Noosa is a place where there is a high percentage of the population keen on keeping fit. No doubt the gyms are fully utilised but many like to be seen doing their fitness activities. We have gangs of bicycles on the roads with the men and women in their lycra. They usually end their fifty mile ride in the coffee shops clomping around in their odd shoes and padded bottoms. Joggers run the myriad of tracks and footpaths. Personal trainers can be seen in the ovals and along the riverbank torturing those that are desperate to get their bodies in shape. Group classes are also held along the river. Dog walkers abound, but that perhaps is not for personal fitness so much as giving the dogs a treat and a lot of exercise of the jaws as proud owners chat whilst their pooches play.
The other day whilst I was exercising my dog and my jaws a jogger with pram flashed by. The speed so fast that she was gone before, almost, I’d realised that she was there. At that point I wished I was a psychology researcher for I’d most definitely ask “what effect does running at such speed have on the psyche, if any, of a baby lying in a pram moving against the line of sight? Would it make the child fearless of extreme sports and fairground rides or more so? ”
I blame my father for my fear of driving on steep winding roads. He had no idea that his practical joking on these byways would lead to a lifelong terror for me. I know how uncomfortable I felt when on a hospital trolley being wheeled from emergency to a ward when it seemed that the wardsman was wheeling me at great speed through the hospital corridors and tunnels with me looking only at where we had been. I know I never choose to travel backwards on a train but always choose a seat that faces the direction I am going.
I wonder if the mother’s are getting fit but what effect does it have on the child? What do you think? Perhaps you know of some research that has already been done.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
All that fitness is a bit much when one gets older. Fitness in lycra is a definite no no. When having a coffee latte, there is nothing worse than a mob of bicycle riders swamping the coffee bar all sweaty and tightly clad, standing next to me when I am just about ready to take my first bite of the croissant. And to think they don’t even wear underwear.
No, give me the fitness of an early morning stroll in shorts and sandals.
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I agree Gerard. Particularly with the lycra. Here, however, many of the lycra clads are over 60 and just look tortured. I’ll stick to shorts and sandals also.
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I’ve never thought about how a baby being wheeled so fast might feel. You could be right – children terrified of speed, or maybe unable to focus on anything around them. I think parents who play with their kids and while exercising are building the child-parent bond, but not sure about those who race indifferent to their kids’ needs. Something to think about.
Your photo really shows the reality of this fitness routine.
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It might also give them a desire for excitement and they are the ones that take up the extreme sports that make me feel sick just watching them. Not having children I know it is too easy to say things from the outside – the reality of life can be quite different but the speed of this lady set me thinking. For all I know the little one may have been in there gurgling with delight.
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No research but I would think that common sense would prevail.
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Yes this woman was fairly flying. There is another regular with pram but although still a jog, she is much more sedate giving time to see the baby inside.
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Though I have no idea about any research in this case, but it gave me something to think over.
An observant post.
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Thank you. It has given me something to ponder to.
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All my children experienced speed as babies. Alex and Felix on the bike and in the three wheel running stroller. Felix loves speed now, a fearless skier and trottinette (scooter) rider. He insists on having the handlebars of his trottinette set parallel to the direction of travel, rather than the normal right angles, as its speedier. Alex has become a good skier, but not so comfortable on the steeper slopes. I put that down to a fear of heights inherited from the maternal side, rather than speed exposure as a baby. As for the girls, both were baby joggers in a front carry harness rather than stroller. I was running downhill through the bush on Black Mountain once when I got my feet caught on a fallen tree trunk when I tried to jump it. With Gwen on the front, I managed to convert my fall to a shoulder roll and back onto my feet with no harm to Gwen.
My take on it: humans evolved to run fast and long on the African plains. Almost certainly, babies were carried and often at speed, to avoid danger. The slow ones didn’t survive.
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You’ve made some good points. It probably has absolutely nothing to do with anything and it is genetics that really control how a child develops his anti fear of extreme life plus probably reflecting the parents attitudes. But it would be interesting to test it. Glad I never had to run fast cause I would definitely have been one that didn’t survive.
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I also look for seats facing in the direction of travel. Have no idea about the effect of speedy prams on babies, that certainly wouldn’t have been an issue for my kids.
I had prams which had the baby facing me so I could see them and chat with them, don’t understand how people are comfortable when they can’t see the baby.
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I think most prams the child faces the parent although I have seen one where it goes the other way. Perhaps they wondered as I did. As a new parent I can understand you wanting to see the baby.
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I love the photo, it really captures the feeling of this woman flashing by. Happy to have come across your blog. I think that re the baby, at least it is getting some fresh air right… and also I remember when my kids were little and got restless, motion, either the car or stroller or whatever, seemed to help. I never thought of it at high speed though….but sure beats paying for a baby sitter while going for a run if one is a parent that likes to run. 🙂
Peta
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Yep. Fresh air has to be good and there is plenty of that here. You make a good point re motion settling a child and I guess as long as the pram has good suspension the baby when in utero was run in possibly an upside down position or across the line of travel. If the suspension good probably makes no difference. Lovely to have you drop by and visit. Cheers Irene 🙂
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