Necessary Accessories for a Long Run

I'm not gonna lie, it was kind of nice having the manfriend gone. I could have whatever I wanted for dinner, sleep in the middle of the bed, watch a girly movie, be gone for hours at a time doing whatever random errands I chose, etc. But, I am looking forward to having him back.


A few important things were accomplished this weekend.

1. knocked out a 15 mile training run (1/2 of it was on hills) in 20 degree weather
2. took a 10 min ice cold path after said run (holy bejesus it was cold)
3. swam laps (hello, sprint tri, I will not drown!)
4. experimented with homemade cinnamon toast crunch
5. bought a pair of skinny jeans at Saint Vincent dePaul (2nd hand store) for $5
6. spent about 2 hrs doing cleaning and laundry

I thought it would be fun to share with you the necessary accessories I've been using on my long runs. Saturday was one of our coldest days here in Eugene, OR. It was 18 degrees when I was getting ready to leave the house!

I made the decision to run yesterday instead of risking precipitation this morning. It was nice to have it out of the way. Plus, I could meet up with the runners for our usual Sunday run and coffee afterward.

The gear includes: Smartwool socks (best ever), fruit punch Gatorade (yum), old pair of Brooks Adrenaline (don't want to mud up my newer ones on the trails), Nathan handheld water bottle (love the zipper pouch), Smartwool hat (do you see a trend?), strawberry Clif Shot Bloks, Nike running gloves (could have used mittens this weekend), Native sunglasses (feel like I'm not wearing anything) and the ipod (to forget about the misery I'm putting myself through).

*It should be noted that I forgot to add my Garmin to the photo. Whoops! It definitely plays a vital role in my training!

**If you represent one of the companies above, I'm looking for some items to add to a swag bag giveaway to readers! Email me at laurenjpeters at gmail dot com if you'd like to contribute.

One of the interesting things I realized this weekend is that I freak myself out over these solo trail runs even though I've done these distances time and time again for marathon training. Throw in some hills and dirt and all of a sudden it feels like a new ball game! But ultimately, I shouldn't over think these runs because a positive attitude goes a long way.

What running accessories are most important or helpful to you? My Garmin and the Shot Bloks are the two that play the most crucial role on my long runs.

Are you usually excited for your long runs/tough workouts or nervous/terrified?
Even though I know I can accomplish them, I'm almost always nervous.

Comments

Nice work on the long run - that's cold! I was hoping to run outdoors this weekend, but my limit is 15F and it was around 6F with a windchill so I hit the dreadmill instead...

My long run musts are my garmin, iPod, vanilla gu, and fruit punch gatorade (also my fave!). And I do get nervous for long runs. You never know when you will have a not so great run, so I always worrry that today is going to be that day when I head out for a long run...
Heather @ Dietitian on the Run said…
Fun little gal-weekend you had, huh? :) Cute pics! Way to knock down the 15 miles with a good attitude, those aren't easy to conjure up on cold days!

My necessities: GARMIN, Camelbak with Accelerade + water, iPod & hat or sunglasses. D-on-the-bike is a luxury, but one that I prefer to not go without when the distance is 15+ ;)
Emily said…
15 miles in 20 degrees followed by an ICE bath?! I'm shivering just thinking about it.
Amber said…
I haven't done a long run in SO LONG. The longest I've ran since the marathon is 7.5 miles!! I need to start getting my long runs up there again though as I'm doing a half-marathon on May 1! Eeei :S
Michelle said…
How did the cinnamon toast crunch turn out? I've been eyeing the same recipe. I went through a major cinnamon toast crunch phase when I was a sophomore in college.
Anonymous said…
I love seeing pictures of everything we runners take with us on long runs. My essentials are the same: my garmin and shot bloks! And water, but I don't usually carry it with me.
Emily -YEAH, it was cold. Took my breath away. The only thing saving me was itunes and a steaming hot cup of cocoa!

Michelle-the recipe was so so. Not very sweet at all. I made it the first round w/ half garbanzo and half buckwheat and it wouldn't come off the parchment. THe second round I used all garbanzo flour and buttered the parchment and it sort of came off, but not super impressed with it. But I also don't have a lot of patience for those kinds of things. :)
Aron said…
Garmin and Gu are definitely on the top of my list for long runs!
Gracie said…
No matter how many long runs I do or how many marathons I run, twenty miles always freaks me out. TWENTY. Geez. I rarely ever drive that far! I just can't get over it.
Lindsey said…
Nice work getting in 15 miles of hills in the cold! And nice job swimming too. It's motivating to hear about other people swimming. It helps me get off my butt and get to the pool!

I love everything Smartwool! I need to try shot blocks. I made homemade "marathon chunks" to take with me on my long runs but I don't really like them. I'm not too experienced with long runs so far, but I need water and my Garmin with me for sure. I have been nervous before all my long runs but also excited.

Popular Posts