| Author |
Topic: Any Competitive Jogging stroller runners out there? |
JasonsDrivingForce
Member |
 posted Dec-04-2005 10:19 PM
  
Any Competitive Jogging stroller runners out there?I searched through these forums and I didn’t find many people who run with a jogging stroller competitively. Anyone out there race with a jogging stroller consistently? I have run 12+ races each of the last two years with my son. The only race that I don’t do with him is the Race for the cure because it has 15000+ entrants. With that many people it is unsafe to with a stroller even though several people still do it. I did my first training run without the stroller in almost 2 years yesterday. I ran a 20:28 for the 5K which is 21 seconds off my personal best for that course of 20:07. Strange how I actually run faster with the stroller? I think I have gotten so used to running without moving my arms that I could not adjust to it when I ran without the stroller. I know my form is terrible now because I have had to adapt it to the stroller. Oh well, I don’t think I would ever want to run without him! Next step, break 20 minutes with the stroller!
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VictorN
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-05-2005 12:30 PM
Most races don't allow strollers, and with good reason. Unless you are way at the back of the pack where the runners are far and few, and it doesn't sound like you are, then it is unsafe for your son and the other racers. Victor ------------------
www.competitiverunner.com
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JasonsDrivingForce
Member |
posted Dec-05-2005 02:19 PM
quote:
Originally posted by VictorN:
Most races don't allow strollers, and with good reason. Unless you are way at the back of the pack where the runners are far and few, and it doesn't sound like you are, then it is unsafe for your son and the other racers. Victor
I disagree with this. For one, every single race that I entered this year(12 total) will allow you to run with a jogging stroller. I also do not believe that it has to be unsafe to race with a jogging stroller. When I run I start right at the front because I generally run a 6 minute or sub 6 minute first mile. I am not getting in anyone else’s way. Basically if I am faster off the line than everyone but the Elite runners then I don’t have to worry about people running too close to me. I have never had a single instance where I thought that my son was in any danger. Now I have been in races like the “race for the cure” where I felt I was in danger. People always throw elbows and trip people because that race is just too overcrowded(15000+). That is precisely why I don’t run that race with him. Most of the races I run are 100 people or less. I can easily keep up with all but the fastest runners for the first half mile which gives enough time for the race to really thin out. The only large race that I run with him is one where they actually have a jogging stroller division and they start the strollers and wheel chairs 3 minutes before the other runners. What is interesting is that race is the only race where I have ever seen anyone almost get into an accident with a stroller. One of the inexperienced guys was trying to maneuver himself so that someone could take a picture of him. He almost tipped the stroller over right at the start. I think that strollers are only dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing or you do not have the proper equipment. I train with the stroller so I am completely confident that I can maneuver with it just as well as without it. It sounds like you have had a bad experience with someone pushing a stroller? Was it because they started to far forward for their pace or because they couldn’t control the stroller?
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Warrior1971
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-05-2005 02:24 PM
quote:
Originally posted by JasonsDrivingForce:
It sounds like you have had a bad experience with someone pushing a stroller? Was it because they started to far forward for their pace or because they couldn’t control the stroller?
Or was it because you finished behind someone pushing a stroller? I agree with you Jason. No more dangerous than any other runner, and far less so than somone listening to headphones during the race. I've never even heard of a race with this kind of division though.
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Mikey the Pig
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-05-2005 02:59 PM
We have a local guy who runs some with jogging stroller. On a flat 10k he(Ran) and his daughter(Rode) to a 35:57 or something like that.I spoke with some people that think it is wrong and strollers should be banned. I personally am indifferent - small local races. Large races - yes they do not belong.
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VictorN
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-05-2005 03:00 PM
quote:
Originally posted by JasonsDrivingForce:
It sounds like you have had a bad experience with someone pushing a stroller?
