I really like my BOB Ironman

1. Chariots are the best in my opinion - we had a single and double
2. Yes, but one of the best things I ever did with our kids who are now 15, 17, and 19 and all three very fit and active. Running 1000s of miles with me was very formative.
3. Work it into your life, not someone else's - seriously, do what works.

Supportive spouse is the most important. The way to have a supportive spouse is to properly prime the pump . . . works every time! And, yes I too need it for my psychological health.


Congrats and best wishes!!

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

1. I bought a use Bob this summer and it’s been great. I did research too but went used and found a great deal on that one.

2. You can get a great workout with a stroller! It’s more tiring and slower than a normal run but after a few runs you get the hang of it. I run one handed and switch hands so that one hand is in motion.

3. I’m a teacher so I had last “summer off” but once I got the stroller I would run with my daughter a lot. Mostly mid week non tempo runs but did to some hour plus runs with intervals. Tempo might be a bit easier than intervals since the pace is consistent.

I love it though! My daughter seems to as well. She falls asleep pretty easy and I’m sure my wife likes the break sometimes when I do it while she’s at home too. Hope that helps!

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Im hardly doing IM training, but much of my running is with a 1 and 3 year old in a double stroller and a 4 year old on her bike. Much more tiring and certainly slower, but it's the only way to make running fit into time when the kids are up.

I would also add that the kids love the adventure of it and Mommy enjoys some quiet breaks.

1. I've got the BOB Revolution Flex (2016). Works great for running, we have the handlebar console too so it can hold bottles/water bottles when running. We also have the Summer 3D Lite stroller for less strenuous tasks (mall, travel, etc) which we use frequently - its much lighter and easy to collapse, well worth the $$ IMO.

2. You can certainly get a decent workout. I treat it like a slow/easy run, because you're going to go slower. If you're going up any sort of hill you're going to notice it. I feel like it impacts my form a little bit, so generally I only keep one hand on the stroller to guide it while the other swings free, and switch hands every mile or so.

3. Of course there are trade offs, but IMO its well worth it. Like you mention, it will give your wife a break, she'll appreciate some time alone. It's also an activity I can share with my son, and at a younger age it's a great way to get them to take a nap. For me, I choose to drive ~15 min (guess what, it's going to be longer when you're putting kiddo in a car seat and maybe changing a diaper before you've even started) to a running path that's flat/free from cars, then going 5-6 easy miles while they snooze and just enjoy the scenery. I've never once thought "I'd rather be doing intervals."

Good luck! You're going to be tired, but taking your kid on a run is definitely a fun part of it.

Bob. Not used others but it is great.

Think they recommend for 6 months plus only (you should check). I started at 9 months. Got easier at 12 months.

Not sure I’d do intervals etc.

Dan

I have a Britax convertible stroller, good enough for short runs with a single kid. Chariot/Thule for anything more than 3 miles easy, or my chariot double for when I have both kids (20 months and 5 years). They LOVE being in the chariot double together. Its cute that the 5 year old takes care of the little one too with snacks or drinks. Im good for up to 2 hours in the chariot running. However, the most Ill do is tempo, and most of the runs are z2. Just not super easy to do intervals. I do consider it a good workout since it almost simulates minor grade with the added weight you have to push.

A huge benefit to the chariot is also the bike attachment. While I only use it sometimes, it does allow us to also have family outings.. wife pulls chaript and both kids with her bike and Ill run. We stop about an hour out, kids get to play at a playground, then we head back.

No matter what you decide, getting something is worth it. I love the extra bonding time with the kids.

I push my twin boys around using an instep safari double stroller. They each weigh over 30# so it’s getting harder to take them out. Yes it’s cheap but it has never given me any issues.

Bob revolution for single and twins!

I’d recommend you buy it on craigslist or Facebook marketplace.

Someone here recommended the thule urban glide. I bought it and love it. We use it as our everyday stroller. Another thing someone suggested here. It's light and easy to break down. I'll be honest in my son's first year or so I didn't run often with him but he's two and a half now and loves coming with me on runs so we've been using it more. I'm very happy with my decision.

i did a lot of research and the thule glide either standard or urban(depends on the style of running) are the best ones out there. This is that all the GWR guys use to set the records in half marathon and marathon.

We have a Bob revolution that we found at an REI garage sale and it was probably one of our best purchases. Started running w/ my daughter when she was about 8 months old and we still run with it even though she is closing in on 4 (tomorrow). I've found it so enjoyable that I am now looking for a double Bob as we have a 7month-old.

While I have never done any "speed work" with it, you will realize how much faster you are once you run w/o the stroller and added weight. You don't want to be the guy in lane 1 at the track with a stroller...other ST'ers will never let you live that down...

Best of luck with your purchase...nothing is quite as awesome as sharing a run with your youngsters.

