Running with a Jogging Stroller

When my daughter, Emma, was just shy of 6 months old, I put her in the jogging stroller and went out for our first run together--about 3.5 miles. She seemed to enjoy it, though she reached back the same handle my mother reached for in the car when I rounded a corner way too fast as a teenage driver. We both finished the first run with a smile on our face.

When I started looking for a stroller, I learned that there is a wide variety and while many of them look the same, they don't all perform the same. Which one I would pick depended largely on what my personal criteria were. There is a difference between needing a stroller that will simply allow you to traverse a grass field at a wine festival and a stroller that will allow you to run fast. And everything in between.

I went with the Baby Jogger Performance Series. As a brand, they've been targeting runners for a long time and still have a great product. The stroller comes with 20-inch wheels, which make all the bumps in the road that much smaller and popping over a curb that much faster. The canopy can shift all the way to my Emma's feet, allowing me to keep the direct sun off her fair skin. Running with it is extremely smooth. I feel as though I'm simply pushing the weight of the stroller, not fighting against friction in the wheels.

Assembling and breaking down the stroller are also quick and easy after doing it a couple times (all the wheels are quick release). The best part is it fits in both of our cars--Toyota Matrix and Corolla. With my Corolla, it fits in either the trunk or the back seat. So you don't need a minivan to own a jogging stroller.

Other features include:

• Reclining Seat: Okay, but not all that important since the seat in it's upright position is fairly reclined anyway.
• Handleash: Definitely a must to prevent the stroller from getting away from me in case of an accident or lapse of attention.
• Handbrake: Sounds like it would be really useful, but I found I never used it while running. I actually disengaged it because it was required a good deal of fussing to make sure it didn't rub against the tire and slow me down. I haven't missed it.
• Parking Brake: There are two: one through the handbrake and the other at the base of the wheels like conventional strollers. So even though I got rid of the handbrake, I can still part the stroller when I'm not running.
• Storage:
• Zipper pocket at the back/top where I put a little money and my cell phone.
• Bigger net on the back where I can put a hat, gloves, water bottle, etc...
• Cargo net on bottom, which is almost useless. Small items will slip out, but for now the diaper bag is a good fit (though I don't take the bag when I go for a run).

Other things I've learned:

• When going over bumps, pushing down on the handlebar prevents the front wheel from bouncing up--much more comfortable for the passenger.
• Run with the dog (leashed) or the stroller, not both.
• I've heard starting early with your kids helps. So if you wait until Johnny is three years old, you may find Johnny is fussy with the whole thing. Starting at the right time makes it seem like a normal thing, so they can ease into it. (I'll have to see if this is right in a couple years.)

On Sunday, I started out on our usual route and decided to try out the gravel roads I always run on when I'm alone. After about 10 minutes, I stopped and check in on Emma. She smiled and started kicking her feet--a sign that I was to keep on moving. I stopped after we'd put in about 6 miles. She was asleep! Looks like running on gravel roads isn't a problem.

Checking In

Well, running has been tough lately. When my running suffers, so does this blog. My left knee continues to bother me. I know the main way back from this problem is strength training, but I've been predisposed to hang out with my daughter. She's almost 6 months old, which means she's getting more active and increasingly more fun to play with. So I'm much more motivated to get home as soon as possible. Tie that in with the fact that finding time for my other passion--reading--and I've had a difficult time lacing up. With the weather warming up and more daylight (during my waking hours, at least), there is a little more time to play with. For starters, I made it out yesterday for a short 3-miler and today I'm going to do some biking.

Also, I've received a number of emails from folks reading this blog...I sincerely hope to respond to them this week.

December Running Summary

Wow. Free time is really scarce these days. I have little or no slack time during my work day and get home as soon as possible to help my wife with our baby daughter. In between, I have time to fit in a run outside or crosstraining at the gym, but not much else. That includes writing posts. It didn't help that I didn't really want to talk about December and how my running dropped off a bit. I had a case of "runner's knee" that started at the tail end of the 5k training...probably from the increased speedwork. I really began running again in earnest on New Year's Day, which will show up in the January summary.

