The continuation of Running: The Start of Our Family Running Diary

This (below) is what is written on the hand writing picture above (with a few little changes). Normally, I always like to write by hand. I got this idea, originally from Julia Cameron who wrote the book 'Il senso dell'artista' / The Artist's Way and then I sort of turned that into blogging, sort of.

But perhaps now is a good time to start combining typing and writing, so maybe this is  kind of an experiment combining both! 

and the pictures are from our recent running jaunts!

Here is the start of our family running diary. It starts in Palermo at Villa Sperlinga just near our home.

Villa Sperlinga is a garden named after Sperlinga Villa originally owned by Giovanni Stefao Oneto and it was in his family until 1835 when the Senate of Palermo became the owner and used it as a home for the poor.

One lap of the garden is 420 meters and inside the garden are some great stone benches perfect for step ups and push ups, and there is shade and lots to look at for Babacino. Whoever is running takes Frida, usually.

On Saturdays there is a little market which sells wine, cheese, vegetables, fruit and other little delicacies. The other thing about Sperlinga is the dog walkers. The dog walkers seem to arrive in shifts in the morning and they seem to talk a lot, about what, I do not know!

Running during pregnancy seemed to engender much debate and triggers all sorts of willful – and often factually unfounded – views and opinions on the rights and wrongs of running during pregnancy. My way of handling that, was as I handle a lot of things (to do with running) - in ways I’ve learned from running : read a lot, be informed and listen to my body, and then don't worry!

I am sure, that keeping up running up to (almost) the arrival of Beetle  (Babacino) made for an ‘easier’ birth, and a more healthy baba and quicker recovery.

Now, it’s post pregnancy and I find the same sort of reactions or scenario’s about ‘Running whilst breastfeeding’ (though  to a lesser degree, partly because there is no obvious sign to the world that someone might be a runner and breastfeeding)  and so, I am running, we are running.

But of course, now, Babacino comes first, and so you can see from our diary, we are running step by step, little by little and making sure Babacino is ok!

Running in Palermo is fantastic, there are mountains in most directions, and you can find your way back to Via Lombardia by looking at the mountains!

Yesterday, for a change, we went to run in Villa Dell’Atleta, where there are all sorts of sports facilities and a lovely park right at the foot of Monte Pelegrino.

Some days, we don’t run, like today because Babacino had his injections and needed to be hugged and looked after even more.

My goal is to run The Etna Trail next year, but I hope to run some others before then. We shall see!!

(16-19 September)