only grabbed an ice cream to celebrate – which Arthur stole from me!
I thoroughly enjoyed the Bedford Running Festival 5k and will definitely be back next year, perhaps even aiming for the Twilight 10k this time. Taking part in a race again felt like a huge milestone, and even though it was ‘only’ a 5k, I’m so proud of myself for getting to this point 18 months after giving birth. Juggling motherhood and work, and also finding time to prioritise your fitness is a real challenge, but I enjoyed the whole experience, ran strongly, and got a great time and a shiny new medal. All results are new Post-Baby PBs from this point too right?
Outfit of the Day
Planning out a race outfit is just as important as planning your training approach in my book. No one wants to end up with blisters or chafing from untested running kit on race day! The weather has been so changeable recently that I went for Sweaty Betty shorts and an adidas Adizero running tank, which is a great lightweight top with perforations to add airflow – and means you can pin your race number on without making holes in your top! Made with at least 70% recycled materials, the fabric is also sweat-wicking and has a racerback and wide armholes to reduce the chance of chafing.
I also brought along my adidas Terrex Trail running jacket, but the weather ended up being too warm to wear it, even to throw on after I’d finished running. The jacket did come in very handy at parkrun the previous weekend when it was pouring with rain though, as it’s thin enough not to make you too hot and sweaty when running.
I’m still running in the adidas Supernova Rise running shoes which I wrote about previously, and I’m hoping to get some more miles in with them over the autumn. I’d love to become a regular at parkrun on a Saturday morning. Being woken up early by a toddler has its benefits – I’m awake so I may as well run! The nearest event to me at the Marston Moretaine Millennium Country Park has a great cafe for a post-run cup of tea too…
Beki x
NB: adidas items purchased as part of my involvement in the adidas blogger community. As always all opinions are my own.
Check out my Instagram Reel from the Bedford Running Festival below.
