About halfway through my run the other day, I passed an old man sitting on his porch who called out, “Looks like you’re doing a good job of multitasking there!” Thanks to my jogging stroller, I was. Not only was I getting my mileage in, I was also keeping my son entertained and out of trouble.
He’s 8 months old and loves going on runs with me. We got a hand-me-down jogging stroller from a coworker—this shouldn’t be too surprising, I do work at Runner’s World after all—that was in great shape once I put a bit of air in the tires. I was excited about using it, but I had no idea then just how great having a stroller really was. For a busy parent who has trouble fitting everything in, being able to escape the house for a guilt-free run (because it’s also serving another purpose) is huge.
Here are a few things I’ve learned along the way, mostly from trial and error, that have made those runs even better:
Don’t expect to run the same pace with the stroller, especially on hills. This may seem like a no-brainer, but I found myself getting frustrated on some of the earlier stroller runs when a pace that should have been easy didn’t feel easy. This past weekend, I ran the first eight miles of a run with the stroller, then met up with my wife who took over so I could finish my run solo. Without trying, my pace picked up almost a minute per mile.
Don’t assume that cars will give you more room because you have a baby with you. You’d think they would, but sadly, I've found they don’t. You should actually be even more cautious than normal because it’s harder to jump out of the way if/when the cars don’t give you space. There are several country roads near my house that I love running solo, but that I won’t take the stroller on because they don’t have enough of a shoulder.
Keep the run to an hour or less. Even if your kid likes sitting in the jogging stroller, she won’t be happy there all day. I’ve found that 60 to 70 minutes is the max I can get away with. Having a toy helps, too—just make sure it’s attached to the stroller so she can’t throw it out into the road.
Running to a park and pausing for a few minutes on the swings is a great way to make the run more fun for your kid—and for you. Sure, it breaks up your workout, but the smile you’ll get is more than worth it.
Robert is the former Executive Producer for Runner’s World Online. He has run over 60 marathons with a personal best of 2:52:11.
