In other news, I followed Kathy's link to one of those cool websites and calculated my RealAge. It was surprising to see my result and what things I can improve on. I highly recommend it. It does take a little longer than I expected, though, so give yourself some time to answer it as thoroughly as possible. It's worth it! (And I have always been a fan of MapMyRun.com. Did I not mention that one in my post about running routes? I don't remember. So thanks for sharing it, Kathy!)
On to some running. Are you training for a race that you haven't told us about? We'd love to hear! Congratulations to everyone who is currently training. I can't wait to hear all your results. I will be running the Helvetia Half-Marathon on June 12th with my amazing running partner. We may just achieve some new PRs for ourselves. Then we will decided whether or not to go on and do a full marathon in August or September.
Now it's time to talk gear and gadgets. Really the most important thing you wear while running is a pair of shoes, but we have talked about that before. Next, have a hat, sunglasses, and sunblock. Especially if you are running longer distances and in direct sunlight, remember that your eye and skin health can be affected.
Most people use a GPS watch when training so they can track mileage as well as their pace. My partner and I borrowed one from a friend because these generally cost over $100. They are very useful, so a serious runner/racer should invest in one.
One final piece of gear is the running skirt. Obviously this is not necessary, but it is really fun for women, in my opinion. I don't have one, but it is on my wish list. I've heard that they are just as comfortable, if not more comfortable, than running shorts. Plus, they bring a little bit of femininity back to the running world. They are pretty trendy right now and I think they are super cute. The price on these varies on the brand and store (I saw a Brooks skirt at REI for $46), but maybe I can find one on clearance like I have with all my other running clothes!
That's it for my gear suggestions for today. I will add pictures later today; I haven't figured out how to do that from the public library computer yet. Also, come back on the third Monday of the month and I will talk about gear and gadgets I do NOT recommend.
5 comments:
i haven't taken the real age test yet, but my husband just took it and he's 17.5 (really 26).
i've wondered about those water bottle belts--it makes sense to distribute the weight, but they just seem kinda...i don't know. weird, i guess. i do have a running skirt but i've never worn it.
Oh man. So much I don't know about running. Thanks Emily! Now I am off to go google "running skirts" and see one for myself. :)
Haha - I just googled "running skirts" too - I realized that one of the women who works out at Curves in the morning with me often wears one, but I didn't know that's what it was.
I'm actually debating what to wear for the Goat Mountain Gallop in two weeks. Since I'll be walking, I can get away with pants that are longer. When I "galloped" two years ago, most of the walkers were in full-length pants that day because it was actually snowing at the start line!!
I'm also agonizing over the whole water issue for the gallop. I tried out a small fanny pack with a water bottle for my 9-mile training walk on Saturday, but it seemed bulky and in the way. They will be giving out water to drink at 3 points along the route, so I'm not sure how much additional water I'll need.
And finally (sorry for the l-o-n-g comment) Emily, yes, I'm pretty sure you did post the mapmyrun.com link earlier. I'm a slow learner, and it has taken me this long just to remember to try it out! Sorry I forgot to make the link back to your earlier excellent post.
Have you ever research or tried bare foot running? It's pretty interesting.
I have some running skirts and love them- you can get cheaper ones at Target or JCP if you keep your eyes open.
And I took the Real Age test a few weeks ago (thanks to Dr. Oz) and it was kind of fun to be told I was a teenager again! :) If only I could go back with all of my current wisdom... ;)
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