I AM a Cold Weather Runner

After completing two runs last week where it was literally snowing I came to the conclusion that I am in fact a COLD weather runner.  As long as the temperature isn’t below 30 or really windy I love bundling up in my cold weather running gear and hitting the park and trail by my house.  It also drives home the point that I hate running in HOT weather.  I instantly become a giant baby and complain every step of the way that I’m too hot, I’m dehydrated, my head feels like it’s going to explode and on and on and on. 

My trusty running partner, Stacey the dog, agrees with me.  She has much more energy on a cold run (sometimes this is a bad thing!) and doesn’t want to stop at every germ infested puddle to get a drink of water. 

My checklist for a COLD run:

• My Nike running tights – best purchase ever made, especially since it was in the dead of summer and they were ridiculously cheap!  These keep my legs warm every time I wear them and have a pocket in the back for keys…a necessity.
• Ear warmer – I purchased the one I have from a running store and its lightweight enough (not made of fleece) so it doesn’t fry my head while running with just enough material to keep my ears from freezing off.
• Gloves – Also purchased from a running store for a ridiculous amount of money but again, the material is perfect for keeping my digits warm without overheating. 
• Layers on top - As long as I have a base layer that is some sort of dry fit material I can layer a jacket or even sweatshirt on top and be comfortable for a 3-5 mile run.
• One crazy critter – Stacey sometimes literally pulling me along to keep me motivated and keeping me alert when she decides to bark at every dog, bus, or person that walks by is just what I need to get me out the door on cold afternoons. 

Don’t you just want to take this dog for your next run?  Seriously, do you want to…you can borrow her anytime!  Just beware that she wants to chase every squirrel, dog or bus that she encounters, otherwise she usually stops pulling around mile 2 and is actually quite pleasant to run with.

Question: Do you enjoy running in cold weather?  What do you always wear while exercising in cold weather?  

Getting Started...mile 1

HI! Welcome to my blog.  This is my first attempt at blogging but since it seems like the cool thing to do I'll jump on the bandwagon.  I'll consider this post mile 1 of my blogging journey and start with a little background on myself and why blog now!

BACKGROUND:

I began running January 2008!  A good friend of mine was in desperate need of some friends to help motivate her (at least that is what we tell ourselves) to continue running half marathons and lured us all in with the excitement of running a ½ marathon in Sin City.  5 girls started running, 4 of us who had never run more than 3 miles in our lives ...we coined ourselves Team Flying V in honor of our V formation we jokingly ran in in order to keep pace for longer runs.  

Team Flying V in formation.

What has happened over the past 3 years I can’t explain, but I fell in love with running.  I have now completed 6 half marathons shaving off over 20 minutes from my time over the years.  I have done this all with the support of 4 amazing ladies, including 1 who ran a marathon in 2010 inspiring the rest of us to do one in 2011…Chicago here we come!  I am by no means a FAST runner but I am learning new ways to improve my speed and endurance and hope to run a sub 2 hour half marathon in 2011.

Why start this blog?  I just signed up for my first MARATHON, Chicago 2011 on October 9!  I’m also turning 30 in August and I want to use this time and training to get myself in the best shape possible.  I also LOVE to cook and find ways to make every dish a little healthier.  I often modify recipes to make them healthier, easier, cheaper, or more to my taste so I thought why not share this with others!

What is with the name Lar you ask?  My name is actually Lauren but long long ago a childhood friend decided to call me Lar and over the years it stuck.  It’s not the most glamorous nickname but I like it and it has evolved into various forms of Lar such as Lars or Lardedar (this one never stuck…thank goodness!)

Team Flying V before our 1st half marathon together in 2008.  The lady on the far right is responsible for all this running madness!

1/2 marathon number 2 in Las Vegas, December 2008.

As previously stated, I'm totally new to this so if you have any suggestions, questions, ideas please leave a comment!  I'm sure I'll be anxiously awaiting my very first comment!