The 6 Running Essentials You Need, According To Our Role Mothers
What makes a good run a really great run? Getting in the zone. We asked our Role Mothers (you may remember we intro’d them in this post and this post) to reveal the running essentials that help them get there, the most overlooked and underrated gear that help them hit the pavement, the trail, or the track and push through the miles. Check out their must-haves and start making your list.
Ashley, the beginner
I would have never guessed as a beginner runner that SOCKS would play such a crucial role, especially in classifying a “good” run! If someone had told me in my pre-running days that I would spend over $5 per PAIR of socks or even think that socks were crucial for success I would have said you have lost your marbles, but now, I have seen the light.
Pre-running, socks were either brightly colored or white, with the occasional pattern (I know, I live life dangerously). There were only one size, one height and not a whole lot of variety. Now, socks have become an obsession. I have a few go-to pairs that I treat like gold. They even get washed in a bag so that the dryer doesn’t eat one. My husband pokes fun at me when I choose to wear a pair of dirty socks a second day over picking a pair of non-running socks, but in life there are only certain mistakes you will continue to make and socks are no longer one of them for me. From moisture-wicking to tabs to prevent blisters, socks are HUGE in helping me feel great and push to go the extra mile(s).
Socks: the unsung heroes of all running-shoe selfies
Birthdays, holidays, exchanges… everyone laughs but the only thing on my list is a good pair of running socks. (We recommend Balega socks: The fit and blister-free comfort let you put your best foot forward on every run!)
Melissa, the marathoner
When I started running roughly 15 years ago, my must-have piece of running gear was having music in my ears. So when Apple released their first generation iPod in 2001, I spent hours “loading” all my CDs on it, and I was ready to hit the roads with my jams. Fast forward to 2003, when I traded in running with my iPod to running with my iPhone. And now, I simply cannot imagine hitting the pavement without my phone. Sure, there are many reasons to leave that annoying ball & chain to the outside world at home, and instead try to enjoy a more “Zen-like” run, but for me, having my phone with me when I run is vital for many reasons.
First, safety, for you and others. Ladies, please take as many precautions as you can while running alone, including having your phone with you. Your phone can help when you’re getting lost, and it has the ability to be “pinged” and find your location if you’re ever incapacitated. It can also be someone else’s lifeline. Runners are often the eyes and ears of their surrounding community, a sort of neighborhood watch program if you will. We see things daily that others may not ever notice, so when something doesn’t “look” right, I am always grateful I have my phone and can call for help just in case.
Secondly, I tend to do some of my best thinking (and writing,) have some of my most positive self-talk and a-ha moments, and experience some of my best personal epiphanies while running. So it’s not uncommon for me just stop in my tracks, open up my iPhone notes, and quickly jot down what’s stirring my head. It’s also fun to go back and read them! Third, running selfies and spectacular sunrises just begging to be photographed. That is all I need to say about that!
A handful of selfies, courtesy of my trusty iPhone
Finally, podcasts, music, and audio books. Some runs, especially anything over 10 miles, I just could never finish without a constant distraction blaring in my ears, whether it be tunes, literature, or the chatty voices of AMR’s SBS, Dimity, and the other new podcast co-hosts. (I am loving Molly and Adrienne!) Luckily, there is an endless variety of comfortable athletic iPhone holders now on the market, so I never feel physically annoyed by having to carry it, or deal with it bouncing around in a pocket. Now, it just feels as normal and necessary as my running hat. (Also a MUST for me, as I am in the Sunshine State, where hats are practically mandatory!)
Tania, the sputterer
I wish when I started running, someone told me the importance of good running underwear! I learned really quick that cotton is rotten. Not only did my “regular” underwear move around and ride up, it would sometimes cause chafing, especially on a longer run. And I had panty lines. No bueno. Ladies, we need breathable fabrics!
Now I run in materials like nylon and spandex. I’m a fan of the boy short, and I definitely need seamless. However, underwear is not a one-style-fits-all, so I suggest trying different options to see what fabrics, fit, support, and cut work for you. Sometimes trial and error is best, but you may just hit the jackpot with your first try. And if you like to run commando like some of my friends, more power to you! May the underwear odds be ever in your favor.
Did you really think I’d show you my underwear? But seriously, the good stuff’s under there at the Avengers 10K.
Pam, the grandmother
As a AMR grandma with Lupus and fibromyalgia, there are a lot of things I need to have a good run. I need comfy supportive shoes, clothes that don’t chafe, proper nutrition, and my medications. Luckily I’m not on any real heavy duty meds, but they do cause me to have a pretty chronic dry mouth. So the most essential thing I need on my runs is hydration and my hard candies, usually peppermint or my new favorite, clove.
