Training Supplement – September 1, 2017

I’ve been run/dancing to Pitbull lately.  Jillian Michaels had me laughing out loud but Pace The Nation had me lost in serious thought.  I explored trails and parks just off my normal routes.  And, I found a good belt for carrying my phone.

Clothing & Gear

Tops – Singlets.  Nike Pro HyperCool Training Tank.  This tank is very tight-fitting and a little long in the torso.  I didn’t mind it too much but I could see how some runners would find it too constricting.  As far as cooling, it wicked away the sweat pretty well but not better than other singlets that I own.  (As a side note, the shipping for this item took forever.  I ordered it on July 27th and it didn’t arrive until August 14th!)

Socks.  Balega Silver Sock.  I’d been dealing with some mild plantar fasciitis and wondered if a little compression around my mid-foot would help.  I adore the Balega Moving Comfort Sock and decided to try this sock.  It’s snug but not tight in any way.  I’ve worn them a few times and the might become my new “go to” training sock.

Belts.  Nathan LightSpeed Pak Belt.  The Velcro on my armbands were going so I explored other options during a visit to my local running store.  It’s a little wider than the standard SpiBelt so it holds my phone comfortably against my hip.  I like it so far.  The only thing I don’t like is the loose strap material hanging off the sides.

Detergents.  Win High Performance Sports Detergent.  Ever the optimist, I tried another sport detergent.  I’m still not convinced these products are better than every day laundry detergent.  My clothes smelled the same as usual.

(My Complete Clothes & Gear Page.)

Nutrition & Hydration

Hydration & Electrolytes.  Liquid IV.  During my medium-long run last week, the temperature was in the mid-70s so I added this product to my water.  I’ve used it before and think it’s a light-tasting way to take in some electrolytes.  It’s not as sweet as Gatorade but adds a pleasant lemon-lime flavor to water.  A 16 oz packet has 45 calories, 500mg of sodium, 370mg of potassium, and 11g of carbohydrate.

Runner’s World Box.  Generally, I’ve been enjoying my Runner’s Boxes but some of the food items have seemed a little random – pancakes or beef jerky, for example.  So, mayonnaise seemed unusual but not too surprising.  I’m looking forward to trying everything in this delivery.  Including the sriracha mayonnaise.

Routes

Sights.  Towards the end of my long run last weekend, I ran on the south side of Four Mile Run in hopes that I would find more shade and maybe even a water fountain.  I saw some people gathered by a railing and stopped to see what was going on.  I couldn’t help but smile seeing the dogs swimming in the water!

Parks.  I run through Crystal City all the time but this week, I took a detour through Long Bridge Park.  I’ve cheered for the Marine Corps Marathon runners near this location for the last two years but have never run through the park.  The views of airplanes taking off from National Airport were unexpectedly scenic.  I made a mental note of the water fountains and bathrooms in case I need to make a detour in the future.

Media & Motivation

Music. “Feel This Moment,” by Pitbull feat. Christina Aguilera.  I’ve been run/dancing to this song for the past two weeks.  “I just wanna feel this moment!”  (And, the moment I line up for the New York City Marathon!)

(My “Songs of the Week” playlist on Spotify.)

Podcasts.  “Adventures with Jillian!” from Jillian Michaels.  From social media posts, I knew Jillian had a rough vacation recently.  Her producer put together an episode of other misadventures that had be laughing out loud on my run.  The snippet from the “Holy Ha Long Bay,” episode took me back to the long run when I listened to it for the first time.

“Episode 119 – Totality (Kate Fagan),” from Pace the Nation.  This episode was mostly an interview with the author of, “What Made Maddie Run.”  The part that resonated with me most was the discussion about how coaches aren’t counselors and how athletes need neutral third parties to talk through some of their problems related to sport…  I played field hockey at the Division 1 level for one year during college but quit before my second year.  Thinking back, that was a very hard time and I probably could have used some help navigating that transition.  And, I can see how social media would have made that very emotional time worse…  I’m looking forward to reading the book and learning more about Maddie.

“Episode 66: Air Force Tested,” from The Runner’s World Show.  On this episode, two runners – a woman and a man – take the Air Force Fitness Assessment.  It was an interesting listen.  I’m pretty sure I’d fail the push-ups.  I haven’t weight trained my arms in years.

“Babysitting,” from This American Life.  I actually thought this podcast was as much about siblings as it was about babysitting.  The story about the brothers had me smiling because as a younger sibling, I was subject to some pretty cruel pranks and misinformation.

News.  Keven Hart Says He’s Taking On the Marathon, Will Run NYC in November.  I was so excited about this news last month but I think I forgot to write about it.  How entertaining would it be to be in the starting corral or run along side Kevin Hart?!  I think he’ll find some good material for his act during the race.

Motivation.  “Picture yourself vividly as winning, and that alone will contribute immeasurably to success. – Harry Emerson Fosdick

I’ve spent a lot of time recently visualizing what I want to be thinking about and how I might feel at this year’s New York City Marathon.  I hope it helps me on race day.