This is not my normal post, but I had to share a funny from my three year old. My son has recently learned what Pinterest is due to me leaving my iPad open to Disney Car pins when getting a cup of coffee.  He thought he was heaven. He started saying we need to “pin” this for Ho, Ho (a.k.a. Santa Claus in our house) or this is what he wants for his birthday.  I think Pinterest to him is like Sears catalog shopping was to me. When I was young, my parent would go to holiday parties and hand us the big Sears catalog and say write your Christmas list. I am not sure if my parents ever bought me anything for that list, but boy did my siblings and I have fun dreaming and hoping. So, on Friday while at dinner my son was looking at Pinterest and this is what he was pinning. Yes, women’s underwear. Not just any women’s underwear, but running inspired underwear. He thought the picture was of an umbrella. I could not stop laughing and my husband was so proud that he was pinning women’s underwear.  He was so upset because I was laughing, but in the end I just let him believe it was an umbrella. Heck, my son also has good taste, so I kept it on my Pinterest board, Running...

By Cheryl Rushing As a race director, your contact information is your most important asset.  Many times while updating our Stroller Friendly Race Calendar we have run into the same problem as many participants: the race listing or website doesn’t indicate whether a race is stroller friendly and after searching there is no contact information, either.  In that case, we can’t add the race to our calendar or let our readers know who to contact. Activity websites like one of the most popular sites Active.com are debuting a new look that takes the “less is more” approach. You provide the race name, location and date and they register your runners.  It’s an easy way to get your race out to a wide variety of people, but what if those people have questions?  How can they contact you? They can’t contact you. A race is a race is a race unless you want to bring your dog,  your kids, or a friend in a wheelchair.  Sometimes location information isn’t clear to an out of town guest or maybe your event listing or registration page doesn’t give the time of the race start.  Having contact information to answer questions is essential to maximizing participation in your race! Contact information doesn’t just mean an address or phone number.  It can happen in many ways: An email address.  This can be the race director’s email or even a Gmail (or other web-mail) address set up specifically for the race. Just make sure someone checks the email address on a regular basis. A Facebook page.  We love race Facebook pages.  Questions and answers can be posted on your wall and other interested races have the information they need without asking the same question over and over.  You can setup...

By Stephanie Maziejka Last month I introduced the idea of healthy touch and creating a foundation for a healthy lifestyle through Infant Massage, but if you want to set the groundwork, you need to begin while the baby is in utero with a prenatal massage. Newborns are just that, new! It’s up to us as parents and guardians to nurture and guide these little babies towards healthy growth and development. A baby is born with up to 40 weeks of development in the womb already behind them; therefore, Mamas treat yourself and your body to a healthy, therapeutic, and relaxing prenatal massage. Pregnancy can be a scary time, it’s a whole new world and there are a lot of physical and emotional changes that occur on a daily basis. Aside from the hormones, part of the emotional roller coaster of pregnancy comes from the utter discomfort that can be caused by our changing, growing, and leaking bodies. Pregnancy remains a wonderful and beautiful experience because of the miracle of life growing inside, HOWEVER getting to that bundle of joy is not always 9 months of sunshine and rainbows. The first trimester (and for some unfortunate individuals all three trimesters) offers retching sickness and fatigue. Trimester two is a bit of a reprieve from both sickness and fatigue and it’s when the first real positive signs of pregnancy begin, the first signs of the baby bump, the first sounds of heartbeat, the first flutter of little feet. Towards the end of the second trimester into the third trimester there is tremendous growth-of everything. As the body grows, the center of gravity changes and so that we don’t face plant every time we stand up the body’s lordotic curve increases, that lower back arch that is...

What is a stroller friendly race?  I hear this question all the time since I started Run Stroller Run. A stroller friendly race is a running race that allows parents to walk, jog or race with a stroller. No, these races are not specific races for strollers to race one another or have specific categories for “strollers” like age group categories, but just allow running parents to participate with their child in a stroller. Most race directors I speak with are often open to stroller participants as long as the strollers start in the back. And no, they do not require you to stay in the back the entire duration of the race. For safety purposes, they want you to respect the other racers that run a faster pace or hope to do so without initial distractions. For me, I run at a slower pace with my stroller and I am not generally “racing”, I want to be able to participate in a race atmosphere and do not require a babysitter, especially since both my husband and I train for running races and triathlons. Since I started Run Stroller Run, I have discovered most race directors do not even consider or think about stroller participants until I ask them. So, when searching for a race, you most likely will not find on the race website or on their race registration page whether they allow strollers. Hence the reason, I started Run Stroller Run, so running, active parents and families could go to one resource and find all races throughout the United States that allow strollers.  At Run Stroller Run, we contact all race directors and verify that strollers are allowed. If strollers are allowed, then what are their safety requirements? If you know of...

