Ran another 5k with the double jogging stroller this morning – it was a local raise run by the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club, which raises tons of money for charities.

Greg and I both were encouraged by so many of the women we know in Juniors to run, so we signed up in spite of having already paid to run the Newton 10k that morning.  It’s always fun to go to a race where you’ll know people, and I love community events that raise money for charity!

It was a beautiful morning and a great race… the course was scenic, and despite its rolling hills, I came in even faster by a few seconds than my last double jogging stroller race (only two weeks ago).  My time was 29:25 🙂  Every race I’ve run since I became vegan in October has been a PR.

Greg, my amazingly fast and awesome husband, came in 5th overall with a time of 20:13.  He might have broken 20 if the runners hadn’t been misdirected by a police officer and taken a wrong turn in the beginning of the race.  Umm… whoops.  As it is, I feel PRETTY AWESOME being the wife of a guy who comes in top five.  I’ll be chasing him for the rest of my life… with a giant smile on my face 🙂

The only downside of the race was that I found out five minutes before the start time that jogging strollers weren’t technically allowed – race directors have to take out an additional insurance policy to allow running strollers (which I didn’t realize).  I had asked a race volunteer before registering and been told “all are welcome!” but apparently they even said no running strollers in the race waiver I signed when I registered online.  You know those little paragraphs with the small font that you just presume are health disclaimers?  Yeah, they may have important information in them.  So don’t have a couple glasses of wine at an event and come home and register for a race without reading that little paragraph… especially if you’re doing something out of the norm like pushing a running stroller or wearing a costume.

The race volunteer who informed me was super nice and let me start in the back…. where there were about five other strollers also running, who presumably ALSO don’t read the fine print when they sign up for a race.

I don’t mind starting in the back time wise, but I felt awful running by so many people who were walking, and it’s not as safe starting at the back and passing half the participants because beginning runners will sometimes stop right in front of you and start walking, and I had to veer around a couple people.

As I was veering (which was only in the first half mile, then it opened up and I just ran on the outside and it was very safe) I could see why a race might not allow running strollers, and felt even worse for not getting a babysitter!

In the future, I will read those waivers carefully, and I will make sure I sign up for races where strollers are welcome, or get a babysitter.

Still, the boys LOVED racing with me, and I loved that I had the chance to prove to myself that I really can run a 5k in under 30 minutes pushing the double jogging stroller… it wasn’t just a fluke, this is me.  I’m a runner.

There were over 282 runners – that’s a lot of money for charity!  Congrats to the Wellesley Hills Junior Women’s Club on a great event.  It takes a lot of work and organization to direct a race, and these women had multiple water stops, great food at the finish line, awesome music, and a beautiful course.  Plus they were gracious enough to let me run 🙂

Looking forward to running it again next year!  Sans the kiddos, of course 🙂

The hardest part of stroller running is actually the return home.  I’m happier, I’m energized, I’ve got those endorphins from running, but I’m also kind of tired from my workout and all I really want to do is shower.

For a while, I was trying to shower with them in the bathroom where I could keep an eye on them.  That was a disaster.  I was worried they’d slip and fall on the hard floor, Will figured out how to drag the scale over to the bathtub and use it to reach the faucet, Andrew got a drawer open and took out all the q-tips… it just wasn’t good.  Having all medications and chemicals out of reach wasn’t enough, it was just too hard a room to baby-proof.

What I’ve started to do now is put each of them in their separate, child proofed bedrooms, and give them some toys.  I reassure them that I’ll be back really soon, tell them I just need to shower, and I leave.  I turn on their baby monitors so I can jump out of the shower and run down the hall if one of them really needs me, and then I go ahead and take a quick shower by myself.

Tips For Showering After a Run When You Have Toddlers

• Put your children in separate, child proofed areas
• Make sure they have clean diapers, sippy cups with water, and are comfy
• Give them some books and toys
• Tell them you’re going to be back soon and you’re just showering
• Practice leaving them by themselves for a few minutes at a time and increase until they’re used to being alone for 10 – 15 minutes so you can shower
• Bring baby monitors so you can hear them if they become distressed
• Know your child – if they get into everything, even in their rooms, consider teaching them to have quiet time in their crib where you know they’re safe for those few minutes
• Set them up with the expectation before you even go for your run – “Hey, we’re going for a run and then you get to play all by yourself and look at books while Mommy showers”
• Build a routine so they know to expect it, and to expect that you’ll be back soon and it’s not a big deal

Andrew is 17 months old and Will is almost 3.  Both of them are absolutely fine for ten to fifteen minutes by themselves in a child proofed area with some toys.  Will definitely knows what’s going on and that I’ll be back soon, and Andrew seems to get it as well.

Keeping them separate so I don’t need to worry about them hurting each other or struggling over a toy in my absence is a must, and having observed them in the environments I’m leaving them in to feel confident that they’re child proofed helps also.

