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Run commuting at its core is about efficiency. It isn’t about the actual commute as it is about getting two things done at once, and as a new dad, this has never been more relevant. Like new most parents, I found that my new responsibilities led to less free time, reduced weekly running mileage, and an impaired ability to buffer lactic acid.
Then, our son could control his head well enough to ride in a jogging stroller, and I discovered the remarkable utility of baby jogging.
The most game-changing form of baby jogging is certainly the nap jog. Now, not only are you getting exercise while providing childcare, but you are also napping your child simultaneously, accomplishing three things at once! If your child is nap-resistant, baby jogging might actually be the most important thing you do all day. Disclaimer: I am not a sleep therapist, but I don’t recommend nap jogging as the only way to get your child to sleep.* To further increase your efficiency, add running an errand or taking your child to an activity to your nap jog, and you will be accomplishing at minimum, four things at once.
As much as I love nap jogs, the grocery run might be my favorite type of run commute. I’ve always enjoyed grabbing a few things from the store on my run commute home from work, but have often encountered the obvious problems inherent to trying to store and run with bulky, perishable items in my backpack. This can be fine for short distances, but unless you live more than a short walk from the store, I wouldn’t suggest trying to run with strawberries, eggs, or more than 32 oz. of maple syrup.
With a jogging stroller, many of these backpack limitations disappear. Weight and space considerations are much less important, and with careful packing, it is even possible to run with fragile or crushable items. Somewhat surprisingly, I’ve found that once I was used to running with the added resistance of a stroller, adding more weight to the stroller doesn’t usually make too much of a noticeable difference in how easy it is to run with, at least on flat ground.
In fact jogging strollers are so good for running with heavy loads that I found myself running errands that I previously wouldn’t have considered, such as jogging a stroller load of compost to the drop off site or mailing shipments of run commute backpacks. For hardcore run commuters, I recommend the stroller as a tool for heavy-duty errand running with or without children.
If you grocery shop with your stroller and child, be aware that you won’t have the space of a full-sized shopping cart. Look for a jogging stroller with a decent non-child storage area, and remember that anything you put in with your kid may get chewed on or thrown on the ground. My Thule Chariot has a nice rear storage net that can hold quite a bit, but I inevitably find myself stacking cans around my son’s feet or just handing him items that seem safe. Naturally, the best thing to store in the child compartment is a snack, and if they eat it AND take a nap, you’ve accomplished five things.
Newborn babies don’t have much head control, and it isn’t typically recommended to jog with them until they are older. There is also some risk of crashes, tip-overs, or falls inherent in using a stroller, much less running with one. Please consult your physician before jogging with your infant, and once again, don’t consider any of this medical advice.* However, you may be able to run with your child sooner and more safely if you have a stroller compatible with a car seat. Some brands have modular systems that enable you to click your car seat securely into a stroller, similar to how it locks into the seat base in your car. This offers your child the protection of automotive technology such as head bolsters, a five-point harness, and a roll bar.
If you want to use the car seat for jogging, you should consider finding a car seat-compatible jogging stroller, or a regular stroller with jogging features. I use the Baby Jogger City Mini GT2, which, despite the name, isn’t a true jogging stroller. However, it has relatively large wheels, a front wheel lockout, and some suspension, which make it a great jog-capable everyday stroller. Note that you may need to purchase a car seat adapter, and not all car seat brands are compatible with all strollers.
A tip for nap jogging: look for a stroller/car seat combo that enables you to darken the seat. My Graco car seat has an adjustable awning that nests into Baby Jogger’s sun shield, allowing for an almost complete blackout. I found that this aided napping substantially until our son became more aware of his surroundings around 12 months old, at which point closing the awning would prevent him from looking for dump trucks and would result in screaming.
*This information contained on this site is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice on any subject matter. Napping your child using powerful sleep aides such as jogging strollers may result in a dependence on rhythmic motion and could cause sleep regressions, crying, nighttime waking, stress fractures, overtraining, fussiness, and cognitive impairment. Baby jogging is an inherently dangerous activity and includes a risk of injury, sleep deprivation, and dissolution of marriage. Strollers are not safe sleep environments. Zip LLC is not liable for any actions you take or fail to take, any loss or disruption of sleep or income for you, your children, or your spouse.