Just checked ours and it looks like a BOB Revolution

Thanks all for the advice. Very helpful. My wife was also blown away by the fact that I got a dozen replies from fellow ST dads within a couple hours. Such a great forum.

She’s following this thread and said she’d surprise me with a jogger. We’ll see which she picks. Sounds like Thule or BOB are great options.

Where as initially I was concerned my runs would be lower quality with the jogger, now I’m super excited to run with my son once he’s big enough in a few more months.... and pass Ironman fever forward a generation.

I’m most excited though for when the little guy can bike along next to me during runs in a few years. Some of my fondest memories of bonding with my dad were riding my little bike next him, handing him water bottles and learning stuff from him, while he was out on his long runs.

Good stuff.....

a bit late to the party...but we have a Bob Revolution. Have run over 5000 miles with it. We started at age 4 months, cradling the baby's head with a rolled up towel, with the car-seat insert. The thing is indestructible. Only had to change the tires once because the tread wore off. Otherwise have done no maintenance.

Have done many, many long runs (16-20 miles), track workouts, etc. Kids love it: looking at the scenery, getting outside, we talk and sing songs with them while running, etc

I also recommend the console for holding water bottles, fruit snacks, etc. If I could do it over again, I would buy the Bob Ironman as it is somewhat lighter and has the fixed front wheel. I found with the Revolution that the adjustable front wheel eventually got locked slightly out of alignment because of rust, so it is functionally fixed now.

It does affect your form slightly, but has not seemed to be detrimental to my overall fitness or ability to run without it.

That might have been me. I’m obsessed with our Thule Urban Glide. It’s our everyday stroller and I bought the bassinet that clips on for our newborn.

To the OP: do not run with your baby until they are at least six months old. Babies lack the neck strength to handle the vibrations during running.

Not all babies are the same, my son has a very strong neck, and could sit upright, hold his head up at 5 months so took him out then without issues, added a car seat pad. Some babies may need to wait till 7 months.

To the OP ,Bob Ironman stroller is awesome, I like that I can pump up the tires with my bike pump. I have gotten 1 flat but was able to get him home and order another tube. The difference between the Bob Ironman and the Revolution flex is the pivoting front wheel. For running you dont need the wheel to pivot, and I've read that it's better for speed in a fixed position. But if you plan to take it other places get the flex. We have a couple other day to day strollers so wasnt an issue for me. And I trained about 60 miles of IMAZ on the stroller, it's not as good for form but will get the miles in, I'm about 30 seconds a mile slower. On a 9 mile run that I can do at 710 a mile I've done at 740 a mile on the stroller.

That’s true. The OP wants to run with a two month old.

You don't need to spend a fortune on a good running stroller - I picked up a rather old-school used Super Jogger off eBay for £25 and it's been fantastic. My little boy loves it and we regularly get out for 12-20 mile group runs with my running club. I find that at around 6-6 1/2 minute miling, the stroller is worth around a 20 BPM effort penalty, so makes any run a bit more intense.

The bigger the wheels the better IMHO, but that does make the stroller a bit more cumbersome for transport.

This was us pacing a friend to a 10k PB recently

When my twins were born, I found the BOB Ironman double stroller to be pretty great. I found a used one on Craigslist.

That said, I put in an exponential more amount of miles on my treadmill, which proved to be way more useful than the stroller, plus you can walk on it to put the baby to sleep!

I have the Bob revolution - it's been great to run with (and to use regularly).

I love that when running you just flip a tab and lock the front wheel in the extended position. There's a truing mechanism to get it to run straight if it's ever a bit off.

I've logged hundreds of KMs with my kiddos in it. Oddly, I find it works best when they're still pretty young and time it with their nap - otherwise they seem to get bored and start to get upset.

We got the BOB Revolution Pro (adjustable handle, better brakes) and absolutely love it. I started running my daughter at 3 months (with doctor's permission). She won her age group at a local 5k at 4 months. She loved it until about 2 1/2 years old, when my mom bought her a jogging stroller for her baby doll, now she has to take it for a run instead of ride. The best part is she sees us working out, and running is just a part of her life. She'll even pretend to stretch before we go for a run because she sees Mommy/Daddy doing it.

Yes, it is harder to push it. If there is a headwind it becomes a parachute. Up hills is much harder, down hills it will drag you (I generally feather the brake). I never could do more than an hour except one time we did a 1/2 marathon together, she was pissed about an hour in but eventually just went to sleep.

The best part is it works as a regular stroller really well, so when we go on vacation, we do not have to bring a running stroller and a regular stroller. We just load it appropriately for the activity at hand. The wheels pop off easily and it actually packs down pretty small.

Highly recommend the Burley Stroller. Get add-on that allows you to hook up to bike. Holds two young kids or baby in car seat. Covered or open air. Wore out the original ball bearings with so many thousands of miles. Earned mega bonus points and extra training solo time from spouse. The kids turned into athletes and volunteers.

You'll have lots to learn from them along the way...……….


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