Packing for a race is always challenging.  You never want to leave home without your favorite socks, or your watch or your lucky shorts.  As a parent, I have found it increasing difficult to pack for a race, especially when I am running with my jog stroller and kids.  I find that I am more concerned about their needs and then inevitably I forget the essential race gear I need to race.  In order to avoid forgetting crucial race gear and my kid’s necessary items, I created a Racing with a Stroller – Race Day Checklist. Now, you can pack for a stroller friendly race and feel confident you have all the essential race and children gear needed with the Racing with a Stroller – Race Day Checklist....

  By Stephanie Maziejka Touch. It means something different to each of us. It is nearly impossible to live life without touch. We touch and are touched every day. We hug when we are happy and we hug when we are sad. The same action can convey very different emotions. Yet in today’s society touch is almost taboo. The media covers stories of negative touch so frequently that in our minds touch is a bad thing. Touch has the power to transfer emotion and intent and we must learn when and what kind of touch is acceptable. My mission as a Massage Therapist is to educate about touch and its amazing benefits for the mind, body, and spirit. In my monthly posts, I will be discussing touch as it relates to different demographics and giving you tips on how to use and introduce touch to your family! Infant Massage is a great place to start talking about touch since the best way to ensure a healthy lifestyle is to introduce healthy habits at a young age! Infant Massage focuses on providing nurturing touch to promote bonding and attachment between you and your baby. An Infant Massage class or session is facilitated by a Certified Educator of Infant Massage (that’s me!) with parents being the ones to administer the massage strokes to baby.  The massage itself is compiled of techniques taken from Swedish massage, Indian Massage, Reflexology, and Yoga. In addition to the strokes Infant Massage teaches baby behavioral states and body cues to help parent’s better respond to their newborns. It is a lot more empowering as a parent to look at your little one and know he’s sleepy than to run through a checklist of a thousand possibilities as to why your sweet...

  Before you set-up the grill, have a few beverages and watch the fireworks, start your 4th of July with a stroller friendly race. Here are family and stroller friendly races listed by State below. California Chili Chase 2013 Run San Ramon @ San Ramon Community Center Firecracker 5K/10K Greene’s Fastest 1 Mile Run & Fireworks Show Extravaganza Mayor’s 1 Mile & Firecracker 4 Mile  15% Discount Code: COFFEE Colorado Earn Your Independence 5K and 1 Mile Walk @ Boulder Reservoir USA 5K @ Bank of Colorado Georgia Firecracker 5K/10K for Henry County Special Olympics Georgia Front Runners Firecracker 5K/10K Indiana Independence Run/Walk @ Gas City Park Maryland OPA Freedom 5K @ South Gate Pond Nebraska 4th of July Fun Run 2013 New Jersey Pray For America 5K @ Cooper River Park New Mexico Smoke on the Water 5k @ 1st & Main St. North Dakota Veterans 4th of July 5K Run/Walk and 10 K Run  Oregon 4th of July Fun Run-Boardman @Former Boardman Chamber of Commerce location Flat Traffic Flat Funky Foot Race and Kids Boardwalk Dash South Carolina 4th Annual Independence Day 8K/5K/1 Mile @ The Market Common 27th Annual Easley Firecracker Frolic 5k @ Old Market Square 28th Annual Hilton Head Island Firecracker 5000 @ Jarvis Creek Park BORN IN THE U.S.A. 4 miles RUN/WALK @ Forest Acres Lake Texas Christoval Volunteer Fire Dept 5K @ Main Street Firecracker 5K & Fun Run The 24th Annual Baytown Bud Heat Wave 5 Mile Run Utah Barrus Memorial 5K @ Grantsville High School Centerville Utah July 4th Freedom Run Uncle Sam 5K @ Dixie Sunbowl Virginia Independence Day 5K @ Mt. Trashmore Family YMCA Let Freedom Run 5K & Kids Dash @ Fairfax Corner Shopping Center  Washington Edmonds 4th of July 5K Fun...

