Baby joggers

Triathlon Forum
1

I need recommendations/reviews on a good baby jogger. My second child will be here next week and it looks like having the jogger and taking my 2 year old son on my runs will be advantageous for both mom and dad. Also, does anyone do their tempo runs with one of these things (I’m LOL thinking about it)? How about long runs? I can’t picture my son sitting in it for an hour and a half… is it much more taxing on your muscles pushing one of these… does is screw up your form? are they a waste of money?

thanks in advance for any and all advice!

2

Andy,

We got what I thought was a decent one as a shower gift. I had priced the same one at Baby’s R Us and it retailed for around $150. Don’t ask me the name because I can’t remember at the moment. Anyway, I’ve used it a total of once. I tried it about a month ago and both my son and I hated it. I hated it because it seemed to completely throw off my form. My son hated, well I dont know why he hated it but he started wailing after about 10 minutes and after about 20 he was almost hysterical. Poor kid. I do want to try it again because I dont want to make a decision to sell it on one use. As of now, though, for my money I’d buy a trailer to pull behind my bike. In fact I’m pricing them now and will definitely have one for next summer. Anyway, let me know when you kid arrives.

Jerry in PA

3

I dont have one but will after October 30th. A friend of mine recommended the Baby Jogger. She said it was light and easy to run with. Babyjogger.com. Congrats and best of luck.

How old does a baby have to be to start running with them?

4

I don’t own one. A baby or a baby jogger. But my sister swears by hers. She also has the Baby Jogger brand. My nieces love riding in it, but my sister started taking them on runs from a very early age. I’m guessing that stating 'em early has an impact on whether or not they’ll like riding in it. My sister is not a serious runner, but her husband is. I think she uses it more than he does, and I’m sorry, but I can’t speak to how it will impact your form. The one recommendation I can make is to go with the biggest wheels you can deal with/afford. They offer the wheels in a couple of different sides, and the bigger ones roll much better. The better the thing rolls, the less you’ll need to push it while you run and I imagine your form will be impacted less.

One more note. If you’re at all of a bike gearhead, you’ll notice a bunch of instant modifications you’d like to make. I was just itching to upgrade the brake on my sister’s ride and slap on a set of nice wheels laced up to Chris King hubs.

5

I have one (can’t remember the brand) and it friggin hurts to run with it. It weighs a ton. I last used it in May cause she wanted to really go on a run with me.

Basicaly if you plan on running 6 miles that day cut it back to 3 or 4. It is signifigantly more difficult to run with one. My Daughter loves going in it. I also have a trailer which she likes too. Trek makes a trailer/jiogging stroller combo. It goes for around $200 or so if I rememebr correctly. The most important thin to rememebr is to take food and water for your kid. Don’t let them take toys unless it5 has a zipper cover causethey will get lost along the route and will scream bloody murder until you retrace your steps and find it. Trust me on this one.

yuck

6

www.runningroom.com I have their all terrain stroller … the one with the bottom pocket. This is basically the same style as “baby jogger” but a lot less. Even though they’re mostly a Canadian Company, they do have a USA store in Minnesota and appear to ship to the USA.

I loved mine when my son was 6 mons to 3 years. I trained for my first 1/2 with it and it was a mobile aid station- it rocked. Yes, I ran as long as 2:45 with it - and my son was comfy and happy. I didn’t find it difficult to run with at all - it was very manouverable with one hand and the brake was great going down hills.

Enjoy - it was one of the best times of my life, running with the little guy!

7

Hi Andy,

We started out with a single made by cool stride. I believe that they have the best singles that are made. Get one with 20" wheels if you get a jogger. They will roll better, and be more comfortable for your kid as well (you can also do some light X-C running as well…but wait till they have really good head control; like after a year old). You can also get the rain cover for it as well that works great, and up here in the north country, it is a must for the cold days so that you dont have to worry about frozen fingers that are much more sensitive to the cold. As for doubles, I would go with a baby jogger brand. We have a baby jogger double, and it works great. I think that it is our favorite out of our three joggers. It is a side by side, but can still fit through doorways (unless they are older doors which were made narrower than today). For a triple (if you get there) we have a runabout jogger. Out of all the joggers, it turns the most heads.

Now for the advice about use:

-try starting with walks with mom. dont start off just making it into a hammer workout. It will most likely fail, and you both (three or four of you) will be miserable. You need to make sure that you can stop to take care of the passanger. There are no two ways around this fact. I would NOT go for more than five to seven miles (30-50 min) as a long run with kids. Just trust me on this one. If you need to get more, make a deal with mommy (or daddy if mommy wants to run) to take over after ~40 min of running and take them to the park. If you dont you will most likely fail and be miserable.

