How to Run With Your Baby

Ah, Fall. When the promise of colorful foliage views and crisp cool temps beckons me to lace up my Asics and hit the pavement. There is nothing quite like the solitude of running in the early morning hours of the day with my girls Demi and Ariana jamming in my ear buds. Then sometimes I get a wild hair and think, “Man, you know what would make this even better?! If I ran with my baby!”

Don’t be fooled my friends … this is no easy feat. Luckily for you, I’ve compiled a step-by-step guide in case you, too, decide to embark on such an outing.

How to Run

  1.  At 5 weeks pregnant, daydream about how many miles you and your little nugget will pound out together … it will be so sweet and angelic.
  2. Research jogging strollers for no less than 25 weeks and after polling several online mom running communities, take out a second mortgage on your house and buy one. Read manual front to back and excitedly anticipate your baby’s arrival so you can begin your mommy and me running club adventures.
  3. Have baby, wait 6 months for baby to meet stroller safety guidelines.
  4. OK, it’s go time! Baby is old enough and has great head support … let’s do this!
  5. … tomorrow.
  6. Decide to run first thing in the morning and set out running gear so you are all set to go. Pat yourself on the back for being so organized.
  7. (NEXT DAY) Baby wakes up … feed baby and change diaper.
  8. Pump (because it’s morning and the girls are still feeling a bit full).
  9. Put on running clothes.
  10. … yep, you’re going to need to layer those sports bras.
  11. Don’t forget the nursing pads because, friction.
  12. Search around the house for 10 minutes to find headphones while carrying baby.
  13. Grab water bottle, phone, pacifier, small blanket (in case it’s chilly), burp cloth (in case baby spits up) and 2-3 toys (in case baby gets bored, obviously).
  14. Strap baby into stroller.
  15. Discover the tires are low (from sitting in storage for 6+ months).run with baby
  16. Find air pump and pump tires, during which time you notice a foul smell coming from baby.
  17. Change baby.
  18. Repeat step 14.
  19. Finally head out on your run …OMG, THE SUN.
  20. Run back inside and get sunscreen (also return blanket from step 13).
  21. Lather baby up.
  22. Lather yourself up, while you’re at it.
  23. Headphones in, playlist on.
  24. Begin run (YAY!).
  25. Push stroller with right arm.
  26. Push stroller with left arm.
  27. Push stroller with both.
  28. Continue to rotate between arms and/or both because it’s awkward, and you’re not really sure how everyone else does this.
  29. Think you hear baby crying. Proceed to run with one headphone out so you can listen for baby.
  30. Spend 3 minutes trying to take an artsy photo of you pushing the stroller and your running shoes because clearly this has to be documented on all your social media channels or it never actually happened.
  31. (Baby starts to cry) Stop running, put break on and attempt to calm baby.
  32. Now that baby has spotted you and made eye contact, he/she has decided to reject the stroller and begins to scream until you release him/her from the torture device.
  33. Proceed on the one-mile jaunt back home carrying your baby in one arm and pushing the stroller in the other.
  34. Pass another mom happily jogging along with her double stroller at speeds you never reached pre-baby. Die a little inside.
  35. Decide next time you will just run by yourself and that you really want a doughnut because you forgot to eat breakfast. (Also wonder if it’s socially acceptable to have a beer before noon).
  36. Return home exhausted and covered in sweat conceding that even though it wasn’t the run you had in mind, you did get quite the workout in.
  37. Place baby back in stroller and retrieve phone and water bottle. Text your BFF that you’re never running with your baby again before picking up baby to head inside.
  38. Discover baby is asleep, naturally.
  39. Go get doughnut.
Stephanie
Stephanie lives in Shawnee with her husband and two crazy redheaded children, Jack (7) and Allison (4). When she’s not working full time as an aviation meteorologist, or trying to stop her kids from fighting, she enjoys running, knitting, attempting to bake, cheering on the Huskers (#GBR!), and catching up on her DVR. You'll often find her dragging her kids and husband to breweries around KC in search of the best IPAs the city has to offer. You can follow her day-to-day snippets on Instagram (@stephavey).

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