I am going to answer my own question from the previous entry. Do I use the weather as an excuse not to get outside and run in the winter? ....absolutely!

I know there are some running purists out there who run outside when the windchill is twenty below, but I find the treadmill to be quite a nice alternative, especially when running 18+ miles a day. It prevents me from cutting my runs short or doing the bare minimum. If you don't have access to a treadmill, though, running is probably one of the warmest things you can do out there if you are dressed appropriately.

What to wear when running in the extreme cold: a warm hat, maybe even a ski mask, wind resistant pants or running tights (guys, make sure to wear a pair of briefs or two... I'm just sayin'), a base layer of a long sleeve t-shirt or a light jacket, an outer layer that offers some wind protection, and a good pair of gloves or mittens.

The biggest thing for me when running in extreme cold is to have wind resistant mittens or even socks over a pair of gloves to keep my fingers warm. Your toes stay warm because they are moving, but you have to keep your fingers warm. If you have some latex gloves lying around, those work wonders as a base layer under a pair of gloves.

Today's question: What is your goal for the Run for Hungry Children 5k? To finish? To run the whole way? To run a good time?

Post has no comments.

Hello all! My name is Chad Ware. Bright Hope and I teamed up around this time last year when The Run for Hungry Children Race Director, Mike Wiersema, asked me to partner with them. Bright Hope does some incredible things all over the world, bringing hope to people living on less than $1 a day, so I was definitely on board, and was proud to be a part of the Bright Hope Marathon Team for the 2009 Chicago Marathon. This blog is an outworking of that partnership between Bright Hope and I.

Just as an introduction, I am going to highlight a few areas of "the life of Chad" that may (or may not) interest you.

I'm a Christian: this is the most important part of my life, so it has to come first.

I'm a newlywed: I married my beautiful wife, Katie, this past August and LOVE being married to my best friend.

I'm a runner: I have a marathon personal best of 2:20:45 from the 2009 Chicago Marathon where I finished 24th Overall. Despite a slower time, I was 18th and the fastest Illinois runner at the 2008 Chicago Marathon. The goal for my next marathon (Green Bay in May) is to qualify for the 2012 Olympic Trials by running under 2:19.

I'm a student: In my third year seminary at Trinity International University in Deerfield, Illinois and a 1st Lieutenant in the Army Reserves, training to be an Army chaplain.

I am a coach: I recently became the men's and women's head cross country coach at Trinity (which previously did not have cross country) and am working on building the team from scratch for the 2010 season.

The purpose of this blog will be to share some running tips to help you train for the Run for Hungry Children and to promote a healthy lifestyle. If you are nervous about running, don't be! If you keep up with this blog and incorporate the concepts into your training, you will be just fine.

O ya, one last thing, at the end of each entry I will leave you with a question.

Today's question: Do you use the nasty Chicago weather as an excuse not to run outside in the winter?

Post has no comments.