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Monday, September 8, 2014

I'm a high maintenance runner

This weekend, for the first time in a very long time, I did back to back runs. No, not like real people who run in the morning and again in the afternoon (crazy), but 2 days in a row. I signed up for the North Hills 5k on Saturday and had 5 miles on my training plan for Sunday.

It was still crazy humid this weekend but I knew I needed to man up and get my runs in. November 2nd will be here in no time and I need to build my base back up.

This is the 4th year I've done the North Hills 5k and I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love that it's 4 miles from my house and their shirt is seriously my favorite race shirt. I wear the ones from the last 2 years all the time. I hate the hills. There's one enormous hill and literally, most of mile 2 is on an incline.



This race usually starts the race season for me and it's the first one I'll do after spending most of the summer not running in the hot and humid, which means I'm always crying about how out of shape I am.

This year ran it in 36:15 which is better than last year and a little worse than 2012. Honestly though the humidity was killing me. I didn't feel that my fitness was off by all that much, but slogging through 99% humidity was awful. I don't know that I've ever been that sweaty before in my life.



Sunday morning I knew I had to get in 5 miles for my "long" run. I kinda blew off last week's 4 miler long run and I had to get on the wagon. I waited until 11am to head out since it was supposed to get a little less humid. Thankfully it did, the longer I went, until it was positively pleasant when I was standing in the Whole Foods parking lot... I should have started an hour later.

As I was getting ready the last 2 days I was thinking about how I'm NOT one of those pull on a pair of shoes and head out the front door kinda runners. For me, all the stars and moons have to come into perfect alignment for me to make it through.

I have a few must haves that I can't leave home without. Let's be honest, it's more than a few.

1. My shoes. I can't just pull on whatever shoe I have laying in my closet. I've tried several brands and styles and I'm a Saucony gal. Saucony, neutral support with inserts. I ran my 2nd half with the Ride 5s, my third in the Ride 6s and I'm currently training for #4 in a pair of 6s but might end up at the store to try out the new Ride 7s. They're the only shoes that don't give me knee issues.



2. My tunes. I can't be by myself with my thoughts for any length of time, I need something to listen to and distract me from what I'm putting myself through. I like running in my lulu capris because the butt pocket is big and stretchy enough for me to fit my iPhone. I don't like those arm bands, they never stay up on my arm and they get all sweaty and gross. I'd rather put my phone in a baggie and shove it back there.



BTW - I'm super excited to be a new Swirlgear Ambassador and their running pants also have a butt back pocket. I'll be sure to post my thoughts as soon as they arrive!

3.  A head band. Like I mentioned before, when I run, I'm a sweaty gal. I need something to keep the sweat from running into my eyes. Biondi bands are one of my favorites because they're big enough for my enormous head and they'll sop up a bunch of head sweat.



4. My Garmin. I'm type A and love numbers. Love all the numbers so much. I can't just go off and not worry about my time. I need to know how fast I'm going, how fast I should be going, how far I went, all that fun stuff. Kev bought me the Garmin Forerunner 10 2 years ago for my birthday. I love it. It's pretty affordable at $130-ish and it tells me what I need to know without a lot of BS.


5. Water. I get thirsty and I get really dehydrated and am a mess when I get home if I don't have something to drink on my run. This applies to all weather, all distances. Also, I need a place to stick my key and my chapstick and a few dollars in case I have to stop and bribe a small child for a beverage.

I have this one and it's OK. It only holds 10 oz and I had to refill it a bunch of times during my last half. I like that the big pocket holds all my stuff. but I could so with a few more ounces of water.

I used to have one that held 16oz and it was awesome, but Cleo ate it. :(

6. Sunglasses. If it's sunny, these peepers need a cover.



I'm sure people run past me and think, "Damn, girl, that's a lot of stuff!" Yes, yes it is. #sorrynotsorry.

Don't forget! There are still a few days left to enter my giveaway!

What are your running "must haves"?


http://www.blovedboston.com/

7 comments:

  1. I have a "hydration belt".. aka a runner's fanny pack, or so I've been told. It's got 2 8 or 10oz bottles which I put in the freezer so they stay fairly cold as I go. I also have my phone in the pocket, which I use for my musics and my runkeeper. I wear a super sexy bandanna (with mustaches) to sop up the sweat and hold my hair out of my face, because nothing irritates me more than hairs sticking to me. I only have 2 pairs of shoes, but I'm about to replace one set with a pair of Brooks when the time comes.

    If I don't run at my scheduled time, I won't do it. I have weather standards too. If it "feels" over 85°F I'm less likely to go out. Sometimes, I don't even substitute going to the gym, I just go nap. My color run shirts are my absolute faves, I just wish they weren't white so I didn't have to worry about which bra I'm wearing, lol #firstworldproblems.

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    1. This year they started a half marathon that starts and ends in North Hills. The last mile is straight uphill. The bla blah uphill challenge. NOPE. Nope nope nope.

      I can't handle hairs sticking to me or the ones that fall onto my back and brush my arm when I run. I did an 8k earlier this year and the first 2 miles looked like a crackhead twitching and grabbing at my back trying to find the hair. It makes me lose my mind.

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  2. How cool that race is so near your home. I'd love that!
    I just got my first bondi band & LOVE them!

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    1. I LOVE the Bondi Bands! They can handle all of my head swaet which is great and mighty.

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  3. I was thinking the same thing today! I have to have all of your same items (except water and sunnies), and in particular I was thinking about the headband thing. I passed a girl who wasn't wearing one (and her hair still looked better than mine does when I'm not running) and I was just like...how?

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    1. I don't understand it. I just don't. I was thinking about getting a visor so I look slightly more put together and maybe I can combine the headband and sunglasses into a visor and have one less thing to wear. :)

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  4. I would lose my mind without music! All I could think about is how I'm trudging though my work out. I just can't do it.

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