Nope, never even seen anybody with a stroller anywhere near me in a race and I'm not all that fast. But imagine this scenario: Runner A is following Runner B with a half-mile to go and plans to push past Runner B as they crest the hill they are now on. Runner B does not know that Runner C is running with a stroller and is only slightly behind Runner A and B. As they crest the hill, runner C picks up the pace and starts to overtake A and B. Runner B then decides to make his move, looks over his left shoulder and sees nobody. Runner B does not see the stroller immediately to his left because it is down by his knees so he moves left end ends up going for a ride in the stroller. Baby is now squished. Probably an unlikely scenario and if the races near you allow strollers, then it is your call. I've also run with my kids in a stroller, but wouldn't consider running competitively with one in a race. Jogging at the back of the pack, maybe. Victor
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JasonsDrivingForce
Member |
posted Dec-05-2005 03:45 PM
Yea the jogging stroller division races are awesome. They used to have a couple in our area. Now there is only one. It is a 5K and a 10K. The race is too large to run it normally with a stroller but with the Jogging Stroller division and head start it is fantastic. What is crazy is that a Local guy runs between a 34:14 and a 34:45 with a 4 year old girl for the 10K. I think only two of the runners were able to make up the 3 minute head start he had. The second guy in the stroller division ran the 10k with a twin stroller that weighed about 100 Ibs. He did it in about 40 minutes. I wish more races would do the same. Competitive Strollers are becoming more popular in our area. Are there any other areas that have stroller races?
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JasonsDrivingForce
Member |
posted Dec-05-2005 04:02 PM
quote:
Originally posted by VictorN:
Nope, never even seen anybody with a stroller anywhere near me in a race and I'm not all that fast. But imagine this scenario:Runner A is following Runner B with a half-mile to go and plans to push past Runner B as they crest the hill they are now on. Runner B does not know that Runner C is running with a stroller and is only slightly behind Runner A and B. As they crest the hill, runner C picks up the pace and starts to overtake A and B. Runner B then decides to make his move, looks over his left shoulder and sees nobody. Runner B does not see the stroller immediately to his left because it is down by his knees so he moves left end ends up going for a ride in the stroller. Baby is now squished. Probably an unlikely scenario and if the races near you allow strollers, then it is your call. I've also run with my kids in a stroller, but wouldn't consider running competitively with one in a race. Jogging at the back of the pack, maybe. Victor
If you are being careful with a stroller then runner C would not pass closely by another runner. Typically I go out very hard and I immediately get to the outside of the course. I slow down considerably when I hit the hills so I give everyone enough room to pass me and still let them stay on the shortest line. It may add a little time for me but the most important thing is safety first. Plus what is a couple of extra steps considering I am choosing to run with an extra 60Lbs(Nearly 40% of my body weight!). My rule with the stroller is that everyone else has the right of way. It is my job to avoid an accident. I do this by either running off of the typical line or by just running faster than the majority of other runners.
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Miles and Miles
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-05-2005 05:15 PM
My PR is 17:14 pushing my daughter in the baby jogger back in 1998 one week after running a Marathon.
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BriRunner
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-05-2005 09:35 PM
A local runner routinely wins races with his two kids in a stroller. He did a half marathon with the kids in about 1:20.
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JasonsDrivingForce
Member |
posted Dec-05-2005 10:27 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Miles and Miles:
My PR is 17:14 pushing my daughter in the baby jogger back in 1998 one week after running a Marathon.
That is fly'n! Do you still push a stroller ever? How much faster would you have run a 5K back then without the stroller. I have found that I really don't run that much faster without it. That is weird tough because the hills kill me with the extra weight.
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sue
Moderator of Mainstream Racing |
posted Dec-06-2005 08:46 AM
quote:
Originally posted by JasonsDrivingForce:
That is fly'n! Do you still push a stroller ever? How much faster would you have run a 5K back then without the stroller. I have found that I really don't run that much faster without it. That is weird tough because the hills kill me with the extra weight.
my husband got to the point that it only slowed him down about 15 seconds with a double (kids combined weight about 100 pounds). When we were in the AF, the base let us run the 5k all the time. It kind of entertained the new recruits that were "forced" to run on Saturday mornings. My family did pass me once. I had about 400 meters to go and my kids were screaming "go faster mommy, we're catching you". My DH still lets me know that he beat me pushing over 100#.
I rarely competed with the stroller as people assumed lady with double stroller= very slow and they would try to squeeze in front of me at the start. A person running 10 minute pace in front of a stroller at sub 7 doesn't work real well.
