Marathon Training Gear

Since this is my first time running a full, the gear was a bit of an investment. They say running is the cheapest sport, but when you up your miles like this, it can really add up! However, I consider it to be worth it. I train in very hot, very humid weather, so having fluids on me at all times is essential. While I was packing up to go home for a quick visit (can we just take a minute to acknowledge that running in Fall weather was so. much. better.) I took a photo of most of my gear. I did not snap photos of my clothing or shoes. I mostly have been wearing compression running pants from Under Armor, and I have been loving my Saucony Freedom ISO. I just got the Saucony Liberty ISO for the longest runs and the actual marathon, because the Freedom is neutral, and the Liberty is almost exactly the same but with stability built in, which I hope will help my body tackle the miles with slightly less pain.

Now, on to the accessories I have been using! I love my GPS watch (the Polar M200) because it has heart rate, pace, duration, and distance all easy to read. You can add in splits and other information if you want to - it's pretty customizable.  If you want to wear it all day it does have all day activity tracking and sleep tracking as well, but I don't wear it all day because of the size. The only thing I don't love about it is that the watch face is big - it's as big as my actual wrist, and  a little heavy. But, I have been using it for a year and half now and it's been trusty and sturdy. It has an easy to use app (Polar Flow) with a website with even more information.

The other gear in the photo is an attachable reflector light with a red flashing LED in it. I actually got it in the swag bag last year when I ran a Women's 10k here. I clip it on my running belt when I'm out during the dark hours, to increase my visibility. Once the sun comes up, I just un-clip it and tuck it in my pocket where it won't bounce against me for the rest of the run.

Where do I have all of this storage? I carry 2 water bottles, babyfood, keys, my phone, chapstick, and the little blinker light. I actually wear to storage items. I wear a water belt (adalid) with a center pocket, and I add the Running Buddy magnetic pocket to the back. Both are pictured below:

I wore this water belt for the half last year, and it did well. I usually don't drink much on a half distance, but with increase heat and humidity this year, I've been emptying both bottles on my 13+ runs. As mentioned in my nutrition post, I carry one bottle of just water, and one of a coconut water/gatorade/salt mix. I like that you can just slip the bottles easily in and out of the soft pouches (which also seem to help keep my half frozen liquids colder longer). The belt is adjustable, and soft. It occasionally bounces, but not too much, and I've never chafed from it. The Running Buddy is really cool, it has strong magnets along the bottom side edges, and it can be attached to your pants, a running belt, etc. I've done both and it's worked well. It has two pockets (maybe three?) and I've never dropped anything out of it, even when it's ridding on my butt and probably moving a lot. I was a little worried that the strong magnets would mess up my phone, but I always carry it in there, and have had no problems. I'd highly recommend it for anybody needing storage for running. 

I love to listen to music and podcasts when I'm out pounding the pavement, but I've also talked about how safety is important to me. I've started using the Tekz Air AfterShokz bone conduction head phones (pictured below) because the leave my ears open to hear my environment. I have mixed feelings about them - I love the idea, but the fit is pretty terrible. I tried both the regular size and the mini, and both bounced like crazy, and both sit on my neck and rub. So, I tuck them up under my sweat/sun visor and wear them that way. After about 2 hours I just have to whip them off because it gets annoying. I don't plan to wear them at all for the actual marathon, because I like the crowd and other runners as part of the experience. 

As I've stated about a million times now, it is hot and humid here (think 80%+ humidity and feels like temps in the upper 80's by 7am). I used to hate running with anything on my head, but this visor has really helped catch the sweat and keep it out of my eyes. I honestly haven't found it to be helpful keeping the sun out of my eyes, but I also don't find any hats help with that either. The visor is light, and by the time I finish my runs it is soaked from the tip of the brim to the end of velcro. It usually keeps the sweat from dripping until mile 4 or so, and always keeps it out of my eyes. 

For recovery, I wear compression socks. I got these ones on amazon for pretty cheap and they're comfortable. I wear them after long runs (first I shower and prop my feet up on the wall for 10-15 minutes) for a few hours. I haven't had any problems with ankle swelling, as I guess they're working! I also pictured the anti-chaf stick I use. It's Gold Bond - I couldn't find Body Glide when I was at the store, so I went with this. I'll be honest- I've never chaffed before, but I am using this as a preventative measure with the increased distance. So far, so good!

 I've been struggling with motivation for running with my travelling, but I  counted- only 7 more weeks of building training, and then I'll be in taper!!