<p>Yes to what MOfWC said! Who cares if it looks weird! ;)</p>
<p>You sound great Sabaray!! Too funny Blankmind. What did you do with the statue? </p>
<p>First Pilates reformer class today–I liked it. Seems like it will be good core work. I was in a class of four. I bought a package of 8 classes. Is it better to do 2 classes a week or is 1 class OK? Did a long walk on Saturday (6 miles) and a TRX class earlier on Saturday morning. Took a rest day on Sunday.</p>
<p>I have been catching up on the posts here and the info a few pages back about the hoodies is timely as two of my kids (both abroad) have asked me to send them running clothes.</p>
<p>For anyone interested in the LL bean microgrid fleece for a male, one of the styles is on sale:</p>
<p><a href=“Microgrid Fleece | Sweatshirts & Fleece at L.L.Bean”>Microgrid Fleece | Sweatshirts & Fleece at L.L.Bean;
<p>I am curious how this style compares to the one that is not on sale:</p>
<p><a href=“L.L.Bean: Page Not Available”>L.L.Bean: Page Not Available;
<p>(The full-price one says “Polartec” but I am not up on what that translates to in terms of a practical difference.)</p>
<p>I am pretty sure I am going to go with one of those for my son. My daughter is a little harder–a question for you outdoor runners: hoodie or no hoodie? She says she doesn’t care (and I am also sending hats). I am inclined to think that having the hood is a better choice because if you don’t want to use it, you don’t have to, but if you want it, then you have it. On the other hand, the hood on this hoodie does not seem especially functional, unless it fastens some way that is not obvious:</p>
<p><a href=“L.L.Bean: Page Not Available”>L.L.Bean: Page Not Available;
<p>Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>I’m not a big hood person. I would never use it. If it’s cold, it’s a hat all the way. </p>
<p>I have become a fan of a vest. I have a fleece one and a puffer one. I put them on over my jacket and it really helps me stay warm while leaving my arms free to move. I also like the pockets to put my phone, keys and Kleenex in!</p>
<p>I received my LL Bean fleece. I really really like it. It has a hood though. I don’t mind a hood, I won’t use it probably. I guess it would keep my neck warm. </p>
<p>Edited to say that some of us ordered that polar tech hoody. Idad recommended it! </p>
<p>My LLBean polartec hoody arrives today. I don’t tend to wear hoods when I run (use hats or ear bands), but I sort of like having one in cast it starts to rain or I’m standing around afterwards. I wouldn’t reject something because it did NOT have a hood, though.</p>
<p>Bunsen- the Lulu puffy/fluff pullover is not getting good reviews on the website. I won’t have mine until after Thanksgiving because I had it sent to my sister’s house to avoid some sales tax. Have you tried it on yet anywhere?</p>
<p>So I took the plunge and joined the larger gym as opposed to the trainer’s gym on Friday. Tomorrow I have my fitness assessment. Along with the membership, they gave me a week’s pass to give to anyone I wanted, so I gave it to my trainer, and we’re going to meet there a couple of times so he can see what equipment they have and tell me what to stay away from (he’s not a fan of a lot of equipment) - I want to come up with a plan to do stuff there that will complement what he and I do two other days a week. Yes, technically he can’t go in there and train me, but he and I can walk around and discuss what they have and its appropriateness for my goals. </p>
<p>@Bromfield2 - for someone like me who has not done any Pilates before, would you recommend starting out with Reformers? Or mat? I believe the way this club works, you have to have three or four private sessions with the instructor before you’re allowed to do a class. And the classes are limited to four people as they only have four machines. Trying to figure out what to do. </p>
<p>My local Lulu did not have them, so I will check the one at Bell Square, maybe tonight, and report the findings. I really like the last year’s hoody, and I’m concerned that the roo pocket on the inside will make the new design less functional. </p>
<p>Bromfield, the statue was gone when I got back home. I really wish I knew the story behind that!</p>
<p>@Bromfield2, I do Pilates usually twice a week - once being a mat class, the other the Reformer session. @teriwtt, I had to do some private sessions before I could do any group sessions - which are three people at most. I don’t think it matters what you start with - most of the exercises I’ve done are the same, just the level of resistance is different. I love it. </p>
<p>MathildaMae:</p>
<p>I have one of the sale priced Bean microgrid fleeces. It’s is identical to the new (full-price version). Both have exactly the same Polartec fabric. The only difference is that the little panels of contrasting color fabric under the arms and across the top of the back shoulders is a lighter microgrid fabric on the newer version. On the older version, it’s just a contrasting color of the same fabric. Practical difference: none.</p>
<p>I have microfleeces both with and without hoods. There are pluses and minuses to both. In general, I’d probably rather have a hood for an outdoor fleece. Even with a hat, it gives you the option of flipping the hood up for a little something extra. I went full unabomber for a Sunday of football on the couch yesterday. Power Stretch feece WITH the hoody on a chilly November day! So comfy.</p>
