The Necessities

There are a few things I was missing at Sunday's half-marathon that I now know are absolute necessities for any run of ten miles or longer. The basics that I did have were a great pair of shoes, comfortable runners socks and a breathable shirt. I spoke of these purchases a few weeks back and they have made a positive difference to all my runs. Never again will I get laughed at for wearing clown shoes and polyester shorts that extend below the knee. However, I learned that I run the risk of getting laughed at on marathon day for bleeding through the chest, or as "The" calls them - the love buttons.

So what do you need to contain the bleeding from the love buttons? You need Body Glide. This will not only protect the chest, but will also protect the toes. I've got some pain in the middle toes on each foot. I'm a little concerned that by running in the rain that my new sneaks may have shrunk a bit. This is something I'm gonna need to keep a close eye on the next couple runs.



If that isn't enough for you, you can always go with the ultimate shield.





Another necessity for a long run is the energy gel. I've come full-circle on the GU Vanilla Bean gel. I'm gonna want to test a few of the other flavors so I know whats out there, but this gave such a needed boost in this last run that I don't think I'll do any run of 6 miles or longer without it.




The final necessity are electrolytes. Either the pills or the drink, they will help your body absorb the water you take in during the run. This will not only help during the race, but will go a long way in making a speedy recovery following the race. I'm still researching more on these, but from what I hear, they are a runner's friend.



I feel almost totally recovered from Sunday. Takes an extra second to straighten the getaway sticks out after sitting down for awhile, but no pain to be reported. I took yesterday off from running, but did 25 mins on the bike before last night's lift. This week I'm expecting to run 3 miles tonight, 5 or 6 miles Wednesday, and three miles Thursday. With the holiday weekend coming up, there are plenty of races to partake in and I'm hoping to do a 10K one of the days.