Running with a Stroller

 

Hello Running With Sass Readers!

My name is Courtney and I blog over at Journey Of A Dreamer.

First of all let me tell you how much I love Heather… Isn’t she awesome? Anyone who loves Disney as much as I do is awesome in my book. Thanks for having me Heather!

Today I wanted to talk to you a little bit about stroller running. When I first started out running a few months after having my daughter in 2010, stroller running was the only running I knew. Every run involved my daughter. Over the past two and a half years I have run countless miles with my little girl and I have learned a lot. So, here are my top 5 tips for Stroller running:

1. Be Safe

While this one should be a given I have to address it. You should always buckle your child in using the harnesses provided. Some jogging strollers have a wrist strap that attaches to the stroller and you can wear around your wrist incase you lose your grip. Don’t try to run hands, keep at least one hand on the stroller at all times. Also – Be aware of traffic and your surroundings.

2. Invest in a good stroller!
It’s important, especially if you plan on running consistently with your child, to invest in a good double stroller for travel. For the first 6 months or so you should have your child in the car seat adapter portion of the stroller. Strollers can get pricey, but if you use it often enough it is a worthwhile investment. I ran with a regular Chicco Stroller for awhile, but found it clunky and hard to steer while running. I still put quite a few miles on it though!

I tried the babytrend expedition stroller, but my daughter didn’t like it. I finally found the best stroller for me was, of course, one of the more expensive ones. The BOB Revolution has been awesome!

It has a smooth ride, steers wonderfully, and my daughter likes sitting in it. It has a car seat adapter for infants and can hold up to 70lbs, so it should have a long lifespan.

3. Get your kids involved

When my daughter was around 18 months she started getting to the point where she loved going running so much that she would bring me my running shoes saying “Go Go Go!” Make it something that is fun and they look forward to. I would often point out animals and teach her to make the animals noises. I would have her yelling Go Go Go and waving at other runners on the trail. Now that she is two and a half I let her get out and run with me at the tail end of my runs. She loves to tell daddy how fast she ran! I just recently ran my first official race with her in the stroller. She loved being able to run across the finish line!

4. Don’t Stress About Your Pace

While there are some people who can put a 30lb kiddo in a stroller and not skip a beat when it comes to pace, most people can’t. I used to stress when I saw my pace I freaked out at how slow I thought I was going. Then logical Courtney had to come out and remind me that I was pushing an extra 30lbs plus a stroller and that my pace would change from what it was when I was running solo. However, after running with my stroller I have found that I can typically run faster without it than I could before. It’s like extra strength training!

5. Be Creative!

Kids are unpredictable. Some days they will love the idea of going on a run with you. Other days they won’t. Maybe you tell them you’ll run to the park and back. Or Maybe you pack special snacks they just get to eat while in the stroller. My daughter always gets Chocolate Milk for her “Recovery Drink” after a run. Switch up your routes for something new for them to look at. Bring along a portable DVD player or game for them to play. If all else fails resort to a tiring game of Peek-a-boo with the stroller window.

QOTD: Have you ever run with a stroller? What are your thoughts?