If you are still looking for a Father’s Day race to celebrate the dad’s in your life, here is a list of family and stroller friendly races for the weekend of June 15-16, 2013. Saturday, June 15, 2013 Alabama Chick-fil-A Connect Race Series:… @ Decatur Baptist Church California Color Blast 5K Run @ San Bernardino County fairgrounds in Victorville, CA Lincoln Center Father/Son Fun Run @ Fleet Feet Stockton District of Columbia Purple Stride Washington, DC Georgia 5 Alarm 5K @ Suwanee Towne Center Park Connect Race: Warner Robins, GA @ Southside Baptist Church 9th Annual Blake Gammill 10.5K, 5K, & 1-mile Run/WALK Illinois Run For Boston 5k NHRI 5K Walk/Run @ Busse Woods Elk Grove Village Dash with Dad Louisiana Race 2 Grace 5K, 10K @ Fair Park Baptist Church Missouri Steps & Strides 5K/10K @ Frontier Park, Jaycee Stage Hero Up 2nd Annual For The Children Run Nebraska Nebraska Land Road Run Nevada Las Vegas 5K for Heroes @ Sunset Regional Park New York Saratoga For Uganda-Annual Fairw… @ McGregor Fairways Corner of Fieldstone Dr and Autumn Ct North Carolina Dash for Dad @ Pine Valley Sam’s Club Children’s Miracle Network 5K and 1/2 Mile Kids Fun Run Hope for Haiti’s Children 5K/10K… @ Statesville Soccer Complex Oklahoma Footsteps of Faith 5k @ Sequoyah State Park South Carolina Firefighter’s for Fitness 5K @ Myrtle Beach Market Commons (please note part of this course is gravel!) Texas Playtri 5K & Kids Fun Run @ Playtri North Store Smiles for Life 5K @ Nelson Park Washington Strollin’ to Fight SIDS @ Newport High School Track   Sunday, June 16, 2013 – Father’s Day California Pleasanton Rotary Father’s Day Spirit Run @ Under the Arch in Downtown Pleasanton Florida I LOVE FATHER’S DAY 5K @...

If you have not signed up for a race for Mother’s Day weekend yet, we have more than 50 stroller friendly races listed thus far.  Give yourself a gift and run by yourself while your hubby pushes the stroller or just watches you race.  Get together with your favorite moms and go out and have some fun. The Mother’s Day weekend races are listed by State below. We will continue to add races for Mother’s Day weekend until Friday, May 10, 2013. Good luck and happy running. California CPOA Run To Remember Colorado Redline 13.1 Denver on Platte River Trail Stober Stallion 5K and 1K Fun Run Telegraph Mother’s Day 5K/10K District of Columbia Komen Global Race for the Cure BEST Kids 5K & Kids Fun Run Florida Chick-fil-A Connect Race Series: Jacksonville, FL Georgia Pickens Footsteps for Families 5K & Tot Trot Run Toward the Son 5K Illinois Race to Wrigley 5K Trot For Theresa 5K SMI 5K and Kids Run TheraCORE’s 5K Race for a Cure AERO Special Ed. Coop 4th Annual 5K Capitol Nutrition Pets for Vets 5K Feets of Strength 5K Run for Child Abuse Awareness Root Awakening 5K – Run/Walk for Forgotten Children Food Truck 5K and Block Party Kansas Mother’s Day 5K Kentucky Lourdes Paducah Iron Mom Half Marathon & Relay Louisiana Contraband Days 5-Miler Junior League’s Etouffee 5K Al Briede Gold Cup Race 5k Run for Excellence Mom’s Day 5k​ Maryland Pasadena E.S 5k and 1M Fun Run Great Chesapeake Bay Wellness Race Stryker’s for a Cause 5K 2ND Annual Choptank Trot for Melanoma 5K Run/Walk Wood Acres JogFest Gospel of the 5K Run/Walk 5K Run/ 2K Fun Run Her5K Missouri 3rd Annual Love 2 Run 4 Love 5K Run/Walk 8th Annual Karen 4 a Kause 5K...

I normally do not announce a new page on my site via a blog post, but I wanted to share with you that you can now submit a Stroller Friendly Race via the Race Submission page.  If you know of a race that is stroller friendly or you think one might be – but not sure – I would encourage you to submit the Race Here. Once a submission is received, I will verify with the race director that the race is stroller friendly and then add it to the calendar and blog post. Please be patient. The race might not be added right away because it might take awhile for the race director to get back to me. So far, there are more than 1000 races throughout the United States that have been identified as Stroller Friendly and we have not even got through half the States.  Thank you for all your support in making the Stroller Friendly Race calendar comprehensive....