The glove-compartment stash
The hydration is pretty much a no brainer: Nuun, of course. But the hard candies are a newer addition that I discovered during half-marathon training last year. I had popped one in my mouth while driving to the park for a training run. (I keep a stash in my car for when I pick up the grandsons from school.) I realized that I didn’t have the almost painful dry mouth that usually starts just minutes after I start running. Now before every run I make sure and pop a Nuun tablet in my bottle, a hard candy in my mouth, and stash a few candies in the pocket of my hand-held hydration pack and I’m good to go!
Nicole, the regular runner
If we’re talking about running essentials, then I must bring up the one thing that—besides running shoes—has (surprisingly) taken on a big role in my morning miles routine. It’s my running pouch thingy. Clearly that’s not its technical name, but it’s what I’ve settled on in my years-long effort to avoid calling it by its allegedly more common name. You know…starts with an F, ends with a K.
Oh. Wait.
It’s fanny pack, people. Slow your roll.
This nomenclature issue recently came to a head when my dear friend Karen who, after I posted this picture on Instagram of the old thingy meeting the new one, came right out with the bitter truth. “That right there is a fanny pack,” she wrote in a comment. “False!” I wanted to say, as I clutched my imaginary pearls. “This is my special running pouch, madam, where I keep very important things that are all integral parts of my running system.” I’m talking:
–My house key, necessary because I’d be locked out otherwise
–My iPhone, crucial for listening to podcasts and those mile/pace prompts from the dulcet-voiced woman living inside (yes.)
–My trusty running app my headphones, all the better to hear the above pods and mile markers
What’s good for The Rock is good enough for me
Without my pouch I’d be—what?—carrying these things in my hands? Wedged in the back of my running tights? Exactly. Now you see what I already know: this is one super vital, kanga-like accessory. And given its importance, I think it might finally be time to let its rightful name settle on my mind like morning dew.
So…allow me to introduce you to one of the VIPs on my team. Friends, meet (dramatic pause) My Fanny Pack. It’s real, and it is spectacular. (And, for the record: The new term is “waistpack,” and we’re transitioning Nicole over to this nifty one from our friends at FuelBelt.)
OLD (r) has been riding with me for well over a decade. NEW (l) is still getting broken in
Sarah, the Triathlete
For those of you who were in the AMR Stride Through the Holidays Facebook group (miss you guys!), you may remember me posting a picture of my “crazy pants”—a pair of boldly striped blue-and-green running tights I wore to a particularly tough 5:45 am track workout. The post launched a flurry of enthusiasm among the group with Mother Runners all around the country stepping out of their basic black running gear and into tights covered in snazzy stripes, neon colors, zig-zags, polka dots, even majestic unicorns and photos of Hans Solo and Chewy (I’m looking at you, Jennifer Margnelli). My running group even planned a “crazy pants” day at our weekly track session (see below). Seems like you ladies love the crazy pants (or “fancy” pants as they later become known in the group). And so do I.
The photo that set off a flurry of excitement
In fact, patterned tights (And capris. And shorts.) have become a staple in my workout wardrobe. And they’re definitely essential when I’m facing a menacing workout. Mile repeats? Treadmill tempo? A long run? Nothing me in my crazy pants can’t handle. I’m fiercer, bolder, and a more confident runner when I’ve got them on. Plus, they’re simply fun to wear. As soon as I slip them on, I’m in a better, more motivated mood, ready to tackle whatever’s heading my way. So if you’re running wardrobe is monochromatic, go ahead and infuse a little pop of crazy in it. It may be just the kick you need to get you out the door. (Speaking of patterned pants, check out the spring version of our favorite capris: Saucony Bullet. SBS saw them at a tradeshow last summer, and has been jonesing for them ever since!)
Proof of crazy-pants day at the track
#196: “Regular” Mother Runners Doing Olympic Marathon Trials, Pt. 1
Sarah and Ellison Weist co-host this first of two extra-special podcasts building excitement and anticipation for the Olympic Marathon Trials, which take place in Los Angeles on Saturday, February 13(and will be broadcast live on NBC starting at 1 p.m. EST). On each podcast, Sarah and her co-hort talk with three “everyday” mother runners who qualified for the Olympic Marathon Trials and will be running them: On this episode, it’s Becki Spellman, Shaluinn Fullove, and Cynthia Fowler. Although most runners can only dream about running 26.2 miles as fast as these gals do, Becki, Shaluinn, and Cynthia talk about experiencing the same guilt over leaving their families for runs and the importance of making a weekly plan to fit in their workouts. All three mother runners talk about their goals at the Trials and about the effort they’ve put in to get to the starting line. Inspiration and advice abound!
Another Mother Runner thanks the women’s running apparel company Oiselle for connect them with these amazing women: All of them are part of Oiselle’s Haute Voleé team.
*Here are links to the three books Ellison (a.k.a. The Book Bully) recommends in this episode:
My Name is Lucy Barton: A Novel by Elizabeth Strout
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
Crooked Heart: A Novel by Lissa Evans
*Please download the free app for the podcast network Another Mother Runner is now proud to be a part of: acast. Then, when you listen via the acast app, you can share a “moment” from the show via social media or email. Simply click on the little arrow coming out of the square below the podcast as it’s playing, then choose Moment. You’ll then have a shareable link to send to friends or into the worldwide web!
