How Many People Have a Jogging Stroller With 10,000 Miles On It?

Between 2006 and 2011, I pushed a B.O.B. Ironman Sport Utility Stroller thousands of miles across states and countries while promoting youth health and fitness -- giving countless presentations at schools and on military bases. I used the same stroller for all of my running adventures. When I first got that stroller in the spring of 2006, it came with an owner's manual that outlined many warnings of what to do and not do. Of course, I wasn't pushing a child in the stroller, but rather gear -- food, water, tent, clothes, electronics, and more.

Here are some of the "Warnings" from the manual that came with my 2006 B.O.B. Ironman Sport Utility Stroller -- and some comments about my use of it.

"The parking brake is not designed as a stopping brake. The brake should not be used to slow or stop the stroller." -- When you're running down the Rocky Mountains or the Appalachian Mountains at a grade of 6 to 11 percent with a heavy stroller of gear, believe me... you will use any braking options available! So, I did indeed use the parking brake as a brake to slow and stop the stroller. It broke about two-thirds of the way across America and had to be replaced.

"Do not attach parcels or bags to the handle or frame of stroller... as stroller can become unstable and tip over." -- I chuckled when I first read this. As you can see from the photo accompanying this writing, I had gear bags on the stroller, a food bag, and water reservoirs hanging off of each side. I had all of it pretty well balanced so that the stroller would stay upright.

"The maximum load of the stroller is 70 pounds. Do not exceed maximum load as stroller will become unstable." -- As I ran across America, Germany, Alaska and Montana, the weight of the stroller was around 70 pounds. However, when I ran across the Mojave it was weighing in at around 100 pounds due to the amount of extra water that I had on the stroller. It did just fine and definitely proved to me that it can withstand more than 70 pounds.

"The stroller is not equipped for use after dark." -- I regularly ran with the stroller in the dark. In order to be safe, I placed reflective tape on the stroller as well as lights that illuminated from the front and back.

"Do not use stroller on stairs or steep inclines. Stroller can tip over." -- The maximum incline I had the stroller on was an 11 percent grade in the Appalachian mountains, and also in a portion of Germany. It took some strength to keep it under control, but I managed. Also, I typically hauled the loaded stroller up and down stairs in hotels and other locations. The shocks on it held up just fine.

"Never pull a loaded stroller backwards up stairs. Doing so could damage the suspension system - leading to frame failure." -- I did this many times due to the extreme weight of the stroller. it was much easier to haul it upstairs by pulling it backwards. After nearly 10,000 miles, the frame has yet to fail.

"Always use Wrist Safety Strap." -- I never used it. Not once. The strap was just a nuisance considering the amount of hours I was on the road each day. However, if  you had a child in the stroller, using the safety strap would be wise!

By the way, Runner's World magazine ranked the B.O.B. stroller as its Editor's Choice for 2019. After all of these years, the B.O.B. (Beast Of Burden) stroller is still coming out on top!

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past

My "BOB" Stroller Is Not For Sale, Trade, Bargain, or Free!

A couple of months ago I received a message from an ultra-endurance runner who had read a blog post I made last November about retiring from running across states and countries. Did he congratulate me on my accomplishments? No. Did he have questions for me about how to plan and execute a solo run across a massive land mass? No. Instead, he wanted to know if I was interested in giving up "BOB" (my trusty stroller) because he wanted it.

I'll write this once and I want to make it very clear: MY BOB STROLLER IS NOT FOR SALE, TRADE OR BARGAIN -- AND ESPECIALLY NOT FREE. I used the same stroller to conquer my solo runs across America, Germany, Alaska, and the Mojave Desert. That stroller got me through every mile and although it may not be worth much monetarily, it means a lot to me from the standpoint of what I endured with it.

The stroller is a BOB Ironman Sport Utility Stroller from 2006. Back then it retailed for around $300+ and was considered to be the toughest stroller on the market. Of course, I added various components to it (CamelBak water reservoirs, a solar panel for charging electronics, lights, and more), so it's actually a bit more costly than people may realize. I've shared in this blog some details about BOB, and anyone who wants to put their own stroller together for doing an extreme solo ultra-run may learn something from how I set mine up. However, my BOB stroller will not be going anywhere with anyone. And yes... the stroller sits in the corner of a room in my home and looks just like it did after I finished crossing the Mojave Desert in 2011. And for those of you who don't know, "BOB" stands for "Beast Of Burden" -- which it truly was as it weighed about 80 pounds and I had to push it every step of the way! The picture I've posted here is one I took early on during my 2006 run across America.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past