Speed Racer

Last week, I bought a jogging stroller. And it rocks.

Now why, you might ask, would a non-runner like myself need a jogging stroller? The very name implies that it's not for me. But let me tell you, most regular strollers suck for anything but strolling. When I'd go out for a walk and pick up the pace, my feet would hit the wheels, so I'd have to adjust my gait and kinda push the stroller far out in front of me. Not so fun. Plus, most strollers typically don't hold more than a 40-pound kid, which means my walking companion is limited to Nora, who often wants to get out and walk herself, which really puts a crimp in plans to get in a quick 2-3 miles in the half hour I've stolen away for a walk.

So, I started looking for a used jogging stroller. The new ones tended to retail for $200 and up, which was outrageous considering I'm not even a super-serious walker. I just want to have the option if I choose to take a kid with me the once or twice a week I walk at home. I found a few on Craigslist, but never took it beyond window-shopping

Then last week, I walked into my favorite emporium of used kid stuff and there was this jogging stroller for $40. It looked good, but since I'm the kind to research EVERY big purchase when it comes to the kids, I wanted to look it up on the ole' Internet first to see how it rated. Turns out, it was a $275, very well-rated stroller. I could hardly wait to get back there.

After plunking down my $40, and figuring out the nifty way it folded down, I realized it was a little too long for my trunk, so the end stuck out about 6 inches. No matter. I'm a resourceful former farm gal, so I tied down the trunk using the strap from a baby carrier that has been in my trunk for awhile (and I was kicking myself for not still having bungee cords in the trunk the way my dad taught me to). It worked fine enough, though anyone who is familiar with the potholes on the West Allis stretch of Hawley Road will have a fine picture of the discomforting amount my trunk lid was bouncing.

When we got home -- everything intact -- I wanted to take it out for a spin. Owen was excited to join me, since it had been awhile since he had actually been invited to sit in a stroller. And let me tell you, this thing is FAST! I was just going to go on a quick walk around our long block, but I ended up going five blocks before forcing myself to turn around. The stroller moved with almost no effort and the big, rubber wheels took the bumpy sidewalks like they were a roller rink. At one point, heading downhill, I even had the uncontrollable urge to run, and so I did...

Yah, it rocks.