-Always pay attention to the passenger. If he/she says something or cries, find out why, or what they said. Nothing makes things end bad like ignoring the passenger; even for the shortest time. If you are breathing too hard, slow down; and save that workout for the track (I can tell you about that in another post if you like).

-Bring lots of food and drink for the passenger.

-Bring a small selection of toys for passengers.

-learn to sing while running, and to point things out if they have some language skills already. If you cant because you are breathing too hard, you are ignoring your passengers

-If you have one or two, you MIGHT be able to get in a long 1-2 hr run during nap time. NOTE: THIS IS A VERY TRICKY AND DIFFICULT PROCEDURE; AND NOT RECOMMENDED FOR THE NOVICE OR WEAK OF STOMACH. This can go really bad and throw off nap time and make both child, mommy and daddy sorry.

-Never try the above with three children in a triple jogger.

-YES!!! you can RACE with these joggers. Just make sure to check with the race director before the race. Some races do not allow joggers. I have raced with the single, double, and triple jogger. Believe me, running 6 min miles on a hilly course with a triple jogger is quite a workout, but beware, the high school XC team get a little ticked off when you beat them pushing 105+lbs of children and jogger so be kind when you finish ahead of them. You will go slower than if you did not have the jogger, but I love racing with my kids.

-Running with a jogger does shift your form, but I dont think it screws it up. Just be aware of your form, and think about it. NOTE: you can push with one hand for a double and single most of the time, but remember to wear the wrist harness so you dont let the kids get away.

-Finally, I dont think it is a waste of money. I think the joggers were the best investments that we have made. I think we used the single the least, and have already gotten our money’s worth out of the double and triple. We take walks all the time with them, go hiking on good trails with them, walk around town with them, go shopping with them, etc. We did buy the double and triple joggers USED as they are rather expensive, but when you translate time used vs. dollars spent, I think they rate higher than any toy, high chair, car seat, etc that we have purchased for our kids.

If you would like any further information, I would be glad to share what I know. FYI we have three great kids aged 3, 2, and 9months. Most of the time, they love running with daddy.

Stephen Judice

8

When our son was born, my wife started giving me a huge amount of crap about going for bike rides. All my arguments that I don’t go to bars, play poker, golf or chase women fell on deaf ears. A friend gave us an old jogger, I think the brand was Matrix, with 20" wheels that rolled very easily. I started running again after not running for years. My son was about 10 months when I started and it was great. He would fall asleep right away. We did this for about a year till I got plantar fascitis. Pushing the load up the hills of San Diego was to much to soon I guess. After that got fixed we went at it again till he was about four and didn’t like sitting in there for long. It was a win win situation for me and I highly recommend you give it a try. I have fond memories of pushing him around. Just beware of the extra load and adjust accordingly. Have fun!

Paul

9

I second the motion to look at the Kool Stride brand for a single running stroller. Background: Competitive triathlete/runner, father of two, ages 2.5 and SIX WEEKS. I’ve put so many miles on the Kool Stride that I’m considering new tires! :wink:

For the first time, last night I took out my six-week old. Yes, yes, I know…yell at me for not waiting until the kid is at least months old. I simply surrounded him with blankets, paying careful attention to supporting his head/neck in a stable position. Off we went for a wonderful 40-minute jaunt.

My older child LOVES the running stroller. Often, it was just the tool we needed to get her to sleep at naptime when she refused to nap otherwise. My wife has used the running stroller extensively to maintain fitness in the past two years.

Overall, I’d strongly suggest one, and from personal experience, give the nod to Kool Stride. For what it’s worth, I’ve tried the Baby Jogger brand and have not been impressed. There’s another brand out there that I’m hating myself for forgetting, but from the looks of their website, appeared to be the coolest running stroller/biking trailer combo available. Perhaps someone can help me out with possible brands. Good luck.

10

I just recently bought my second jogging stroller for my second child. In my opinion, they are a “must have” for any tri-parent. The first stroller I owned was a Kid Active, a pain in the ass, because the thing just kept pulling to the right, but after a while I got used to it and hardly noticed. Between the ages of 1 - 3 my daughter was instantly asleep and slept for the entire run, even long runs. This was a bonus, not only did I get a good work-out, but my daughter got a good nap.

