Marathon Gear and Nutrition

I wear these socks for ALL long runs. I love them! They are totally worth the money!

These are the gels I use. I have tried all different kinds but always come back to these. I use these for anything over 6 miles. Sometimes if I'm running 5 and not feeling too great I will bring one with me. I use the vanilla with 0 caffeine, this one pictured above and during the marathon I used 2 of the tangerine which have 2x the caffeine. I use all three on long runs.

I learned the accelerade trick from Heidi and a guy that works at the local running store. He encouraged me to drink this during the marathon after 10 miles. It really helps! Many beginner runners don't understand how important nutrition is DURING your runs. I know I didn't get it at first but now I know what I have to have if I want to finish strong.

This is my belt for gels. It's awesome! It will hold way more gels than i need but is so light weight that I barely know it's there. Another purchase I made because of learning from Heidi!

This is my new water bottle I bought today at REI. It will take some getting used to but many marathoners have suggested I use this. I will have to put waters out the night before a long run on my route and during the 15 miler next week i will have to make sure I've got accelerade mixed up and ready to go at a friend's house. A friend's house is a great place to have your water waiting. My friend Monica put out a little ice chest all last Summer with my water waiting. My friends rock!

This is my retired fuel belt. My hips can't handle the weight anymore.

This is my recovery drink. I have the fruit punch flavor and it actually tastes REALLY good. The accelerade is a little like drinking meat but this is refreshing and helps you recover faster. It's a MUST HAVE!

So there you have it! It took me some time to learn the tricks but that's the great thing about this being my 2nd marathon. I know a lot more than I did when I ran my first. You learn what works and what doesn't! You learn what gels your stomach can handle and which ones make you have to RUN to the bathroom!

I LOVE MY SPORT!