Caroline’s Running Journey

As someone who disliked fruit and veg as well as running, Caroline began to realise that she needed to do something to turn her lifestyle around to be a good role model to her daughters who were aged 11 and three.

Caroline’s story began in August 2013 when her weight was at its highest of 16 stone 6lbs.

As a parent with no car, it was up to her to ensure that her eldest got to her school sports and activities and she would also attend mother and baby groups with her youngest. It would be a long walk to the activities and baby/toddler groups but as a keen walker, it wasn’t a problem.

Caroline soon began to realise that was walking around six/seven miles a day! She felt better for it but still struggled with the food side of a healthier lifestyle as many people do.

Luckily, Caroline’s Auntie offered to pay for her to become a member of Weight Watchers and that was just the beginning; joining Weight Watchers meant that soon enough healthy meals for the family and portion control for Caroline was easy, part of everyday life and meant she felt fitter and healthier. Caroline now has her portion size under control and she continued her daily routine of walking (which included her youngest in her buggy) and enjoyed feeling fitter each time.

By Christmas 2013 Caroline had lost 3.5 stone and had gone from a dress size 20 – size 12.

Earlier this year Caroline’s friend Lucy qualified as a LiRF leader through the Manchester City Council Workplace Group. As a runner herself, Lucy was looking to start a Run England beginners group specifically for parents with children in buggies but who still wanted to get outside and go running. Soon enough the Run England Group Pushy Mums was born and before Caroline knew it, Lucy has persuaded her to go to one of the sessions on a Saturday morning at Debdale Park. 

Much to Caroline’s surprise she loved the session and was bitten by the running bug! The week after that very first session Caroline ran by herself with her youngest in the buggy twice the following week. She has been helping out Lucy ever since and Caroline is now a LiRF leader herself!

Not only is Caroline now one of the leaders for the Run England Pushy Mums group, she has continued to be a Guide leader for Newton Heath Guides and takes the girls (10 – 14 years old) out and about. She now feels that only is she a good role model for her daughters, but she can now be a role model for the Girl Guides.

Caroline was always asked over the years where her eldest daughter got her ‘sporty’ roots from and it was something she always wondered … now she knows that it was from her all along, she just didn’t know it!