Training Supplement – June 8, 2016

Running is a simple sport, right?  All you really need is a pair of shoes (or not) and a stretch of sidewalk, road, track, or trail.

Last week, I decided to strip out the stuff that makes running fussy (for me) from my weekly training post.  This mid-week post will be about the clothing & gear, running-related nutrition & hydration, and things that keeps me educated or motivated.

Clothing & Gear

Arm bands.  Recently, a lot of my gear-related mental energy has been around arm bands for running.  I bought a new smartphone after Boston and it’s a little too large to carry in my SPI-belt.  I’ve been running with the arm band that came in my April Stridebox for a week or two and am gradually getting used to it.  (I tried the arm band model from Belkin but my arms were too skinny for it.)  One day, feeling bold, I tested listening to music through my phone using Spotify and trying to control it through my Garmin 630 …  It was too much technological change at once!  But, I’m proud of myself for trying.

Singlets.  In my Boston Marathon post, I wrote about how I went on a quest to find this Adidas Boston Marathon Supernova Tank Top in a size small.  I checked the website that weekend, too, and asked the company to notify me when that size was available.  I visited the website a week later.  I saw the size I wanted and bought it.  Great!  Since then, I’ve worn it once or twice and after all that effort, it didn’t fit very well.  It’s a little loose in the shoulders, dips low around the bust, but is tight around the abdomen.  It’s going in my donation pile.  The upshot.  Over a month later, I finally got an email from Adidas saying they were unable to find the size for me!  (When, I already bought that size through their website weeks ago.)

Nutrition & Hydration 

Electrolytes.  As the Washington D.C. heat and humidity started to take hold, I started thinking a lot more about hydration and electrolytes.  I’m sure the Crank Sports e-Gel saved me at Boston.  But, I’m not running high enough mileage right now where I’d want to take a gel during a run.  This past Sunday, I plopped a Nuun Plus in my water before my medium run.  Unfortunately, I didn’t read the packaging beforehand and the product is meant as a supplement to a sports drinks!  Still, it wasn’t that bad on its own in water.  But, 1 tablet only adds 25mg of sodium and 50mg of potassium (with 20 calories).  It’s such a small amount of electrolytes that I’m not sure it’s worth using.

Nutrition.  As I mentioned in my training post on Saturday, I’ve been eating a little better in an effort to lose a few pounds I’ve been carrying these past couple of years that I don’t really need.  My meals have varied a little, but in a nutshell, I’ve been having a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast, a cheddar and tomato sandwich with potato chips at lunch at Pret a Manger, and then a large salad for dinner.  Sprinkled in there are snacks – both nutritious (e.g., carrots, fruit, yogurt, etc.) and “junk” (e.g., chocolate pretzels, chocolate chip cookies, alcohol, etc.).  Over the past week or so, my weight has been in the low-120s instead of the highs, which is where I wanted to be before I started training for the New York City Marathon since I know it’s hard to lose weight while training for a marathon.

Pre-workout nutrition.  I also started looking at light pre-run snacks.  I tried the Natural Sins pineapple chips – also from my April Stridebox – last week before a run.  I love pineapple and they’re really good.  But, I thought they were way too sweet.  I only ate two before I was overwhelmed by the sugary taste and put them away.

Media & Motivation

Songs.  “The Man,” by Aloe Blacc.  Muhammad Ali died this week.  This song is a playlist staple of mine and I thought of him when it came on during my run on Sunday.

Podcasts.  “Episode 55 – Not My Car,” Pace the Nation.  This episode had an interview with a sales representative from Mizuno.  I learned there’s a Wave Rider 20 in the works.  I hope it’s a good shoe!  I haven’t loved some of the recent changes and don’t want to go through another search for a new shoe.

Blogs.  “Roundup of the Most Fun Races in Philly,” by Run With No Regrets.  I appreciated this post because I know there are some great races in Philadelphia.  I may write my own post on my favorite races in D.C.

Motivation.  “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights,” – Muhammad Ali

This is one of the quotes from Muhammad Ali that I’ve used for inspiration.  For me as a runner, it’s a reminder that I have to do the work if I want to feel confident on race day.