Cool Running Stuff

Now that I've spent all my money on neato swimming stuff, is there room for some groovy running stuff? Oh, for sure, for sure. No one can go out the door with just a pair of shoes and call it running...anymore.

I will be the first to admit that I don't have all the latest and keenest gadgets out there for running. I will also be the second to admit that I probably have more gadgets than a back of the pack age grouper really and truly needs. Look. You gotta find a way to make long runs fun somehow.

Here are my running gadgets:

1. Shoes. The most important device you will ever buy, or have, or use. Throw away the Keds. Go to a specialty running store (this is not, sorry, Walmart or even Academy or Dick's Sporting Goods) and have them evaluate your running style and fit you in some good running shoes. Everyone has a different foot strike and balance, and there are shoes that will fit you better than others. Expect to spend some money. Don't cringe at it. Think of how many times your feet will hit the pavement. Also, running shoes MUST be replaced, like tires, every 300-600 miles. Old shoes are worse than no shoes. One helpful hint: I always thought I needed heavy, thick soled running shoes to protect my feet from pounding. Turned out I was wrong. The lighterweight, low profile shoes really work better for me.

2. Clothes. Okay, your gender is going to come into play on this. If you're a guy, for training runs (not triathlon race day--that's a whole different post) and for running races, running shorts (some like the loose fitting shorts and other guys, like the Patient Spouse, like a form fitting tight-like short) AND yes, a running shirt. We know you gotta great two-pack, buddy, but save it for your significant other. Shirts help wick away sweat and protect from sunburn, falls (yes, those can happen running) and bug bites. For gals, same things but either add a sports/running bra or use a running shirt with a built in bra. For both: NO COTTON. Cotton looks and feels cool, but the truth is, it is miserably bad at holding in sweat and heat and it doesn't breathe worth patooky. Yes, you really do need to buy and wear those synthetic running clothes because they really, really work like a charm. On hot days, dress in light colors and looser fabrics. Cooler days, long sleeves (no cotton!) but be prepared--you will always get warmer as you run and it's tough to strip in the middle of a run, so start out a little chilly in your running gear. For really REALLY cold days, a lightweight fabric running jacket (breathable material again), warm gloves, and a hat work wonders. I also have running rights for cold winter mornings. Socks--go for thinner rather than thicker--you will thank me later. Please try to use wicking fabric socks as cotton socks will get sweaty and stay wet and then cause blisters. You can buy all this great stuff at the running stores.

Some people use those arm warmers that cover part of their arms. I don't. I think they look like you cut off part of your clothes. Still, I know people swear by them. It allegedly keeps your muscles warm. I still think they look kooky.

3. Watch(es). You really don't need a special watch for running if you don't care about your time or distance. (hahahahaha....ha). No, seriously, if you are just running for fitness and fun, map out a route with the car odometer (or the bike computer--see Neat Bike Stuff to be published soon), and use your own plain watch to note your start and stop times. For the math impaired, like moi, www.trainingpeaks.com will compute your average pace for you if you enter distance and time.

However. Cool watches for running are just out of the ballpark fun. I have a Garmin 400 GPS watch/distance/pace calculator that is the size of a small Dick Tracy watch phone to strap on my wrist. The more updated versions are smaller and lighter. This one is six years old and I hate to replace it; it has worked perfectly for those years (other than when it hasn't) and those suckers are costly. There are other brand model GPS watches out there, but IMO Garmin leads the pack. The only downside about Garmin is that is doesn't compute with my Polartech heart monitor, so I end up wearing two...sometimes three...watches, looking for all the world like a street corner flasher trying to offload some knockoff stuff.

My Garmin calculates my distance in miles, my pace, and my time. It does other things too if you ask it nicely (it has elevation, which is fun when hiking in the mountains). It's not totally perfect. My marked out 3 mile run is sometimes 2.9 or 3.1 miles, but usually not much further off than that. And I've discovered my running pace usually tracks about 30-45 seconds behind my actual pace--if I start running faster, it takes a while for Mr. Garmin to realize that. And tall buildings, heavy trees, tunnels, or atmospheric blips can sometimes cause it to tell you it can't find your distance or pace right now, sorry. Every time I do the 8 mile Turkey Trot in downtown Dallas I lose it for about 2 miles midway in the shadow of the buildings.

But there is really no better gadget to calcuate miles and pace on an unknown trek than a GPS watch. I think it's a good investment.

I'll leave the heart rate monitor for a separate post, as it's really its own animal.

4. Sunglasses. I don't know how people run or bike without glasses on. Even on a cloudy day, the wind blows grit and bugs into my eyes. I wear contacts, so my eyes don't really like small foreign objects blown into them. You can buy sunglasses that have interchangeable lenses for those cloudy days, but for me, the clouds usually roll in halfway through my bike or run and I don't carry the extra lenses with me, so I just suck it up and peer through the dark lenses and pretend it's nightime. Buy a cheap pair of glasses for training and a good pair for racing that don't get scratched up. Make sure they fit snugly enough to block glare and wind.