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Miles and Miles
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-06-2005 11:52 AM
quote:
Originally posted by JasonsDrivingForce:
That is fly'n! Do you still push a stroller ever? How much faster would you have run a 5K back then without the stroller. I have found that I really don't run that much faster without it. That is weird tough because the hills kill me with the extra weight.
No my kids are 7 and 4 now so I don't push them in it. I was running 5Ks in the upper 15s then. I also did a 31:07 5M back in 2003 pushing both my kids in the double babyjogger. They were 5 and 2 at the time. I think that's the only 2 races I ever did with them in a jogger.
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tallrunner
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-07-2005 07:41 PM
Interesting,Just had a posting on our local forum of a guy out my way who is applying to the Guiness Book of World Records...Running a 5K sub 17 with a stroller...he runs sub 36 I believe for the 10K. I would not do it.but hey....
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Miles and Miles
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-07-2005 08:03 PM
quote:
Originally posted by tallrunner:
Interesting,Just had a posting on our local forum of a guy out my way who is applying to the Guiness Book of World Records...Running a 5K sub 17 with a stroller...he runs sub 36 I believe for the 10K. I would not do it.but hey....
It wouldn't even be close. People have gone sub 15.
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tallrunner
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-07-2005 10:27 PM
Yes but it's not in the record books as official.------------------
About Tallrunner
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Miles and Miles
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-07-2005 10:35 PM
quote:
Originally posted by tallrunner:
Yes but it's not in the record books as official.
Did you check?
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JasonsDrivingForce
Member |
posted Dec-07-2005 11:27 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Miles and Miles:
It wouldn't even be close. People have gone sub 15.
Wow I thought 34:20 was fast for a 10K with a stroller. Sub 15 in a 5k is absolutely flying! At that speed I don't think you could really even control the jogging stroller. I would hope that course didn't have any sharp corners because at that speed even the large diameter wheeled strollers would tip over. Do you have a particular name of anyone who has done a sub 15 5K with a stroller? That is quite a feat!
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maryt
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-08-2005 05:50 AM
I've known a couple of pretty fast couples who have run with strollers. In small races, if you know what you're doing, they usually aren't a problem, and the couples in question were experienced runners familiar with the courses they raced and were careful to keep out of the way of other runners. HOWEVER, I have seen some pretty close calls in crowded races, and have heard others complain about having their heels clipped by strollers, especially in the beginning when everyone's really close or on tight turns. Mr T saw the end of one really bad collision on a turn - the stroller overturned and the baby was thrown out onto the ground in the middle of a crowded pck of runners. I don't know if there was any serious injury or not.
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Miles and Miles
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-08-2005 08:39 AM
quote:
Originally posted by JasonsDrivingForce:
Wow I thought 34:20 was fast for a 10K with a stroller. Sub 15 in a 5k is absolutely flying! At that speed I don't think you could really even control the jogging stroller. I would hope that course didn't have any sharp corners because at that speed even the large diameter wheeled strollers would tip over. Do you have a particular name of anyone who has done a sub 15 5K with a stroller? That is quite a feat!
Jerry Lawson pushing a friends kid. But the source of that is Letsrun so who knows.
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tallrunner
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-08-2005 11:09 AM
To miles and milesYes I checked no record is ratified in the Guiness Book of Records. So obviously it's possible for someone to go faster but my point is the first record will go to who gets its ratified. The end.
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raiden092903
Member |
posted Dec-27-2005 11:01 PM
quote:
Originally posted by JasonsDrivingForce:
Any Competitive Jogging stroller runners out there?I searched through these forums and I didn’t find many people who run with a jogging stroller competitively. Anyone out there race with a jogging stroller consistently? I have run 12+ races each of the last two years with my son. The only race that I don’t do with him is the Race for the cure because it has 15000+ entrants. With that many people it is unsafe to with a stroller even though several people still do it. I did my first training run without the stroller in almost 2 years yesterday. I ran a 20:28 for the 5K which is 21 seconds off my personal best for that course of 20:07. Strange how I actually run faster with the stroller? I think I have gotten so used to running without moving my arms that I could not adjust to it when I ran without the stroller. I know my form is terrible now because I have had to adapt it to the stroller. Oh well, I don’t think I would ever want to run without him! Next step, break 20 minutes with the stroller!
