This is a new kind of training for me, I am training for speed- which doesn't come easily or naturally for me. My first marathon was a 5:01, my PR is a 4:28, and I have to run a 3:40 or faster. Needless to say, I have quite a gap to bridge. I am confident though, that with dedication and discipline (and a GOOD RACE DAY) I have a shot at it!!
Here are some of the things that have become "essentials" in my training. It is rare for me to do a workout without using most, if not all of these items!
Pure Protein brand protein powder. I love this stuff. I use it to make this smoothie, and this one. It's low in sugar, doesn't taste nasty (some of the powders are seriously SICK) and blends well.
The Blender Bottle. I have been using this to mix the protein powder (I use the chocolate flavor for the "just water" mixing) with ice water for a quick way to refuel after workouts. The little wire ball thingy makes sure all the powder blends up smoothly, with no lumps, and if you add ice water it gets nice and thick. I, of course, bought the hot pink bottle. I heart pink.
The Stick. I have already mentioned this sucker in a previous blog post, but it is worth a second plug. This. Thing. ROCKS.
Okole Stuff. For those who have run long distances, this is Body Glide's smarter, prettier sister. It goes on easily, doesn't rub off when it gets wet, and WORKS!! With all the speed training I've been doing, if I use this stuff, I do not chafe. I (foolishly) used Body Glide instead on Sunday's run and chafed the crud out of my arm and right below my sport bra. Lesson learned. Use the good stuff.
My Garmin Forerunner 310xt. My friends pitched in and bought me this two years ago for my birthday and I LOVE IT!! It is easy to program speed workouts into the Garmin and it tells you when to start and stop! I love the workout log it creates- you can download your workouts wirelessly to your computer. The feedback I get from looking at my past workouts is very helpful. LOVE this!!
Hydration, for me, makes or breaks a run. If I get behind with my hydration, I can't catch up. So for short runs (Usually those less than 10 miles) I will take this bottle- the Ultimate Direction Fastdraw. It has a great zipper pouch where I keep chapstick, gu and my keys.
For longer runs, I LOVE my Nathan HPL 020. It has a 2 liter capacity bladder, and plenty of easy-to-access pockets to stash gu, snacks, and a camera or cell phone, and of course, chapstick. I hate chapped lips when I'm running.
There you have it! My current can't-live-without-it list. (If I could add a wish or two to the list, I would add "no injuries" and "stiff tailwind".)
Happy running!
Well, OK! I looked at one of those blendy cups the other day, and now I know what they work well for!
ReplyDeleteThe blender gets the stuff too frothy for me. I'd been wondering how to solve that problem. Ta da!
My PR is the same as yours and I too would love to qualify for Boston. I am very interested in your training and would love to see a blog detailing your weekly mileage/speed workouts.
ReplyDeleteSusan, I love that thing! It would even be good for dressings or sauces.......
ReplyDeleteOk Megan!! I just started my "official" training, up until now I have been upping my mileage to a bit over 40/ week and working on speed training, track stuff, hill repeats, and tempo runs. :)
ReplyDeleteWow! We couldn't be happier with the Blender Bottle. My dh had been using a knife or spoon but wasn't able to blend his protein powder very well. He has used the Blender Bottle the last two days and it works great! Thanks for sharing your "must haves" with us!
ReplyDelete-Audrey