This Monday 2/29/16, Zoe went to her 6 month doctor’s appointment, and she did great. One thing I have been waiting to ask the doctor is whether or not she is ready to accompany me on my runs. Even before I was pregnant, I always pictured myself as a mother runner, pushing my running stroller with my baby smiling back at me.

But at what age is best to run with your baby? I’ve heard different things from different mother runners. Some have taken their babies out as early as 4 months, others have waited until 8 months, but most moms say 6 months.

It really all depends on neck control and on the strength of your baby. Most doctors recommend that your baby can sit up and hold their neck up before you start running with them.

So at Zoe’s six month doctor’s appointment, her doctor evaluated her and said because she has great neck control and is confidently sitting up on her own, she is more than ready to go running.

I have been running since thanksgiving. At first running was really hard for me postpartum. I thought I would jump right back into it, but this was not the case. My ankles and knees were in the worst pain and I really had to slowly build up to it.

I am now feeling more like myself and running similar to how I use to – definitely not as fast, but I’m pain free.

Although, I couldn’t wait to get Zoe on the trail with me, I was glad I waited until she was six months. Waiting gave me the chance to run solo, so I could really focus on my running form and pace, getting back to (almost) the level I once was, without worrying about pushing a stroller.

But now she is ready, and so am I.

I am most excited to share this running passion of mine with my daughter. And although, it is nice to go on a run solo having some “me” time, I really did miss Zoe and felt guilty leaving her for to long. Now I can just bring her along, and we can be out on the trail as long as we desire, without missing eachother.

Before I had a difficult time fitting in my daily runs. I always had to manage who would watch Zoe when I went running. Now that I can bring her with me, I will be able to easily fit in more miles. No more trying to find the time to run.

My first experience running with Zoe.

Since Zoe turned 6 months I have run with her 3 times. She is big enough to sit in the actual stroller, but I have decided to keep her in her car seat (which attaches to the stroller.) This is just my preference, because Zoe enjoys sitting in her car seat and I like the fact that we can see eachother. When she is in her car seat she is facing me, so while I am running, I can talk to her, watch her look around, smile, sleep etc. Another mother runner told me that once you put your baby in the actual seat of the stroller where they are facing out, there is not turning back. And since Zoe and I are both happy with her being in her car seat while attached to the stroller, I’m not going to rush it and put her in the seat of the stroller when there’s no reason too.

I have the BOB running stroller, and although I was excited to start running with Zoe, I was also a little nervous. Was I going to be able to run and push a huge stroller? I thought it was going to be really hard pushing that thing, but to my surprise, it wasn’t that bad. I mean don’t get me wrong it definitely makes my run more intense, but the stroller really does glide effortlessly, and my pace was only 30 seconds slower.

Another great thing about running with a running  stroller is the storage. You have a whole stroller to store all of your stuff. I have a spot for my keys, water bottle, phone, baby bag. If I need to take off a scarf or long sleeved shirt I have plenty of room for that too.

How did Zoe react during her first run…

I’ve heard some moms who have babies who don’t like going on runs- they get bored. I have other mom friends say their babies love going on runs – Some have pushed the stroller for 10 miles or longer.

I am lucky because Zoe absolutely loves it. She really enjoys going on walks, so I knew going on runs would be no different. She enjoys the motion of her stroller, and depending on the atmosphere and the time of day -sometimes she naps other times she’s wide eye taking in her surroundings.

And depending on where we are running there can be a lot to see. The other day after our run, I took her down to the water so she could see the ducks.

The reason why… The benefits…

Just like how some babies love running with their moms while others hate it. This is actually the same for moms. Some moms prefer to run solo, and their running becomes their “me” time. Others really enjoy the time with their baby,

Zoe is a baby that at this stage in her development, she loves it. And I am a mama who loves her as my running buddy. So as long as she is happy, I’m going to keep running with her.

As I said above, it is exciting for me to share my running passion with Zoe. I hope that eventually, when she is older, because she see’s me living a healthy lifestyle, she will begin to understand the importance of it. I also want to show her what it means to be passionate about something, and what it means to commit to a training schedule. My dedication will show her that if you put in the proper work, you really can do anything.

So in conclusion, I would say our first couple runs together have been successful. I can’t wait for many more happy miles.

Have you ever run with a baby? How far have you gone pushing a running stroller? 

© 2016 sweat1xdaily