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raiden092903
Member |
posted Dec-27-2005 11:12 PM
I am a former competitive runner who is trying to run with my 27 month old son. What kind of traing do you do? All my running friends think that I should be running without my son, but I have no choice. I am very interested in your training.
quote:
Originally posted by JasonsDrivingForce:
Any Competitive Jogging stroller runners out there?I searched through these forums and I didn’t find many people who run with a jogging stroller competitively. Anyone out there race with a jogging stroller consistently? I have run 12+ races each of the last two years with my son. The only race that I don’t do with him is the Race for the cure because it has 15000+ entrants. With that many people it is unsafe to with a stroller even though several people still do it. I did my first training run without the stroller in almost 2 years yesterday. I ran a 20:28 for the 5K which is 21 seconds off my personal best for that course of 20:07. Strange how I actually run faster with the stroller? I think I have gotten so used to running without moving my arms that I could not adjust to it when I ran without the stroller. I know my form is terrible now because I have had to adapt it to the stroller. Oh well, I don’t think I would ever want to run without him! Next step, break 20 minutes with the stroller!
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JasonsDrivingForce
Member |
posted Dec-28-2005 04:22 PM
quote:
Originally posted by raiden092903:
I am a former competitive runner who is trying to run with my 27 month old son. What kind of traing do you do? All my running friends think that I should be running without my son, but I have no choice. I am very interested in your training.
I don't do a lot of training because I do all of it with my son. I run between 3-4 5Ks per week, so I only do about 9-12 mpw. That is not much but I have managed to bring my 5K time down by about 1.5 minutes in the last year. He always naps in the stroller and those only last about 20 minutes. That gives me just about enough time to complete a 5K. I have done several 10K training runs with him but he gets bored if we have to do the same loop twice. I find that the hills have become my worst enemy because he is getting bigger. I have to really pick it up on the down hills so that I can make up the time that I loose on the up-hills. It is starting to get cold(about 32 degrees in the mornings) in my area. However, I have a great wind screen for the BOB ironman stroller that keeps him very warm. The wind screen is essential for cold weather running. It doesn’t help you any but it definitely keeps the passenger warm. What is stopping you from training with the stroller? Why do your friends think it is not a good idea?
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KudzuRunner
Cool Runner |
posted Dec-28-2005 07:17 PM
Jason:Your kid's been lucky so far, and I don't mean fortunate. I don't often hear tell of what might be called a socially questionable behavior and immediately say, "You must be kidding." I played with a bluesman named Satan for more than a dozen years, and not everybody was in favor of that. In general, I'm a to-each-his-own kind of libertarian guy. With all due respect, I think you're unwise to race with your son--not least because your behavior will surely inspire other slower and less coordinated runners to try the same thing, and a helpless kid, sooner or later, is sure to get hurt badly, or killed. It's just bound to happen. Not on your watch, probably, but on somebody else's. I'm a libertarian, as I say. 'Taint nobody's business what I do, etc. I think it's a cool idea to take the kid for a ride in a jog-stroller in a park, where there's no danger of encountering cars. But competition is different--terrifically self-focused as the situation demands that we be. I assume that your kid is at least making a pretense of enjoying the ride; it's hard for me to imagine that you'd force a screaming tyke to go along with your racing plan, or that bystanders wouldn't shut you down. Still, I wonder about the power of compulsion that strong, driven runner-types--not necessarily you; those your behavior inspires--exerts over a young child who wants to please Daddy. It sounds as though you pick and choose your races carefully, so that what you're doing is more on the order of an organized time trial with non-interfering runners ahead and behind you. That's better than deciding NOT to race with your kid in hand, but not much. I never, ever thought I'd hear myself uttering the sentence, "That's in bad taste," but the idea of comparing race times--times pushing a kid in a stroller--well: That's in bad taste. Why not add additional categories for pushing pets (including lizards and cockatoos), potted plants, and, heck, the occasional corpse. Yes, I'm engagaging in reductio ad absurdum. I think road racing--and track racing, god knows!--is something that should be participated in by people capable of signing on the dotted line. Kids, too. Your kid DOES sign the waiver, doesn't he? Or doesn't he? I don't believe you've made that clear. If he doesn't, there's bound to be a problem sooner or later.
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