The Buggy Runners Flat Lay by Mel

You know those flat lays that you see on Instagram? The ones with the beautifully folded clothes, perfect accessories and must-have shoes? Well in a moment of madness, I thought I would recreate this dreamy vision with my favourite buggy running gear. It would look so pretty, a nice touch to mix up my feed and share ideas. Maybe I could do it on a seasonal basis?! It will all be laid out on a white background…maybe I could have a theme – oooo monochrome or a touch of neon!! *insert dreamy sigh* So how did my vision shape up? Turns out my flat lay is more WTF than cool AF, but hey, a good dose of reality on social media every once in a while never hurt anyone, so I’m rolling with it!

My essentials….

1. Trainers

Despite playing sport at one level or another for the majority of my life, when it comes to trainers I haven’t actually put a huge amount of thought into what I buy. For a long time it was the Asics Gel Kayano – my friend wore them and was a better athlete than me so I figured if I wanted to be like her then I should buy the same shoes. Needless to say, I didn’t suddenly start being able to run as fast as her, but my trainers looked great so, whatever.  When I decided to get back into running after having baby no 2, I was feeling pretty bad about myself, how unfit I was, fully aware of the uphill struggle ahead, my post baby hair loss and spotty skin, the saggy stomach…. (are you feeling really sorry for me yet?! Grab your violin!)  I did some research, had no idea what my ‘gait’ was and decided that as I was actually enjoying this running malarkey then I was going to invest properly (I know, so adult.). I found The Active Foot Company in Worcester, was seriously impressed with the knowledgeable staff and walked out with a pair of trainers that are as comfortable as my slippers! WIN!

2. Head gear

My hair is a constant source of annoyance; it’s too thin and is neither curly nor straight. Add the post baby hair loss in the mix and we are onto a real downer. I know I should be thankful that my hair is finally growing back, and I’ve progressed from the ‘undercut’ stage to the ‘wispy fringe’. But at least the undercut gave me an edge… My current lid is reminiscent of the ‘light fringe’ my mother made the hairdresser cut in when I was 13, oh the angst! I’ve tried a number of different hair bands in my time - different fabrics, different widths, tie up, fully elasticated...At one stage I was wearing even a plastic alice band from Boots, not my best look. Anyway, I saw the Sweaty Band on Wendy’s website with all of its magical promises and I thought I may as well try it out. Well, nothing even comes close to the Sweaty Band - it literally does not move from my head, hands down, the best hair band I have ever owned. Who knew I could be so passionate about a head band?! I’ve actually worn them out in ‘real life’ - not just to run, as they are so good at taming my hair, plus they come in cute designs too.

So, that’s me taken care of. I was going to write about sports bras as owning a good one is super important (or so I’m told), but as I have a similar chest size to that of a 14 year old boy, I’m probably not the one to go to for recommendations!!!

3. Ammunition

What makes my life easier when I’m running with the buggy? A happy toddler! I don’t have any ground-breaking recommendations for you here, just a few simple things that I pack to try and keep the boys from screaming when we are out.

Dummies are huge in our house! I usually take two as he has been known to throw them out of the buggy. Side note - when my husband and I are out together, we play a game of 5s and the loser has to lick any dirt off the discarded dummy before we give it back to AJ… You’re welcome.

Snacks – I tend to stop and feed him snacks or a fruit pouch as I don’t trust him not to throw everything on the floor yet. This usually buys me another 10 mins running!

iPhone – If I’m out with my three year old, he is happy watching CBeebies on my phone for at least 20 mins. Everyone wins here as I’m not left totally breathless trying to answer all of his really interesting questions.

So there you have it, my first and most probably last, buggy runner flat lay! 

Love Mel x

Running Buggy Tyre Pressure...?

How do you know what pressure to pump your tyres up to and is it the same for all running buggies?

Often getting ready for a buggy run in our house goes something like this....

Where is the blanket? Where are those breadsticks? 'Ok Heidi, I know you are nearly ready for a sleep, I'm coming'.... must remember to pack the rain cover, it looks a little grey.  'Don't cry Heidi we are nearly ready to go'...... Just need to check the tyres....  hmmm they look a little low.  Cr@p another thing to do before we get out, need to pump them up... where's the pump and what pressure are this make supposed to be pumped to... eeeekkkk 'coming Heidi!!'

When your baby is ready to go out, especially for a nap, they need to get out NOW!

So here is a table of the recommended tyre pressure for all the running buggies we stock to save you some time. 

(As provided to us from the manufacturers.  But often this is also printed on the side of the tyre)

Our well used tyre pump!

• Out & About Nipper Sport - 30psi
• Phil & teds Sub 4 - 40psi
• Mountain Buggy Terrain - 20-22psi
• Thule Glide & Urban glide - 30psi

And invest in a decent pump like this one.

Happy Buggy Running!

How it all began

Saturday 26th September was set to be a brilliant day for purely selfish reasons.  I was playing my first game of hockey for ages (as a one off...honest!) then I was dashing to the hairdressers for the treat of cut and highlights.  And THEN (there is more? I hear you say) I was off into London to party with old friends for the night AND stay away too!  All this with 2 small children (9 month and 3 year old) and the husband weary from his week at work.

My family

Maybe it was the excitement and energy that created the feeling of possibility.  This morning was THE morning that I had the idea and started my business, runningbuggies.com.

Hang on.  Rewind a bit.  I had been a runner on and off during my twenties.  I enjoyed running a few marathons, half’s and even had a crazy summer of triathlons.  My brother lives in the States and is a pretty awesome runner (& Ironman).  He has a BoB and thought nothing of popping out and running 20 miles with the stroller before we had even surfaced.  Everyone seemed to have a running buggy over in Arlington. 

When I had my first bubba 3 years ago I bought a second hand BoB on Ebay not knowing what other brands were an option.  Since then so many people have asked me, “what are the running buggies options on the market and how do I know which is the right for me?”  It was that key question that I realised on the 26th September didn’t have an obvious answer in the great world wide web.  So I whatsapp’ed a friend who works in digital who told me in a few lines how to buy a domain whilst she breastfed her newborn.  And I did it. 

Since then I have frequently had doubts about whether the concept is commercially viable, whether I have the time to execute the concept and what all the possible issues might be.  But I believe a few things that keep me strong. 

·         More people are running

·         More people are running with their children

·         There is no one place which compares running buggy key features from different manufacturers

·         No one place to buy running buggies and receive the specialist expertise you need when making a purchase like this.

·         There is nowhere to find local running routes suitable for buggies

So even if it means working every night when the kids are in bed and ignoring a dirty, messy house then so be it.  Don’t let life get you down, get out and get that fresh air you all need.  And you have have an idea, give it a go.  If you don't you will never know!