You could even leave a young toddler in their crib with some books and toys if you were worried about giving them access to the whole room.  Most pediatricians recommend that you wait until your baby is 9 months to a year before running with them in a jogger – at that age they’re probably also able to entertain themselves for ten to fifteen minutes while you shower.  If not, you can consider a pack and play or a bouncy seat where they can see you but they’re contained.

Once they’re over a year, it’s worth teaching them that you’ll be right back!  They can learn to separate for that short time.  You can even do test runs of a few minutes while you do other household tasks, gradually increasing the time you’re away from them until you get to the point where they’re comfortable with a long enough window of separation that you can shower.

Teaching your young child to be comfortable alone for a few minutes, and to trust that you always come back and are nearby if they need you, is actually a great independence builder for them.  If you do it kindly and gradually, it actually makes them more secure.  I like that my toddlers aren’t scared of being alone, and that they trust me that I’m going to take good care of them and I’ll come running if they really need me.

The first time I did this, there was a little complaining, but now they both seem to expect that after a stroller run, they’re going to hang out by themselves for a bit.

Getting them used to it has made stroller running so much easier!

Other posts you may enjoy:

Why I Love Stroller Running

Sunday Morning 4 Mile Stroller Run

Interview With a Runner

I love running with a jogging stroller.

It gives me the flexibility to get my shorter runs in without a babysitter or on the treadmill during naps.  It gets me, and the kids, outside for some fresh air.

It can be the best remedy for a challenging afternoon, because it’s 30-40 minutes where I don’t have to say “no” to my kids and they don’t have to hear it.  They’re not jumping on the couch or climbing onto the kitchen counter, and I’m not constantly redirecting them.  What a relief!

We see all kinds of things on our runs, and the boys love pointing them out to each other.  One of my favorite stroller runs is parallel to the commuter rail, and my little train enthusiasts love seeing a train go rushing by on the other side of the street.  People walking their dogs, cyclists with reflectors on their helmets, motorcycles, construction vehicles, landscaping trucks… our runs are a smorgasbord of visual delights for toddlers.

They’re great for me, too, because I’m out there exercising and improving my mood.  Science has now shown that running and other exercise really do release endorphins into your brain.  (Check out this New York Times article from 2008 about the runner’s high if you’re interested in reading more.)

There are more benefits to stroller running than just my runner’s high:

We’re out of the house
No one is fighting over toys
No one is making a mess of the family room
I can use my babysitting or nap time for something else
If the kids are overtired, it can be down time for them
I get some upper body and core workout benefits from pushing the stroller
I can steal water from their sippy cups and hydrate on the run
I look like an awesome runner even though I’m running really slow, because I’m pushing two kids
I have that calm feeling a mother gets when she knows where her kids are and that they’re happy
I can do something I love without interruption (chatting with them doesn’t hinder my running)
It’s something fun to do that’s free, healthy, we all enjoy, and that is a little different every time

Andrew often claps for me on our runs… slowed to a jog and captured this with my phone 🙂

Greg took Will to the Boston Museum of Science this morning, so Andrew and I went for a run together just the two of us!  Except not just the two of us, because I thought the empty seat in the double jogger might make us sad, so we brought Mr. Bear.  I would have brought the single jogger, but someone backed into it with the car (there’s a more than good chance that this was me, since Greg is a very masterful and less distracted driver).  My sainted husband is getting the single jogger fixed, but in the meantime, our faithful double jogger does the job!

I meant to go for just three miles with Andrew, so that I could log 18 miles this week.  No intervals, nothing crazy, just get out there and run.

I ended up going for four miles, because for some reason my Garmin wasn’t working and I had no idea how many miles we’d gone or how fast I was running!  When I got home and used Map My Run, I discovered that I’d done just over a mile more than I’d planned.

Huh?  Greg is going to have to look at you later!

It actually made for kind of a nice run, because we just went out there and ran.  I used my watch to tell me to turn around after I’d been running 18 minutes, figuring that’d get me three miles.  But then I saw a sign for the Brook Path, and decided to take that home since it’d be scenic and shady and adventurous!

It was indeed adventurous. I’m kind of glad I didn’t know my pace given the terrain!

We saw a playground I’ve never been to, and stopped there for a few minutes to swing (why not, right?) before continuing.

Several people rolled down their car windows to shout hello to Mr. Bear.  Three different runners pointed and smiled or waved at Mr. Bear.  A little girl thought it was very strange, but also funny, that I was running with a bear and that I had a double stroller but only one baby.

I imagine from the response I got out running that there are quite a few people who went home and told someone, with a little smile, that they saw a giant teddy bear getting pushed in a double jogging stroller next to a toddler.  It’s kind of cool to make people smile 🙂

The Brook Path detour and lack of Garmin added a mile to my run, which meant Andrew was very ready for his nap when we got home!  It was a fun, relaxed workout, and that means I ran 19 miles this week, my highest mileage ever!

Ready to be home for a nap.  Almost there, Andrew!