Hi! My name is Taylor Decker and I’m new to the team. I thought it appropriate to share my two passions in life — my family (dogs included, of course), and running — and how difficult it was to integrate these passions after my son, Liam, was born. 

Running. The dreaded 7-letter word I was afraid of after childbirth. I never believed that I would be able to run another mile, let alone even walk up the stairs again without keeling over in pain. 

My son was born on June 16th, so that meant I was returning to the running world in the heat of our lovely Arizona summer. There were only a few crucial hours of the day where I could go outside and run without overheating. I had my Thule Urban Glide stroller parked in my living room, taunting me… sitting there waiting to be used. Everything I had so carefully researched and read said I had to wait until my baby was 6-8 months old to safely join me in the jogging stroller.

Returning to running is hard enough after having a baby. You pee yourself while you run. You barely have slept. Your breasts are full and about to explode. Now try and find someone to stay home and watch your baby every time you want to go for a jog! 

Here is what my running routine looked like…

On A Good Day:

6AM-8AM: My husband and I would take turns running, while the other would stay at home with Liam. Meaning one of us always got the hotter shift. 

Most Days: (meaning my husband was at work)

I would have to wait until someone was home to hold Liam, which resulted in attempting  to run while it was 110 degrees out at three in the afternoon. You can say it was a pretty miserable experience!

But then my life changed when a friend told me about the Infant Car Seat Adapters for jogging strollers! I have a Thule jogging stroller and a Uppa Baby Mesa Car Seat. I feared that I would have to get a new car seat, but, the infant stroller adapters are universal for most car seats. I immediately ordered the adapter and it worked perfectly! It attaches to the stroller and allows you to strap down your rear facing car seat safely in the stroller. My son was safe and secure, and I was able to start running with him immediately, rather than having to wait 6-8 months.

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Are you scared to start running again, like I was? Believe me, you can do it! It will be painful and exhausting, but in the end totally worth it. Running made me feel like a normal human being again. It was something fun that got me outside and still to this day, my son gets his best naps in during our jogs. 

But, trust me: get the infant stroller jogging adaptor and enjoy your return to running, rather than be miserable like I was.

Follow me on Strava, https://www.strava.com/athletes/22334227 and we can embark on #runningwithbabies together!