DT Active Life 050617 for web-REVISED

We lined up near the back and focused
on the one-mile, point-to-point race
ahead. My only goal: don’t clip anyone’s
heels with the stroller.
I soon found that was far easier
said than done as I gradually picked
up speed along the fast-and-flat Glen
Street. I had started out faster than I
had expected, but this was only a mile,
so I decided to keep pace with several
young kids running with (or sprinting
away from) their parents. Before
the race’s halfway point, there was a
noticeable trend of among the littlest
ones as they faded hard, some even
stopping in their tracks. I
darted around them, with
Matti chatting the whole
way. Six minutes and 59
seconds after starting, we
were done.
How’s that for a workout?
It was my first race in
a long time, and I’ve never
been much of a runner, so I
was pleased with the effort.
Upon careful inspection at
the finish, Matti was happy,
too. We met up with our
family at the finish, walked
back to the start, and continued
on with our day.
Something about how impromptu
that day was and
how positive the experience
was, racing with my son
and listening to him giggle
as he watched other runners,
stuck with me. After
that, I jumped into (meaning,
I signed up on race
day) about a dozen other
road races last summer, all
around 5 kilometers (or 3.1
miles) long, with the exception
of the Firecracker 4 Mile on July
4, which I pre-registered for. I pushed
Matti for all but three of them, and had
a surprising realization as we raced
into late fall: I got faster. In fact, I ran
almost as fast as I ever had at that distance,
which was during college, as a
mom one year out from having a baby.
The other unanticipated transformation
I had from running with my kid
was that, for the first time ever, I truly
began to love running, and moreover,
racing. I would wake up on a given
Saturday or Sunday morning, and if
the weather looked promising, I would
scan the local road-race registry. If one
looked doable, I’d gather all of our necessities
for the outing and load up the
car, almost always cutting it incredibly
close. Never fail, we’d make it to the
start — sans warmup — which was
fine because Matti doesn’t like to sit
for more than 30 minutes anyway.
I’d line up among the other racers
with a clear mind. I wasn’t nervous,
there were no expectations, I didn’t
have to impress anyone (besides Matti,
who mostly just didn’t want me to
stop). At any given time, we could be
done if he wasn’t happy. It started
raining during one of our 5 k races, so
I pulled over to put the stroller’s rain
fly down and make sure the blanket
was tucked around him. I considered
walking after that (I was having a
tough race on a hilly course; not exactly
an advantage when you’re pushing
a 40-pound stroller and 20-pound
baby), but the worsening weather
pushed me to finish quickly. It was
one of my slowest races, but it was all
“...for the first time
ever, I truly began
to love running, and
{moreover, racing.”
good. Matti stayed dry, he took a long
nap later in the day, and together we
had accomplished something.
I know he won’t remember last summer
and all the races I brought him
to, but those are memories I’ll always
have with him. While I used to leave
races soon after finishing, all too eager
to get on to the next thing, I’ve mellowed
and become more relaxed, more
supportive of the other finishers, the
other stroller pushers, the other parents
running with their kids. Sometimes,
we earned medals, which Matti
proudly wore around his neck. Thinking
less about myself and more about
the experience heightened my enjoyment
and appreciation for these kinds
{
of events, with almost all of them benefiting
different charities.
So, to other moms and dads out
there with children young enough to
push in a stroller, or children who
might be interested in doing a threemile
race with you (most of these races
also have shorter fun runs for kids), I
encourage you to go for it. It’s a lot of
work getting there, but you’ll be better
— physically and mentally — for it.
In terms of tips for running with a
child, I have a few:
n DO pre-register if you know you
can make it. It will save you time and
money (usually at least $5
cheaper than day-of registration)
and you won’t have
to deal with paperwork or
payment on race day.
n DO check the weather,
especially if you have a little
one riding along in the
stroller. Keep in mind that
they’re not running, so they
won’t be sweating while you
might be. Make sure they’re
dressed appropriately, complete
with a hat, sunglasses
(or sun shade, if your stroller
has one) and sunscreen,
if necessary. And if it’s going
to rain, consider skipping.
Puddles are tough to dodge,
and you’re going to get really
wet behind that stroller.
n DO check the race organizers’
website or posted
rules before the event.
If it says no strollers, don’t
be that person running with
a stroller. There’s a reason
they asked you not to, so
pick another race (or have
someone watch your child
and see how fast you can do it solo!)
n DON’T plan to run with a stroller
in a race with 3,000 people. Take it
from me. Bad idea.
n DO go with the flow. If you’re not
having a great race, or something
comes up and you have to stop or
make adjustments, roll with it. Finish
as strong as you can, or turn it into
a different kind of workout (for one
race, I alternated between jogging and
short sprints. The baby loved it. You
can turn it into a game, telling them to
prompt you, “Ready, set, go!”)
n DO check in on them immediately
after. I know too well what “I’m
going to puke” feels like at the finish,
but you probably shouldn’t be pushing
yourself to that point when you’re running
with a stroller, and if you are, the
feeling should pass quickly. As soon
as you can after finishing, pull off to
the side and face your child as you give
them a big smile. They’ll associate that
with happiness and be excited the next
time they get in the stroller.
DACKS & TOGA activelife | 29