My running must-haves

This Fitness blogger posted her half-marathon training "survival kit" must haves and I wanted to share mine!

1. Fuel Belt Sprint 10oz palm-held water bottle - I canNOT run more than 3-4 miles very well without water (although I did 5 yesterday and regretted it by 3.5) and this bottle is perfect, although for longer runs (marathon training and even towards the end of half-marathon training) I have to stop and refill it.

2. Nike+ Sport Band - I LOVE this! My favorite trail has mile markers every quarter-mile but unfortunately this trail is 25 minutes from my house and I can't run there all the time. I love to know how far I'm going and where I am at any given point in time. If you don't have a Nike+ shoe (I don't) you have to buy a little chip holder that goes on your shoe. I got mine at walmart.com for less than $10.

3. Gu Vanilla Bean - this Gu has caffeine in it and was my saving grace during marathon training. I haven't gotten up to a point yet where I'm using it on my current half-marathon training but for those longer runs it's great (although only on Marathon day did I ever actually eat the whole packet...and I had many that day...I usually eat about half on my training runs, every 5 miles) and the caffeine gives you a little extra bounce. I had one halfway through the Philadelphia Rock & Roll Half Marathon when they were giving it out and after that, I was hooked! Make sure you have water though if you take the Gu!

4. Lululemon Women's Brisk Run Toque - this hat has made running in the winter (although it has been mild) more bearable. It's not itchy at all, there's a hole for my ponytail, and it's cute! Unfortunately it's out of season on the Lululemon website but if you're interested, they probably have some left in the store.

5. Lululemon Define jacket - addicted to Lululemon? Don't get me started. Anyway, this jacket has been perfect for this mild winter. I got it big enough that I could layer another couple of layers underneath it on the colder days, but on these 40-50 degree days I've been wearing it with a tank top, starting out with my fingers covered with the cool finger flaps and finishing off the run without my fingers covered as I warm up. And it's so flattering too!

6. Lululemon crops - Yes, one more lululemon must-have. I was running in crops from Target and when I switched to Lululemon, I feel like my life changed. I just feel so GOOD in them. I have three different designs (Run Inspire II, Wunder Under, and another that I don't remember the name of) and they are all great and so worth the money.

7. Saucony running shoes - I'm on my second pair, different styles, and I love them both the same. I would recommend the brand in a heartbeat (just get fitted for the specific style).

8. SPIbelt - this awesome belt is great for the warmer days when I'm not wearing my Define jacket, or for days when it's in the wash and I'm wearing something without pockets. It's tiny but it fits my iPhone and is great for carring Gu packets, keys, whatever.

9. Soul Cycle classes for cross training, and yoga classes as well (which I don't do often enough)

10. Foam roller - calves, shins, IT band...so necessary!

NYC Marathon!

I DID IT! I finished the NYC Marathon! It was one of the most painful - and most exhilarating - experiences of my life.
Play-by-play:

Mile 1: I was caught up in the crowd with everyone, crossing the Verrazano Bridge. I looked around to see if I could find the pacers for a 5:00 time, but I couldn't, so I figured I'd just go at my own pace, especially since I knew I might end up having to slow down if my IT band acted up.

Mile 2-3-4: Brooklyn! Into my 2nd out of 5 boroughs already! I was high-fiving the little kids as I ran by. It was awesome.

Mile 5: My IT band started to hurt. I had my first Gu packet, and started to wonder whether I'd actually finish.

Mile 6: The dull IT band pain gave way to a few shockingly intense pains and I made a stop in the medical tent, where I got a massage and some Tylenol.

Mile 7-8-9: Really really starting to hurt! Stopped again around mile 8 in the med tent. Really not sure if I would be able to finish.

Mile 10-11-12: Last few miles in Brooklyn! It was great to see Ramsay, a fellow Arethusa alum, out there cheering me on! I gave her a big hug, and after that, said to myself, I WILL do this, I WILL finish!

Mile 13: Despite the pain, I made it halfway. Okay! I can do this!

Mile 14-15: Just get me out of Queens and into Manhattan.

Mile 16: OMG...it's a LONG distance from 59th Street up to the Bronx!

Mile 17: Raspberry cream PowerBar gel! A nice change from my vanilla bean Gu.

Mile 18-19: JUST GET ME TO MILE 20! I texted Andrea, telling her that all I needed was to get to mile 20 and then I would believe that I could finish. My parents texted me, wondering if I wanted to drop out. Telling me they would get me whenever, wherever. No, I was not about to drop out! I was dragging. Making 15 minute miles at the fastest. But I was still moving. Still going. Stopping to stretch every here and there.