Now I have a second daughter, (7 months). The original stroller is trashed now after many runs in the snow and rain, and after a bit of research I just bought a Dreamer Design, It was very well reviewed, and after my first couple runs, I can tell I’m going to like it. I’ve also heard the Baby Jogger is good, but I believe there is much more room for the kid in the Dreamer Design. Perhaps I’m lucky, but child #2 also falls asleep instantly.

It does take a slight adjustment in form, but I usually hold the stroller with one hand and run along-side, so it does not interfere with my stride. If anything, it might actually improve your form, by forcing you to keep your feet under your body. Anyway, I highly reccomend a jogging stroller if you want to keep working out - for me there would be no other way.

BTW, I bought my Dreamer Design off E-bay, brand new and about 1/2 retail price.

11

Wow, great to see all these dads out running with their kids. My husband did it too, when ours were littler, in fact sometimes it was the only way to get them to sleep. In answer to how old, the baby needs to be able to hold his/her head up. Looks like Press got around this with his 6-week-old with lots of blankets, but he was careful to support the head. Once the neck is strong enough to hold up the head, you’re good to go

12

I don’t have a brand suggestion (I forget which kind I have – I bought it at REI 6-1/2 years ago). But – definitely get the bigger wheels (20" I think) and sunshade attachment. I’d suggest skipping a lot of the frills to keep it light. Things like big pockets and fenders and cupholders and all that nonsense. You’re running, not going on a cross-county trip! If the one you choose comes with all that, take it off. Especially fenders. If it’s raining, skip the stroller run.

In no particular order…

The most common mistake people make is to run leaning forward like they’re “pushing” it. Stay conscious of running tall, and keep the pushbar close to you so you’re not reaching out in front of you. It will roll as fast as you want it to with barely a touch of your fingertips.

Run with one hand pushing it and the other swinging like normal. Switch pushing hands about every 30 seconds or a minute.

Keep the kid strapped in! They can launch three feet in the air if you hit a bump.

Skip the toys. You’ll be stopping to pick them up. Or even worse, get home missing one and pay dearly with tantrums. My babies have been equipped only with hats and their favorite bedtime stuffed animal, which is pinned to the straps.

I’ve never gotten more than about an hour with any of my kids on one run. They run out of patience. When my new baby was still waking at 5:30, I’d go out then. She’d fall back asleep after 15 minutes, and I could run as long as I wanted.

Tempo runs work just fine as long as you’ve got a smooth, steady place to run. My path for faster runs is the oceanfront strand which is straight and flat and uninterrupted for 3-4 miles each direction. But then again, my tempo pace is most people’s long run pace…

And finally – they are among the best bucks you’ll ever spend on running gear! A bargain in the big picture of things. I’ve loved using mine, and my kids have loved it too. It’s 6-1/2 years old and ratty and rusty, but the wheels spin great and it’s easy as cake to run with.

Have Fun!

13

I am using a Baby jogger with 20" wheels and I (and my kids) have very little to complain about. This summer nearly all my runs have been together with my little girl (18 months), even the ones between two and two and a half hour. I have some really steep climbs on my round, and I find that my speed is reduced by aprox 15-20 % on the climbs.

I remember last year I had one block starting up with cycling 40 km with the girls in the cycle wagon and then changing to running with the youngest in the Baby Jogger + two dogs. We raised some smiles, but hey it kept em all happy!

14

Andy,

First child was born almost 8 years ago. Bought my wife a singe BabyJogger (brand) at the LBS on closeout. Found out she was pregnant with #2 only 7 month later - oops! Her biggest fear was how to run with both kids. Bought the twinner, of course. Absolutely the best purchases we have ever made for our training. Over the past 3 years we have trained and raced with all three kids.

One note, I called the BJ folks and talked with them directly. When I bought the twinner we did not have the $450 to dump on anything, let alone what we thought was a luxury. They held my name in line for a factory second unit for about 60% of retail. You might give that a try.

As for your questions - our kids were great right out of the box. My wife quit work with our second child and served them toast, milk, and a ziplock bag of cereal every morning for about 2 years while she ran. Stopped at the park for them to play after about 4-6 miles.

For long runs, it depends. Our kids usually fall asleep and then are fine. As for form, here’s where you have to go for BJ brand with 20" wheels. But we find it adds about 1 minute per mile at overdistance pace. Waste of money? Best money we have ever spent. I used to take both kids out for my runs to give Mom a break - and I did not feel guilty for taking the hour to myself.

Both units are still going strong, by the way. Congratulations - and keep on training.