5. Hydration and nutrition on the run. The old rule of thumb seemed to be if you are gonna run/race less than 60 minutes, you shouldn't need to drink, and if you are going to run/race less than 90 minutes, you shouldn't need to take in calories. To that I say, horse bunky. All of the hydration/nutrition stuff TOTALLY depends on (a) how hot or cold or humid it is out there, (b) what kind of shape you are in, (c) what you have ingested or drank in the last 24 hours (including margaritas the night before), (d) how old you are, and (e) how hard you are gonna push it that day. I found this out the hard way on my first sprint triathlon. Relying on the wisdom of the books and the blogs, I only took in water during that 1:55 race, which included a 15.5 mile bike and the standard 3.1 mile run on Labor Day in 97 degree heat at 12 noon (the race started at 10 a.m., not a good idea IMO). I bonked so badly on the run that it wasn't funny. But I am a fast learner. My next sprint tri, only 2 months later, I ingested Gatorade during the 16.5 mile bike, and also took in most of a Accugel (chocolate, my favorite) during the bike. I came off the bike strong and had my fastest 5K run in ages on that 3.1 miles (10 minute mile average). Yet that was a longer bike ride than the first tri. I did something right on nutrition and hydration that day.

What I'm saying here is everyone is different, and you gotta experiment with what works for you best. On a hot day, you really need to take in hydration pre run and during the run IMO if it's longer than 45 minutes. Older, slower, less fit athletes (and that would be me) also may need some calorie intake on runs or workouts lasting over an hour. Sometimes just a sports drink is enough; sometimes you need something more. You need to try different things and see what gives you your optimal performance. For heaven's sake, don't try something new on race day. That will certainly entertain the crowd watching you dash for the bushes, but you? Not so much.

I have a small lightweight fabric mesh belt I wear on runs that last over an hour. It can just hold my car key, my cell phone (hint: turn it off or lock the keyboard. Otherwise, like my friend Matt, you may dial your friends 3,459 times during your run. They won't like that), a chocolate gel, and one of those small sized Ozarka plastic water bottles that gets squished a bit by me in the middle (I wash it out and refill it, like a good green girl). It holds just enough water or sports drink to get me through about a 10 mile run. Any further, and I have to plant water bottles along my route (hide them well, or a good green person will come throw them away). There are larger and more intricate fuel belts that have mutliple water bottles dangling all around them like little maypole dancers. I've tried those and hated them. They are heavy, hot, and the bottles can fall out. In a race, there should be aid stations located every 1-2 miles on a run, but even then, they may not carry your brand of sports drink (again, do NOT try anything new on race day).

6. Other fun and weird gadgets.

Road ID: I asked my husband for two of these for Christmas (one for the bike shoe and one for the run shoe--for swimming, I'm just going to have to remain unidentified). These are little metal tags that velcro onto your shoes with your name, address, emergency contact, and a line for your mantra or other smart saying (the Patient Spouse put on mine: A Longhorn and A Lawyer. Both true. Though not necessarily what I want to read at mile 22 of a marathon). This. Is. Important. Stuff. To. Have. If you have an accident or get ill during a run/bike, first responders are going to need to know whom to contact RIGHT THEN. Do not expect them to locate and scroll through your cell phone immediately for your ICE, although that is a good idea too. Having it right there on your shoe is a great thing. These are cheap lifesavers. Get one.

Doo rag. This is actually a specialized headband that wicks sweat off your forehead. Didn't use to need it as I avoided running in the heat. Now, it's a lifesaver. I wear it around my head like the original Karate Kid. Makes me look like a biker chick at the post race snack table. Also helps hide helmet hair, somewhat.

Reflective vest. I have to run in the dark sometimes, and that's the way life with jobs goes. But I am not going to be stupid about it. I wear a lightweight reflective vest (hint: the sizes run large, buy smaller), carry a flashlight, and also have a hat with a flashing light attached. I look like R2D2, okay, but I'm visible. Hint two: run on the side of the street FACING traffic. I know you know that, but I really mean it. That way you see the cars coming and can go into defensive mode, and they can see you more clearly. Keep your head up and be on the lookout at all times when running (hello, racer from last Saturday--looking at the ground doesn't make you go faster).

That's the general smorgasboard of my running stuff. Go assist the economy and buy some!

This morning was a moderately paced 3 mile run to set my base speed for longer run. I didn't run fast (race pace or interval pace), but I didn't poke along (heart rate monitor pace) either. My average pace for the 3 miles was 11.05 minutes per mile, which is right between my pokey long run pace (about 12:15) and my short run race pace (about 10:15). Tonight I have a 2 hour bike, but the weather is looking iffy, so it may get moved indoors, and trust me, no way I am riding an indoor bike for 2 hours.