Mile 20: Okay! I'm almost there. 10k to go.

Mile 21-22: This is going to be the longest 10k ever... Then I saw Deb cheering me on at 132nd street :) I hadn't seen her in YEARS and it was so good to have her support!

Mile 23-24: Somewhere around mile 23, Sandy was there with a big "LETS GO JESS" sign! She ran alongside me into the park for as long as she could.

Mile 25: Back by myself again. I felt like I was the only one left still RUNNING, when everyone around me was walking. My little legs "run" slower than some people walk I guess. In Columbus Circle, one lady put her hand out for a high five. I high fived her and then the next 10+ people high fived me and cheered me on, like they knew me and believed in me! It was amazing!

Mile 26: My parents were on the sidelines and my dad tried to take a picture of me with his phone camera, which didn't work out so well.

Mile 26.2: OMG I MADE IT. I called Andrea right away, got draped in a space blanket, got my medal, and pretty much hobbled to the exit. I sat on the sidewalk and waited for my parents and Sandy.

Honestly, part of me still doesn't believe that I did it. But I have tendonitis in my foot, and sore tight legs. Where would that come from if not the marathon!? I have the finisher medal and finisher recovery bag - I would not have gotten that if I had backed out earlier. I'm in partial denial. But I DID IT!

The Treadmill

I just can't seem to enjoy the treadmill. Five miles feels like an eternity. And I should really be running more than that! It seems like the same episode of Bones is ALWAYS on, in addition to an episode of Two and a Half Men that I can't focus on. Sometimes I catch the last ten minutes of Friends. Not that I can really see the TV. It's just a little too high for my 5'almost2" frame. Running with the ipod doesn't help much because I want to watch the scenery change around me as I listen to my music, and I don't get any of that at the gym.

Of course, nothing gets me to speed up like knowing I can get off the treadmill sooner if I finish those miles faster! But watching those hundredths of a mile tick by at what seems like a snail's pace is bordering on torture. How can I love to run so much, and hate the treadmill with almost as much passion?

Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for the treadmill. Otherwise I would not get to run quite a few days of the week. There are days when I'm just not around until dark, and as much as I really wouldn't mind running in the dark, it just seems unsafe and I feel like I shouldn't do it.

I love it, I hate it.

Four miles with a runny nose

This afternoon's run was not one of my best. My feet were dragging and my nose was running more than my legs were. I had originally planned on doing 7 miles today, but feeling under the weather, I decided to settle for four. It's important that I keep my mid-week mileage up though.

On a different note, I keep hearing that you are supposed to replace your sneakers every 500 miles. I bought my sneakers in May, and I know that I've logged over 500 miles already with all the running I did this summer. Is it really time for me to get new sneakers? Have I seriously run over 500 miles in 5 months? Whoa.

20 miler!

Today, I hit a major achievement in my running career - I did my first twenty miler! It's incredibly exciting because finishing it means I am ready for a marathon!

I actually set out to do the 20 miler yesterday. It didn't happen though. Things were taking too much time, and it eventually got too late. I was ready for it today, though. I loaded up my audiobook onto my ipod yesterday, and took a quick drive over to Dunkin Donuts this morning for a pumpkin muffin. Gross as this may be, even though I may have been burping pumpkin spice burps well beyond mile 5, it was a subtle reminder to myself that I consumed enough energy and could get through the distance.

Miles 1-5 were exceedingly slow. I was afraid of running out of energy, so I was definitely holding back. At mile 5, I popped a few shot blocks, then at mile 6, I refilled my water. I felt done. Usually when I run this route, mile 6 marks the halfway turnaround point. This time, it wasn't even one third of the way there. I still took it pretty slow heading back, and took a bathroom break at mile 11.

I figured that this would be a good time for my Gu. I ran out of Vanilla Bean but I had "Roctane" that was given out as a free sample at the Rock & Roll Half, so I took that out. It smelled gross, but I tried to convince myself to just go with it. But it was so nasty. The next nine miles, I was tasting jaegerbombs. Definitely one of the last tastes I wanted to have in my mouth. Gross.

At mile 12, I wanted to be done, but I made the turnaround quick, not even giving myself the chance to think about it. I started to pick up my pace a little bit. I figured if I really want to be done, I'll move a little faster. My audiobook was getting interesting. I had trouble getting into it at first, but now I was getting to a good part. I stopped at refilled my water at mile 13, and thought to myself that I might be crazy for running 20 miles when I am not officially registered for an upcoming marathon right now. A second thought I had was more positive, though - The fall weather is nice because my water stays cool while I run.

