Mom Crush Monday: Lauren Floris

This week I'm featuring Lauren Floris @thefoodierunner_ as my Mom Crush Monday! After numerous unbelievable race performances a little over a year postpartum, it's about time she gets a shout out! ​

Running History: I grew up in Hopkinton, MA which is where the Boston marathon starts. Every year we would watch the runners at the start and then drive to the half way point and watch with my cousins and grandma. Watchig this race every year got me hooked on the idea of running and my 7th grade year I joined the cross country/track team and have been running ever since! 

I wasn't particularly fast by high school standards but I improved a lot when I got to college at Pepperdine University and started focusing more on my training (and wasn't doing a million different things like I was in high school). I also met my husband on our college team! 

After graduation I was a little burnt out from the 4 hard years of training and chasing a regionals qualifying time in an event I wasn't in love with - 3k steeplechase. I took a year to just run for run and ended up running the LA marathon about a year after I graduated. I spent the next couple of years training for marathons but always over trained and struggled mentally when it came to racing the long distance. After I ran my PR at Chicago 2014 I decided to focus on the half and below for a year. I ran relatively good times in the 5k-half that following year and then my husband and I decided to try for our first baby! 

We got pregnant really easily and had our daughter in July 2016. I ran while pregnant but decreased my mileage significantly and just focused on running for the joy of it. I also focused more on strength training during this time because I had more time to devote to it with the decreased mileage. 

It took me until about 9 months postpartum to feel like I wanted to train and race hard again. At that point I hired a new coach and have been training hard to chase some serious PRs. In the 6 months we've been working together I've run a post-collegiate 5K PR and true PRs at the 10k and half marathon (36:04 + 78:39).

Next up: is the California International Marathon where I'll be running in the sub-elite field! 

Full PR List:
1500m - 4:31
3000m - 9:52
3k steeple - 10:45
5k - 16:50
6k - 20:56
10k - 36:04
Half Marathon - 78:39
Marathon- 3:06:09

Favorite Running Podcast: I'll Have Another with Lindsey Hein
Favorite Mom Podcast: Atomic Moms

Running Stroller of Choice: BOB Revolution SE

Favorite Quote: "Racing is the fun part, it's the reward for all the hard work" - Kara Goucher

​If you want to be a part of the Mom Crush Monday 
​ send me an email! ​