<p>kmc:</p>
<p>Ouch. The microspikes and leaves sound like a bad combination. Microspikes are notorious for “balling up” when the snow is on the warm side.</p>
<p>I’m wearing my pretty green Polartech that came today. I like it a lot. Nice zippered pockets and the arm iPod pocket, too. </p>
<p>It’s just ridiculously cold here for this time of year. We had a dusting of snow this morning. I ran after work on my treadmill. I am really getting wimpy. It just feels terrible outside right now. The infamous Monkey Marathon is this weekend and my daughter is running her first Monkey. I volunteered out on the course, and I’m dreading it almost as much as I dread running the thing, but I want to see her on the course. It might rain, but the probability isn’t that high so far. It is going to warm up, thankfully. Last year it was 22 when I started Monkey.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’ve been wimping out myself. We’ve had cold, damp, dank weather for a while and I’ve kind of needed a bit of break from a lot of hiking this summer. Plus, I’ve been getting a workout with some pre-Thanksgiving house cleaning and so forth.</p>
<p>Basement for me today. Really good workout. Managed to crank my heart rate up on both the TRX/Jungle Gym push ups and (especially) the DB front squats. Those are two awesome exercises. The squats wear me out.</p>
<p>Good luck to your D, MOfWC! What would marathoners do without the volunteers?! Thank you for being there for the runners. :)</p>
<p>Temps supposed to be in the negative numbers tonight with wind chill. Sidewalks and roads are covered in ice tonight thanks to snow last night which melted slightly and then promptly froze during the day today as the temp dropped and wind picked up - what happened to my outside!!! There will be no running outside here until this business clears out. Not what I was expecting for mid November…</p>
<p>My trail run went just great – walked/ran about 4.5 miles in an hour; great views. I walked up and down all the steep hills. I’m eating a cookie now as a reward. </p>
<p>I was in a Lululemon store yesterday and looked at the new pullover. It is definitely not as nice as last year’s. It even seems less substantial, like it wouldn’t be as warm and cozy. I didn’t try it on because I still like the one I got last year. </p>
<p>Did you all know Lululemon has a sister company, called Ivivva, which sells workout clothes for kids? </p>
<p>Good morning. I’m looking forward to my inaugural snowshoe trek this am when the sun gets up…we got a foot of snow 
I’m pretty sure I’ve forgotten what a slog it is, because I’m actually quite excited to break trail ;)</p>
<p>Mch’s latest thing to stew about regarding my wanders is wild coyotes. His friend was out walking his dog in a nearby nature preserve the other night and found himself surrounded by 7 of them They didn’t do anything, just kinda watched him, but now he’s signed up for shooting lessons at the range and wants mch to join him ;)</p>
<p>(Not sure I need either one of them in the woods “protecting” me 
The pack of whatever up there take off when I come trudging anyway. I hadn’t thought they were coyotes because they seem bigger than that ( I actually think they’re wolves…which have been turning up more and more this far south to the point where the state tried to pass a wolf hunt law), but I never get a good look because they’re way faster than me and always hear me coming.)</p>
<p>Which works out perfectly fine in my books ;)</p>
<p>kmcmom, be careful out there! At the top of my favorite trail there’s a memorial to 2 mountain bikers who were killed by a mountain lion about 10 years ago. So when they put up a warning of two sightings in September, I decided to give it up. </p>
<p>fireandrain- Thanks for the Lulu report. If I don’t love mine when I get it, I’ll return it. I did not know about the kids’ company!</p>
<p>16 degrees with wind chill much less this morning so it was back to the dreadmill. This is getting old. I just don’t have it in me right now to go outside in the morning. 3 miles (supposed to be 4) done. </p>
<p>22 degrees this am here, sunny but no wind…supposed to arrive later. Feeling much better today, easy walk with the dogs and H. </p>
<p>KMC, the first thing that popped into my mind was a book I read repeatedly as a gradeschooler - “The Wolves of Willoughby Chase”. Please be careful! </p>
<p>Need to get back on the healthy eating train. My weight is up 5 pounds from Friday! Yikes! </p>
<p>Thanks, guys. I have considered bear spray and might get some so that mch’s friend doesn’t have mch trailing me with a pistol ;)</p>
<p>So, glorious, pristine trail now broken. Man that kicked my butt. It was only a mile, but in the open area where the utility co cleared all the trees last summer there are drifts a few feet deep. It will take me days to get it tramped down to a comfortable trail level…and its still snowing The trails inside the wooded area weren’t nearly as bad, and the trees were beautiful laden with snow!</p>
<p>Apart from driving, this minor activity/weightloss program had really helped me enjoy the winter!</p>