Running with a stroller

Sunday I took Oliver for a run around Forest Park. While we were out I reflected on the ways that running with a stroller is different than not running with a stroller.

• Hills - Running with a stroller adds additional difficulty when climbing hills. I don't think that it adds the full weight of the baby to the weight that you are pushing or makes the hill seem steeper or both, but it definitely makes the hills more difficult. Going downhill is also a bit different as you have to apply extra pressure to minimize your acceleration. I find my stride is different when I'm pushing Oliver up a hill. I'll squat a bit more and I lean on the handles a bit more as I push.
  
  
• Wind - I was much more aware of the wind with the stroller. No one will confuse our stroller of being aero-dynamic. It catches the wind like a sail, especially when it is a headwind.
  
  
• Arms - When I'm pushing Oliver in the stroller I need to use one arm at all times and two arms when we're going at a good pace. So all told, my arm pump is definitely different when I'm pushing a stroller.
  
  
• Motivation - One of the nice things about running with Oliver is that my motivation is close at hand. I'm running in part to get healthier so that I have energy to keep up with him now and health so that I can stick around later. Closer at hand, it is a solid motivation that every step I take is one closer to home for him.