It's a fundamental rule of marathon training, up there with don't skip the long runs: Never wear (or eat, use, try, etc.) anything new on race day. I personally understood why as my mileage gradually increased – items that were comfortable at 10 miles suddenly gave me blisters or chafed at 17 miles. While the race itself didn't quite go how I hoped, my prep work paid off in terms of gear, hydration, and nutrition. Here is what came with me on my first 26.2 miles, and I would choose each one of them again.
THE MAIN STUFF
Brooks Sherpa Visor – I almost always run with either a hat or a visor to help protect my eyes and face. Hats definitely look cooler, but this visor keeps my head cooler in the blazing summer sun. Practicality wins the day in a marathon.
Tifosi Swank Polarized Sunglasses – Like a hat or visor, you will almost never catch me running without sunglasses, unless the rain is coming down hard enough to bead up on them and obstruct my view. Not only do they protect my eyes, but one marathon training book actually said runners should always wear sunglasses because squinting burns precious energy that should go to other muscles. This particular pair were an impulse buy for me at REI a while back, and they instantly earned cold-dead-hands status. They are so light and comfortable and never slide down my nose while I run.
Garmin Forerunner 245 – Ahhh, the merciless mistress of my fitness, my smartwatch. I have a love/hate relationship with data, as it can be informative and useful, but also distracting and constraining at the same time. Overall I do like my Forerunner 245 (I do not have the music version), even if I don't find it as intuitive as an old woman like me would want.
Lululemon Enlite Bra – Yes, these are expensive pieces of material, but if you wear sports bras while you run, you know that a comfortable and supportive bra is priceless. I do love the Dare line by Brooks as well, but when I need the best of the best, I grab my Enlite.
rabbit bunny hop top – This racerback tank ticked all the boxes for me: it's comfortable, sweat-wicking, my favorite color (teal!), and a women-owned business with a mission I am happy to support. Done.
Osprey Duro 1.5 Hydration Vest – The organizers did a great job of having Gatorade/water stations every 2-3 miles during the race, but because it was a hot day and I always struggle to stay hydrated anyway, I wanted to carry hydration with me as well. I'm very glad I did! And I have been very satisfied with this pack over the year and a half I've owned it. No leaks in the bladder whatsoever, and when the bite valve got a crack in it, I requested a new one via the Osprey web site and it arrived within a week.
Tracksmith Allston Long Shorts – Finding the right shorts was the hardest part of my pre-marathon apparel testing. I read a bunch of reviews online and tried several pairs that people just loved for their marathons, but what I quickly learned was there is no shortcut to finding what works best on your body. I would have been thrilled to wear a pair with built-in liner, but for runs this long, I need this type of "biker" style short that does not come with a lining. I don't love this look on me, but they make my thighs happy, and since I'm asking my legs to do so much work, the least I can do is let them choose the shorts.
Dear Kate Nellies – I cannot recommend Dear Kate underwear enough, for exercising or your period. They more than pay for themselves in savings on feminine products, and they are great quality so they last a very long time. And like rabbit, it's another woman-owned company that I am happy to support.
HOKA ONE ONE Arahi 5 – These are my first pair of HOKAs, and I am so impressed! (I did break them in before the marathon to make sure they would work out, obviously.) As I have learned over the years, I need alllll the cushioning and stability my poor old legs can get, and these deliver without being too heavy and brick-like. My new favorite running shoe.
Superfeet Premium Green – Not only do I need an ocean-liner of a running shoe, I'm so unstable that I reinforce them with an orthopedic insole designed to support my high arches. I don't know how I manage to walk around in my daily life without constantly falling over, but I suppose the bruises on my arms and legs from bumping into walls and furniture are testament enough to my poor balance.
Darn Tough Run Quarter Ultra-Lightweight Running Sock (Cushioned) – These socks performed really well in a Runner's World sock test, so I decided to give them a try. It was love at first run! I have since collected a few more pairs for running as well as hiking, and grabbed a couple for my husband, too.
NUTRITION
GU Energy Gels – I consumed a whopping NINE of these aptly named bad boys during the marathon: one before the race and one every 3 miles. They are packets of... well... goo that you consume with water for calories, nutrients, and in some flavors, caffeine to keep you fueled during long periods of exercise. Some of the flavors are actually quite good, and the gels work really well for me without upsetting my stomach. I prefer the taste of some of the energy gummies you can get, but thanks to my super crappy sinuses, chewing while running produces a very awkward cacophony of loud gnawing, snorting, and ragged breathing. I might have very little pride when I run, but this is one level I just won't go to. Pass the goo.
SaltStick Fastchews – When the distance is long and the sun especially hot, a runner loses a lot of salt through sweating. (After the sweat dries, I can literally scrape white crystals of salt off my body.) My coach recommended I add these to my nutrition plan, so I consumed 1-2 tabs along with my energy gel throughout the marathon. The peach flavor is super intense, but the watermelon is good.
EXTRAS
AFTERSHOX Air Open-Ear Sport Headphones – After reading about the advantages of bone conducting headphones, I grabbed a pair of these in a Black Friday sale. I am obsessed! No annoying bud in my ear or painful smooshing from a giant ear covering, these feel weightless enough that sometimes I forget that I have already put them on when I'm gathering my stuff for a run. The sound quality is perfectly fine in my opinion, and because they don't block noise, I can hear traffic and stay safer while I'm out.
EltaMD UV Sport SPF 50 – I wrote about this sunscreen in a previous post, so I won't repeat myself. Suffice it to say that I am very serious about SPF, and this is my holy grail.
Ruby's Lube Anti-Chafe Balm – I am prone to getting blisters on my feet, and as my runs get upwards of 15+ miles, some of my clothing will start to chafe. This balm is fantastic, as it not only prevents chafing but leaves my skin feeling so soft and moisturized.
UltrAspire Lumen 600 3.0 Waist Light – I bought this specifically because the marathon had a 2.8-mile tunnel that required a head or waist light, but I used it frequently when I had early morning runs on dark winter mornings. Worth the investment.
Afrin No Drip – As I mentioned in the nutrition section, my sinuses are irritatingly awful. If it were possible to remove them, I would schedule surgery ASAP. I use Afrin before any really long runs because the combination of extended exercise and outdoor allergies can be unbearable.
Custom Temporary Tattoos – After my carefully Sharpied mantra smeared all over my arm during a training run, I decided to order temporary tattoos to remind and encourage myself during the race. They worked perfectly, completely undisturbed by sweat and SPF. As they come in sets of four, maybe for a future race I'll have my husband surprise me with a short message from each of our kids.
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