October 04, 2013

Gu'd evening!

I had to turn our air conditioning back on yesterday... bummer! It's been in the 80's for the past few days, which is not nice fall weather for Michigan. I'm hoping it's a little cooler in Chicago (at least by next Sunday)!

This morning I had a six mile run at an easy pace on the schedule. I ran an out-and-back, and didn't even glance at my watch once while I was running. I just wanted to go slowly and try to enjoy the run. It was already 72 degrees, though, so it wasn't very enjoyable! But it did start to rain (just a light drizzle), which was nice.

I've been trying to figure out exactly how to carry my Gu and Shot Bloks during the marathon. For the last two marathons, I wore my hydration belt, but I really don't like wearing that (it hurts my back after a while). The Chicago Marathon has water stations just about every mile for the last 10 miles of the race, so I don't feel the need to carry any fluid. The SPI Belt is not even an option for me--that thing bounces like crazy. I bought that other belt from TJ Maxx recently, which works great if I'm just carrying my phone and a Gu or two (more than that, and it bounces a little).

So this morning, before my run, I put on a pair of running capris that have a tiny zippered pocket in back. I stuffed two Gu's and three Shot Bloks in there. Then I put on the new belt, with my phone and a Gu in the pocket. It ended up working really well! None of it bounced, and I thought I'd found a good solution.

But the capris were HOT. They weren't my beloved Under Armour Heat Gear capris; I recently bought a few other brands to try, in order to save some money on running clothes. I realized that the UA gear is well worth the extra money! I love the fabric of the Heat Gear clothes, and they really wick sweat better than any other brand. So, I was back to square one.

Anyway, I finished my run with a 10:00/mi average pace. It felt good to take it easy compared to yesterday.


This evening, after dinner, I took the boys out for ice cream at Cold Stone, but first we stopped at Dunham's to see if I could find some capris that worked for me. The UA Heat Gear capris that I had at home didn't have any pockets; I was hoping to find a pair with a pocket or two. And I was in luck!


They had these pink ones, and the same ones in a neon yellow color. I liked the yellow more, but I didn't have a shirt at home that would go with them, so I just got the pink. There is a tiny zippered pocket in the back. Just for shits and giggles, I decided to see if I could stuff FOUR Gu's in the pocket...


...and it worked! It wasn't even that hard to fit them all in. The pocket is very stretchy.


It looks a little goofy when I'm wearing them, because it sticks out in the back (from the Gu being stuffed in there), but I don't care. I jumped up and down over and over, and there was no bouncing. So, if I don't mind not carrying my phone, I won't have to wear any sort of belt during the race. If I really want to carry my phone, I can just wear the belt I got from TJ Maxx recently along with these capris. I'm going to try it all out this weekend on my runs, and see how it goes.


To add on to yesterday's story about the lotto ticket...

Today, Eli was reading his book after school, and he set aside the scratch off ticket that he was using as a bookmark. Jerry was sitting next to him, and picked up the ticket, mindlessly looking at it. Then he said to me, "Man, I SUCK at scratching off lotto tickets!" When I asked him why, he said that the one he was holding was a $5 winner. BAHAHA, that's $105 that would have been thrown in the trash if it weren't for Noah's discovery yesterday. Don't ever buy Jerry lotto tickets for a gift! ;)

13 comments:

  1. You probably don't need your phone. The race is packed with people so if you're meeting someone right after you should pre-determine a place to meet up. It'll be chaotic!

    Hopefully it cools down! I've attended both very cold and quite hot Chicago marathons.

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  2. I had to dig to find it, but on the subject of running and carrying gu, I found it. On Facebook, "Simply Sara", on Sept 21st, she has a photograph of her running gear laid out. It took her a while to find the right belt that held everything just right. You might like it, or maybe not :) I don't recall the name or model of her belt but if you ask her she'll tell you, she's very friendly and super helpful.

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  3. Looks like you're coming up with a plan!! I love those capri's, I'll have to see if I can find some. I'm stressing a little about what to wear for Chicago...cloudy with high of 66...I'm thinking I'll still wear my 5" nike compression shorts and a tank with a throwaway over top, but I'll bring several options with me! It's hard as I ran all my 16-20 mile runs in the same outfit (well, different color tanks, but same ones...Brooks mesh ones) and I know it works...so I'm nervous for the weather to be different and need to wear capri's as I've never had to wear capri's for 16-20 miles and I'm not sure they'll do as well! Of course I've run half marathons in capri's, but this is my first full. But I'd much rather the weather be cooler than warmer, so I'd rather have to guess on the outfit and have cooler weather!

    I think it's funny you hate your spi belt, I *love* mine! I carry my phone in it (with my headphones plugged in and just coming out of the zipper) along with some money and car key if I drove somewhere. Then I have the spi belt that has the fuel loops all around it, I haven't ever counted them, but probably 12 of them. I put 4 gu's in there for my 20 miler and it worked great. My spi has a tendency to move up and down a little (as in it rides up a bit), but most of the time I don't even notice I'm wearing it!

    Let me know if you do a meet up anywhere!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was trying to come up with a plan to meet up, but it was stressing me out way too much, so I think I'll just wing it :/

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  4. Have you seen the Flip Belt for runners? I recently bought one before doing my first marathon and love it. It is basically like a bondi band, but for your waist. No buckles or strap, just one continuous pocket. I had a terrible time getting normal running belts to be comfortable because they would all creep up to my natural waistline while I would prefer to keep them lower on my hips. The Flip Belt is perfect and stays in place. They are sold in various sizes so you have to measure for where you want to wear it to get the correct size.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A lot of people have suggested this, but there wasn't much time to order one and then try it out before the race. I've heard great things about it, though!

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  5. I only wear lululemon and under armour when I run... and have also tried to "broaden my horizons" and try other (cheaper) brands. But then I decide that I'm just wasting more money than saving by buying stuff I really won't wear. So, you're definitely not alone in that aspect!!

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  6. I went to TJ Maxx to get that running belt after you said you were happy with it. I found it along with $200 worth of other stuff I did not even plan on getting when I went in! :)

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  7. You might be interested...
    Facebook: FitFannyPack

    ReplyDelete
  8. You're good with a sewing machine! Put your own pocket in the back of your favourite bottoms.

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  9. I am not a runner so don't mind the question im about to ask. Why the gu? Is it possible to run a big race without it? Just wondering.

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    Replies
    1. Gu itself isn't necessary, but some sort of simple carbs are crucial for a marathon. Your body can't store enough to get through the entire race, so it's important to get some carbs while running that distance to avoid hitting "the wall"--when your legs basically can't move anymore! Gu is just a sugary gel that's easy to eat on the run, and it digests quickly.

      Delete
  10. Another idea for GU is stapling it to your pants. I tried it after my boyfriend recommended it, and it worked great. Good luck on your training this week!

    ReplyDelete

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