Miles 14-16 were tough. I was starting to hurt, and I knew once I hit mile 16, there was no turning back, I was finishing 20 miles whether I ran it or crawled it, but it was the only way to get back to my car. After mile 16, I popped a few more shot blocks and I started to pick up the pace a little bit more. I wanted to finish before it got too dark.

By mile 17, I was running significantly faster than I had started. I couldn't feel my legs anymore, so it was nice that they weren't hurting. Around mile 18, my back started to hurt. I kept trying to reach around and massage my upper back/the back of my neck, but it wasn't doing much.

It was getting pretty dark at this point. At mile 19, I pulled out my headphones so I could be more alert and booked it. Sprinted. As fast as I could. Stretched, and went back to my car. I couldn't believe I did it.

So now what's next? Taper? After today's run, I can't freaking wait for a few shorter "long runs" that aren't so gruelingly long. But I also can't wait for a marathon!

First Post

About seven months ago, I discovered something about myself: I love to run. Most people who know me know the story by now: I was taking Amy's Definitions (strength training) class at the JCC, and she was talking up the running program that she would be starting. She tried to convince members of the class to join the running group. Lauren asked me if I was going to do it. I looked at her like she was crazy. "I can't run. I hate running!" I said to her. "Really, it's fun," she said. I asked her, "Really? Are you a good runner?" She said that she is not a runner at all, and that she started from doing nothing and was able to do a 5k. Well, I thought to myself, for the past three years I've had the goal of running a 5k. It couldn't hurt to try and have a little motivation. And besides, Amy is fun and would make it enjoyable. So, I decided to join the group.

I still remember the first day. We alternated running and walking for a mile, then did some stretching. Not bad, I thought, but I definitely need to do something to supplement this workout! As the weeks went on, we began to do different drills and went outside for "long" runs, which started at about 2 miles - and felt like a lifetime! This was March. We had planned for a 5k race in April. I remember freaking out about two weeks before the race, doubting that I would be able to run 3.1 miles in a couple of weeks. Amy understood that a lot of us were nervous about the 5k, and she took us out for a practice 3 mile run. In the pouring rain. I thought she was crazy, but when I finished those 3 miles, I felt a huge sense of accomplishment! I didn't think I could run 3 miles, but I did it, and I did it IN THE RAIN. I felt hardcore. A week later, I ran my first 5k in 35:16, coming in one second after my younger sister Tara, who had run a half marathon earlier that year. My goal of the race was to finish. Hers was to beat me. We both achieved our goals. Actually, Tara started off way ahead, but by the end of the race, I came around and passed her. Then she sped up, then I sped up, and we were neck and neck for that last tenth of a mile. I couldn't believe that I finished so close to her. I was ridiculously proud of myself.

After that 5k, things happened fast. I decided that I wanted to try to run a half marathon. I hit 5 miles and was psyched. I ran a Memorial Day 10k (and came in way ahead of Tara), then really racked up the miles over the summer, sometimes getting up to 40 miles a week. I struggled to pass 7 miles for a few weeks, but once I got my hydration system set into place (FuelBelt Sprint water bottle) and hit the trail where the miles just seem to roll into the next, I did it. Then came 8 miles, 9, and then when trying for 10 miles, I found that they stopped marking the miles after 4.5. I didn't know. I kept running, waiting for the 5 mile mark to come up so I could turn around. After talking with Andrea (who has been my biggest cheerleader) I found out that I ran 11.6! A few weeks later, I ran the South Nyack Ten-Miler, then the Philadelphia Rock & Roll Half Marathon (with a PR at every mile!), and the Diva Half Marathon.

I found that in addition to loving running, I love racing. When I was a swimmer, I hated racing, because I almost always came in last. With these races, though, there are so many people, so much adrenaline, and almost no chance of coming in last. Plus, as I read all over the place now, "Dead Last Finish > Did Not Finish >> Did Not Start." I take that attitude with every race and even every run that I go out on. I know I'm not a fast runner (although given the right motivation, I'm faster than I think I am), but I'm getting faster.

As summer ended, my motivation has both increased (I want to run a marathon as soon as I'm ready) and decreased (I don't have time to run after work outside so I can either get up early or run on the treadmill, and I don't particularly love either). I'm also trying to spend some more time in the pool, cross training to prevent [more] shin splints and other injuries.

In looking to see if the NYC Marathon Tune-Up had passed yet (it unfortunately had), I came across a bunch of running blogs. Reading them, I really wanted to start a running blog of my own. I love to write, and love to run, so what could be better? Here goes.