All the other moms running with their babies make it look so easy, it never occurred to me just how difficult running with a kid in a stroller actually was.
By Becky Murray.
By Becky Murray.
When I got pregnant I was a fitness addict. I ran, I did yoga, I was an avid Crossfitter and obstacle racer. I continued working out throughout my entire pregnancy while visions of life as a fit mama danced in my head. I couldn't wait to workout with my babe and I especially couldn't wait to take him out on the trails running.
I began seeing moms pushing their babes around the city while they ran and was excited to do the same. It never occurred to me how difficult it would be. It never occurred to me that running strollers weigh considerably more than regular strollers for some terrible reason. It never occurred to me that I would have to add the weight of my solid, heavy, toddler (at the time of purchasing my running stroller) to the weight of the solid, heavy stroller. It never occurred to me that I would be pushing somewhere around 50 extra pounds. Did I mention I was still carting around a few additional pounds from pregnancy too?
Ok, I can do hard things. I can push significant weight around. This is no big deal.
It never occurred to me that pushing a stroller meant forfeiting the use of my arms. It never occurred to me just how much the momentum of my arms was a driving force in keeping my body moving on the trail. It never occurred to me that keeping my arms stationary on the handle of the stroller would be such an awkward and uncomfortable thing.
Why does no one else look as awkward and uncomfortable as I do?!
It never occurred to me that my child may not actually like riding in the stroller on a beautiful sunny day, with the sounds of the flowing creek and chirping birds in the background. It never occurred to me that his form of entertainment on these runs would be tossing out every possible thing he could out of the stroller and laughing maniacally with every lost item.
Why do I never see other mom's rescuing stray shoes and sippy cups while they're running?!
This is how it was for every.single.run. I ran slower and stopped more frequently. Sometimes I stopped to catch my breath. Sometimes I stopped to shake out my arms and most of the time I stopped to pick up a sock, or the snack bag, or the hat, or the toy that I didn't know my son even had on him. I once stopped to plead with my child to stop screaming like a banshee during the 5k race I was in the middle of. And I was forced to stop when somehow the front wheel suddenly fell off the stroller and started to roll away….
Becky, the face behind The Bex Factor is a 28 year old working mom to a goofy two year old with a love for fitness and her community. Her passions include leading a healthy lifestyle through yoga, running, Crossfit, obstacle racing and healthy eating, and discovering the best local things to eat, see and do.
