just got a jogging stroller - tips?

bump for the little one

I would never take a kid out below probably 60 deg. Good grief. How fun do think freezing to death will be for them? Just because you are warm from running doesn't mean your kid will be.

Child abuse basically.

worst poster wrote:

I would never take a kid out below probably 60 deg. Good grief. How fun do think freezing to death will be for them? Just because you are warm from running doesn't mean your kid will be.

Child abuse basically.

Agreed. The one word that comes to my mind when I see people pushing their kids in these contraptions is "selfish." If u wanted your life to continue as it was before u shouldn't have had the kid. Sometimes we can't have it all.

Get the weather shield, bundle him up and put a blanket on him.

With the weather shield don't go out below 50, without never below 60.

haha thanks for the trolling guys - this theme is a little overplayed, though (see earlier threads on baby strollers)

Any serious responses?

If your joggging stroller tips, I'd take it back. Not good for the baby.

The Animal Within wrote:

Get the weather shield, bundle him up and put a blanket on him.

With the weather shield don't go out below 50, without never below 60.

I wouldn't be that worried. With the plastic wrap bubble shield thing the interior temperature tends to stay pretty toasty in there. My kids enjoyed going out well below freezing. I live out in NW Washington state at sea level, so we don't tend to get that many sub-freezing days, but even when it was the kids had no problem.

My tips are to pack the kid with some toys and snacks and keep talking/singing to them as much as possible, but your kid may be young for that still. If you pack a bottle and a stuffed animal or something just keep an eye out to not leave them dropped on the side of the road. I once spent an extra hour going back and forth over our route looking for a dropped Thomas the train toy.

I love my stroller! My daughter is 15 mos now, and I've been using it 4-5 times per week since she was tiny. (We used to have the infant seat attachment.) I do prefer running without the stroller, because as great as it is, you *are* still pushing quite a bit of weight, BUT, it's better than nothing for times when running solo isn't an option! My findings are:

- stick to roads and paved trails, when possible, or at least flat terrain. It's harder to push on dirt and hills. (duh.) on the roads, however, assume that drivers aren't paying attention, and are possibly texting. Since it's harder to jump out of the way with a stroller, this is obvious, but, just be smart and pay attention.

- save it for your easy shorter runs and/or doubles, at least if you're actually training for something, as it takes more out of you than a normal easy run.

- bring books, toys, and perhaps a snack/milk for the baby, at least when she gets a bit older. My daughter eats her breakfast on our morning runs!

- be consistent. When stroller-time happens at the same time most days, baby expects it.

- baby might go through a phase of complaining. My daughter did for a couple of weeks. Stick with it!

- weather: cold not a huge issue for us in S. TX, but I would just bundle bundle bundle! Just use common sense, but as long as baby s wearing plenty of layers, she'll be great!

- I have the Bob Revolution, and prefer it with the front wheel unlocked. When it's locked, it won't turn at all without lifting it, and, since ours is always out of alignment, I'm always having to lift. Love it unlocked.

Have fun!!!

Don't take it to races. Just don't, ever.

red glare wrote:

Don't take it to races. Just don't, ever.

That is something you needn't worry about.

Stroller wrote:

on the roads, however, assume that drivers aren't paying attention, and are possibly texting. Since it's harder to jump out of the way with a stroller, this is obvious, but, just be smart and pay attention.

You feel comfortable taking your newborn baby out running on the ROADS? Are you mad? If you wish to risk getting running over yourself then fair deuce to you but jogging with a child along the road and expecting texting drivers to watch out is just ridiculous. Not to mention that as you're pushing weight and a bulky contraption it will be much more difficult to just jump to the side of on coming traffic such as if you were alone. That is just purely selfish, you should be ashamed of yourself. Or is staying trim at expense of your baby's safety yet another one pf those middle-class yummy mummy essentials?

Yeah when I run 16s pushing my kid and beat these people they get pissed. But I can't run 14s any more so it's how I challenge myself once a year. So I apologize to you in advance if I hurt your feelings.

As for tips, took my kid from 4 months out. He loves it. But we go only a few times a month. Plus in ca the weather is good year round.

You have my genuine pity, I cannot imagine how empty your life must be.

The Animal Within wrote:

I can't run 14s any more so it's how I challenge myself once a year.

A runner mother's best friend is a jogging stroller. When I was a nanny I borrowed the jogging stroller every day and it was AWESOME! You are going to love it because every kid I've strolled enjoys it/falls asleep and then it becomes quiet time for you. And pushing that thing (I'm used to doubles) up the hill is a major butt burner. It should be on the best invention thread.

Ok, now a letsrun thread I am interested in!

At what age can you start taking your baby out in one of those things? I am 5 months pregnant and my little guy has been running with me since conception. :)

What do you moms and dads think about baby jogging on sidewalks? I have been asked if I want a jogger. We live in a residential area in a city, so that would be my option for running around. My options would be to just run around the block several times on the sidewalks.

As for the cold, are you not supposed to bring your baby out when it is cold out? Baby doesn't leave the house all winter? Honestly, I am a first-timer here, so I don't know about these things. We get cold winters. I can walk my baby to the supermarket in the cold or jog him. Why is jogging different? I wouldn't do it if it were icy, I suppose, but then again, women taken their kids out in strollers when it is icy. How is that different? I suppose the sidewalks get more crowded, but again, doesn't stop the baby walkers.

First, pay no attention to the trolls above re: temps. As for what age, there is a thread (with the same trolls) regarding this issue. Many serious runners will tell you that very young ages is fine, but 6 months is the general recommendation you'll get from pediatricians. The issue is not the brain (note how much children loved to be bounced at any young age) but the neck/spine.

I wanted to run when my child was younger, but waited until after 6 months (7 in fact). If you check out the older threads, you'll see folks going as young as 1 month.

Age - depending on the stroller, you can take them out weeks after they are born. Some jogging strollers have car seat carriers that can be hooked on. So hook your babe in and go.

My experience is that people love to look inside the stroller! seriously, some will lift the blanket up to see the kid. The younger the child, the more you will be treated like a celebrity.

Yes, you should still take your children outside if it is cold, not freezing, but cold is okay if you bundle them well and cover the opening of the stroller with a blanket because of the wind. I pause at every mile and peek inside to see how they are doing. You don't want to take jogging strollers out when it is icy because they are are 3-wheeled and heavy, which means they are more likely to tip and you are running so it is moving faster than traditional strollers.

If you have the infant car seat attachment, you can start really young. Basically, baby sits in its car seat, which is attached to the stroller. Neck/spine are totally supported. Our Pediatrician totally supported using stroller with infant seat after month 1. If you don't have the infant seat, you can probably switch to the regular seat between 4 and 6 months, depending on baby's muscle strength.

As far as the sidewalks, it's probably fine! In Texas, where I live, sidewalks (in quiet residential areas, the roads to which I refer) are hit and miss (literally, they just stop and start at random), so nobody uses them exclusively. We use them when possible, but they often don't exist. If you actually have sidewalks, and they are well-travelled, just try to choose low-traffic times of day.

Great tips! Can't wait.

At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to get one, being that I still want to run fast chase some PRs, but I think it could be a good thing.