November Running Summary

I'll start with the good news. I'm really happy with my Turkey Trot 5k performance on Thanksgiving--21:18 (6:52 pace). The best part is I realized through training for this event I have a lot more untapped potential than I realized. My next goal will be to get under 21:00, ultimately heading toward a sub 20:00. The bummer is I've run one time since Thanksgiving. The reasons are many: less daylight, the baby, increased workload, and early signs of an ITB issue. It's also getting colder, but I'm looking forward to giving the outdoors a go this winter after spending last winter in the sweatbox (gym) on the treadmill (ugh). Plus my gym is so overcrowded with people and equipment that it's a real challenge to find somewhere to stretch. The IT band is something I've dealt with before. What always works for me is (1) cutting back mileage/intensity (2) developing the muscle on the side of my butt with leg lifts while laying on my side.

TV: US Olympic Marathon Trials

NBC Sports will provide free internet coverage of the US Olympic Marathon Trials this Sunday (November 3). It has the potential to be the most competitive, highest caliber US marathon trials ever. Runners World has the best coverage of the event up to this point.

TV: Marathon Challenge

This is the kind of "reality" TV I can live with. On October 30, PBS stations will air Marathon Challenge. In the Washington, DC area, WETA will air this on channel 26.

How do you run 26.2 miles if you have trouble making it around the block? With good coach­ing, discipline, and lots of group support, as NOVA shows when it follows 13 generally sedentary people through a training regimen designed to prepare them for an ultimate test of stamina and endurance. Created in cooperation with the Boston Athletic Association®, which granted NOVA unprec­edented access to the 111th Boston Marathon®, and Tufts University, "Marathon Challenge" takes viewers on a unique adventure inside the human body, tracking the physiological changes that exercise can bring about.

Former Olympian and three-time Boston Marathon winner Uta Pippig offers advice and inspiration to NOVA's runners throughout their training. And veteran Tufts University coach Donald Megerle guides them week-by-week through an onslaught of physical and psychological challenges. NOVA's runners range in age from 22 to 60, and they come to the endeavor with a wide range of medical histories and backgrounds. They share one thing in common: none has ever run a marathon before.

10/8to 10/21 Running Summary

For the first time in a long time, I feel I'm starting to get some consistency back. I'm gradually working up the miles and feel stronger and stronger every day, which is a good sign that I'm not taking on too much too soon. I also decided to run a neighborhood 5k Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day. This will give me some focus over the next month and will also let me continue where I left off when I injured my knee...working on getting faster.

New Balance 902

As the leaves start to fall, I feel blessed to enter my favorite season with a pair of shoes I'm really stoked about. I received a pair of New Balance 902 from NBwebexpress.com to try out. After putting in my inaugural 75 miles in them, I'm ready to provide my honest assessment.

The 902s are a lightweight trainer. Since I'm a lightweight runner (read: skinny) with medium arches, I'm probably in the target audience. I've always tended toward heavier shoes that promised a comfortable ride, so when I first pulled the 902s out of the box I was skeptical. I wondered how a shoe so light (10.3 oz) could provide enough support. Then I put the shoes on...

My first run reminded me of the day I time ran in a pair of shoes recommended to me by a specialty running store. At that point, I had struggled with bad shoes for more than a year. Now, years later, I was trying to outrun my woefully overpriced and underwhelming Asics Gel Kinseis. Floating along with shoes that are lighter (nearly 3 ounces), quieter, and smoother brought home a singular idea: NEVER suffer a bad pair of shoes.

On a slightly more technical note, the heel-toe transition is responsive and smooth. The soles provided ample cushioning yet still allow me to feel connected to the ground. Most of my running is on gravel roads and horse trails, and these shoes held up admirably. The only slight issue was a little slippage on steep uphills due to the shallow treads on the soles. This goes away on the asphalt, where they are much more grippy.

At $99, these shoes are much better priced than anything I've run in the last few years. I will definitely buy a couple more pairs.

9/10 to 10/7 Running Summary

In an obvious catch-up entry, I'm covering a month's worth of running. The key accomplishment was keeping things going leading up to and after my daughter's birth. I thought it appropriate to note the walking I did. While it wasn't rigorous cardiovascular activity in this case, it was extensive--5-6 miles a day. To my utter delight, my baby loves to go for walks. It relaxes her. Since it also relaxes me, it's a classic win-win situation--especially during some of the best weather of the year.

She's Here!

I am proud to announce that my daughter, Emeline Elisabeth, was born on September 20, a whole 8 lbs, 13.9 oz. As first time parents, we have been taking tons of photos and videos in the few moments not consumed by holding, feeding, and loving Emma, and, of course, trying to get some sleep. Here is the link to a few of those photos and one of the videos. I will be loading more pictures as they are taken, so be sure to check them from time to time. This is the reason for my absent posts. Believe it or not, I've found the time to do some running. Now I just need to find a little time to blog.