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Original poster

best pushchair for running on rough paths - and at what age?

8 replies

mrsbaldwin · 09/03/2009 08:22

Hi all

I bet there's someone on MNet who has some good advice about pushchairs you can use for jogging both on and off road so thought I would post to ask.

I'm about to have first baby - and am looking forward to being thin and fit again in due course.

I live near a nice big park which goes up and down dale and has on-road and off-road paths.

I've researched jogging pushchairs a bit - both with a couple of friends who've used them and on the Runners World website.

I think I would like a Mountain Buggy Terrain with a fixed front wheel - although I haven't shelled out the £400+ yet ...

So, here are my questions - if anyone knows the answer, v grateful ...

can you do pushchair jogging with a new* baby (once you feel like it yourself, obviously) or is it too jolty (despite any fancy pushchair suspension you may have) and better to wait until a few months old?

*did anyone reading this post think they might like to do pushchair running, buy a jogging pushchair and then wish they hadn't (eg because they preferred to go running alone, for 'me' time or pushing chair gave them backache etc etc?)

if you do* own a jogging pushchair do you also have a second pushchair for 'around town' use eg a McLaren-type one (finding the jogger too big to take to the shops?).

If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be really interested to hear them.

Thanks for your help, MrsBaldwin

OP posts:

donttell · 09/03/2009 08:24

there was a big article on this in runnersworld - they tested them all.

i'll try to find it on the website for you..

donttell · 09/03/2009 08:25

here it is, it's a great article: www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?uan=498

Original poster

mrsbaldwin · 09/03/2009 08:34

Donttell - thanks so much!

Just off to read it!

OP posts:

Original poster

mrsbaldwin · 09/03/2009 08:40

Bugger - it's subscriber-only!

Never mind. I'll consider subscribing and can then pass copies to my other running friend,.

OP posts:

MoshiMoshi · 09/03/2009 14:25

Quick response:

*can you do pushchair jogging with a new baby (once you feel like it yourself, obviously) or is it too jolty (despite any fancy pushchair suspension you may have) and better to wait until a few months old?

The advice is generally to wait until the baby is 6 months old and able to support their head well before you take them out running. However, after I have had a baby my "running" pace is not much faster then some people's walking pace as the relaxin makes me feel like jelly, I am so exhausted and I am also trying desperately to work on my poor pelvic floor! So in retrospect, I think running before 6 months is fine, as long as you make sure your "running" is not bouncing baby around unduly and you are on a fairly smooth surface.

I found with number 1 (and I have 3 soon to be 4), that I LOVED taking him running with me. I was so attached to him that I preferred to take him with me and coincided it with his morning nap. When he dropped this, we would have a laugh running through the parks and seeing things together. It was a great bonding experience. I didn't manage to run much with number 2 for some reason, I think work became all consuming, but did with number 3. This tended to be with DC2 and DC3, and they both loved seeing the scenery and I always ended up in a nice playground or somewhere fun.

*if you do own a jogging pushchair do you also have a second pushchair for 'around town' use eg a McLaren-type one (finding the jogger too big to take to the shops?).

With number 1 I had a Baby Jogger which I loved. This was my second buggy on top of the Mamas and Papas Pliko which DC1 had from birth. As does everyone, we ended up buying a lightweight McLaren to travel with! The BJ was manoueverable enough, just. With a fixed front wheel (as all running specific buggies have), they are less able to take small corners. This is why with number 3, I just ran with the Phil'n'Teds tandem which I had bought when expecting number 2. It goes anywhere, can get into shops and yet is robust enough to run along towpaths and on grass. I sold the BJ incidentally, so we only have two buggies as the Pliko bit the dust soon after number 2 appeared (DH broke teh brake).

If anyone has any suggestions, I'd be really interested to hear them.

Consider whether you want a buggy exclusively for running and if so look at things like the Baby Jogger and Bob strollers (there are many more - do a Google search). They tend to be quite long in the base and have fixed front wheels but there re variations on the theme which give you a few more options if you need it to do a bit more, eg urban work. They are incredibly light weight which makes running long distances very easy so also think about how long you will be running with baby for, eg I know people who marathon train with theirs so have the more comfortable ones that are light to push. I would not run for much more than 90 mins with mine though and could manage two in the PnT after dropping DC1 off at school fine. Perhaps think about resale value, brands like BJ sell well (you can check on eBay) and you may want to change your buggy set up in the future.

Good luck!

Original poster

mrsbaldwin · 09/03/2009 16:23

Moshi Moshi

Arigato gozimas (thinking you may speak Japanese? )

This is really helpful! I'm so grateful.

It's interesting to hear that it was nice to take the baby running - this has partly been what's been holding me back from buying anything so far.

I have been kind of expecting to have to buy two pushchairs - as you say a McLaren type one, plus one for jogging and going on bumpy muddy paths in the big park nearby. So what you say about Baby Joggers also very useful.

Much appreciated!

MrsB [dreaming of flying through the park on winged trainers, with cute baby emoticon]

OP posts:

Lestorke · 25/07/2012 03:59

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet for breaking our Talk Guidelines. Replies may also be deleted.

FredFredGeorge · 25/07/2012 22:46

I wouldn't run with anything the small size and non-fixed wheels that the mountain has, I'm not sure I'd be willing to go for a 16" wheels having used our Baby Jogger Performance. Small wheels really do make it hard work, and difficult to avoid bumps etc. And that means it's no good for the shops.

We bought a very cheap pram thing on ebay to use while DD was little, and then a maclaren like one and a Baby Jogger Performance for now she's older - we started jogging with her at around 5 months when she could hold her head up well but could've gone earlier I think (I only run in the winter so hadn't needed to before)

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