Steve

15

Based on my experience, and echoing lots of other folks:

Kool Stride…20" wheels…alloy rims…one handed…run close, fingertip control, alternate hands (I do every mile)…slight stride mechanics changes…head control for kid, either self-supporting (older) or mucho padding (younger)…long, short, fast, slow, it’s all good BUT it’s all up to junior…my boy shrieked (with delight) for 10min then went to sleep almost every time out if it was more than 30min…my girl just slept…lots of extra sox/booties for the chilluns on nippy days cuz they are out front breaking the wind for ya and not working at all (one case of bluefoot is all it takes to shock you into this realization, trust me)…GREAT workout.

16

www.babyjogger.com and check the ‘factory seconds’ for good deals. These are the original baby joggers, and still among the best. We bought one several years ago, it works great. Usually our kids have taken naps in it, both boys enjoyed riding in it as well. It’s significantly slower, typically my 8k route is 31-32min without, 35-36 with the baby jogger. Wouldn’t do it for long runs, just because of diapers/snacks/boredom factors, the kid might not last. You could try it by doing say a 3 mile lap, so you could bale out in case of toxic diaper waste or the like. But it’s a whole lot better than not running at all, so I’d recommend one. Ours has had lots of use.

17

I agree with all the people singing the praises of jog strollers. Many good ones out there. My son will sit still for my long runs up to 2 hours, but any time he is outside he is happy. Now at age 2 he will ask to go run. The one other thing I would say is look at weight. (get big 20"wheels), but also think of it like a bike. We don’t want to be the one riding a 5 lb frame bike. I researched weights on the internet and then went to ebay to find one cheap. GT bicycles makes one under a different name very light and with rain-fly on ebay paid $115 new about 2 yrs ago. If you need the brand name e-mail me and I will get it off my stroller.

18

I would recommend the Baby Jogger brand. I have not tried any others but have been very happy with both the single and double.

Get the 20" wheels. They roll better and straighter. Plus they take any bumps better.

I added a water bottle holder to ours and tried a bike computer but the wire was too short when folding up. I suppose you could try a wireless one.

I started out the kids when they were each 2 months old. Since they grew up in it they never got restless.

Get the wind/rain cover but be carefull if it is a cool but sunny. It can get warm inside even when you are cool. ALso bring small blankets since you may be sweating but they are just sitting there.

When running I only held onto the handle on uphills or downhills. Set it up so the thing rolls straight as an arrow. May have to mess with the front wheel. Then you just push it ahead of you a few feet and run a good 10-20 Yds right behind it. Catch up then push it again. This allows you to use both arms, otherwise your arms will get tired. There have been times when running back from the Golden Gate bridge where the wind can catch it and you better be fast. Good interval workout.

Just before a race put the kids on a high Protein diet to drop a few grams and get them to practice leaning forward for those sprint finishes.

We have girl #3 due next month but I think Girl #1 is getting a bit long for a triple. So she is going to have to ride her new bike along side her two sisters.

Willy in Pacifica

19

I have the Babies R Us double jogging stroller and it works very well. The key to them is to keep them busy. I bring water for them and even snacks. They sings songs to me and the time flies.

2 - 3 mile runs are very easy with them

4 - 7 mile runs usually require drinks, snacks, maybe a stop for a slurpee

anything longer has to be broken into two section with a 1/2 hour stop at the park.

My form does suffer a bit, as I lean onto the bar too often.

Great thing is that during my half ironman, I started singing the songs that my girls sing to me. It was like having them there

20

My daughter is now 3 1/2 and I ran with her at least weekly. We used the BOB Delux Sport Utility Stroller. It was pretty expensive but the ride seemed pretty good. It has some silly rear shocks that seem to creak and do little else.

I used my sister-in-laws Baby Jogger when we were visiting them and found that a little easier to control and quite a bit lighter. I found the balance on the Baby Jogger better and it was much easier to lift the front wheel for turns and softening the bumps.

Whatever brand you go with, get the largest wheels you can.

One other thing we did was get a sheepskin pad for Mackenzie to sit on. Sure it adds a little bulk and weight, but it kept her warm during the winter and was much more comfortable than sitting directly on the nylon material. We also got terry cloth pads for the shoulder straps and a neck pillow.

She loved it! When I would do long runs on the weekend, I would just plan them around her nap and she nearly always fell asleep within the first 5 minutes and slept 1 or more hours. The only bad thing with this was that became the only place she would take a nap! For 6 months, she took ALL of her naps in the jogging stroller, usually in the house.