Heart Rate Training: My First + Second Pace Test
The only picture I took the night of the test. It was either too dark or I was breathing too hard to shoot another one. Note the goose poop all over the track: nice touch.
Before I started heart rate training, I took a pace test to see where I was. I repeated the same test almost two months to the day. So a warning: this is going to be a geeky, numbers-centric post.
As always, I write my numbers with a big fat caveat: this is where all of me—fitness level, my genes and physiology, athletic experience—puts me today. It may be faster or slower than you, and my pace, like your pace, is nothing but a reflection of how our bodies work at this moment.
The tests are in two parts: a tempo-ish run, followed by 800’s. On my first test, I was by myself on a Sunday morning, and I knew exactly what I needed to do. On my second test, I was with a small group on a Wednesday evening, and the test was revealed on a need-to-know basis. The second test turned out to be similar, but not the same, as the first round.
The details:
Test in November: Part 1: Go 15 minutes at the fastest pace you can sustain.
Average paces: Mile 1: 8:12; Mile (almost) 2: 8:23. I ran 1.86 miles
How I felt: I liked being on the track on a Sunday morning when the sky was blue. I don’t remember much about the running.
Test in January, Part 1: Go 20 minutes at the fastest pace you can sustain.
Average paces: Mile 1: 8:05; Mile 2: 8:09; last bit: 7:55. I ran 2.47 miles.
How I felt: Pretty light and springy in the leg department. I felt like I was cruising. Working hard, but not crazy hard. We were commanded to pick up the pace with five minutes and two minutes left to go. (I did! Evidence? See: 7:55 average.) When I ended, I immediately placed my hands on my knees in the I-might-vomit-or-pass-out, dramatic way runners do, feeling like I had given it everything.
That said, I do think, with an additional sprinkle of mental toughness, I could’ve sustained that pace for another 2ish laps, which would’ve brought a blazing-for-me 5K.
Test in November, Part 2: Do 6 x 800 with 2 minutes rest in between each interval.
My times: 3:53, 3:48; 3:47; 3:54; 3:52; 3:55.
How I felt: Psyched when I had two 800s that registered in 3:4x And I remember running in different directions on the track with each 800, mixing it up, hoping the wind, which seemed to be blowing in random directions, would help. My left hip and glute were obnoxiously loud, and my right foot wasn’t immune to complaining either.
I was also being giddy about the prospect of a new training cycle with its main idea being, I rarely, if ever, have to run this hard.
Test in January, Part 2: Do 6 x 800 with 1 minute in between each interval, then take rest just 30 seconds before the last 800. (The last interval is called “The Hammer.” Yeesh.)
My times: 3:55, 3:52; 3:57; 3:57, 3:56; 4:03.
How I felt: The first 800 was awful: legs were just screaming and it was getting darker out. My mood was following suit. I couldn’t believe I was going to willingly do five more of these. I thought about doing three, then calling it good. When I pressed the lap button and saw a 3:55, I was bummed. Even though I had not checked my 800 times from November before I hit the track—it was on my list, but I was busy getting the boy to his first band practice—I had in my head that I was going to run 3:42’s. Why? No idea. But that was what I was going to do.
Demoralized for no real reason except for uncooperative-seeming legs and no mental grasp on reality, I lost a little umph as I went into the next 800. I couldn’t see anything, it was cold, I didn’t bring a headlamp or gloves, I leaked a little in my capris. Poor me. So I went into my survival running mentality: One thing at a time. One straight, one curve, one straight, one curve, one straight, one curve, one straight, one curve. Done. And legs didn’t feel as bad that time.
One minute off.
Do it again. Wow: nothing really hurts, except for, you know, my legs and my lungs. No lower back ache, no left hip muscles seizing up, and my foot feels like I’m strolling around Costco, not running 800s at a high school track littered with goose poop on a cold, dark Wednesday night.
One straight, one curve. Fire off a snot rocket. Done. Another minute off.
And so on until the hammer lap. Thirty seconds between two 800s is brutal; it’s even worse than just, truly, finally falling asleep and then hearing your kid cry. Still, I did try to run my fastest. I hit a 6:30 pace in there, which feels badass just typing that. During the 800, though? I had no feeling except this: For the love of all that is good in the world, just let me get to that last curve.
Verdict: Despite my not seeing an 800 in the 3:4x range this round, it’s clear heart rate training is definitely working. The January test was harder with less rest, and I was clearly stronger in Part I and held my own in Part II.
I can’t explain them well, but I can say, when she analyzes them and I pretend like I understand, they’re definitely pointing towards a wide, expanding cardiovascular base, perfect for the Superior 50K . And as I pointed out in my previous post, Heart Rate Training is essentially an exercise in patience. It’s been eight weeks, with a week of mostly holiday sloth thrown in.
The best part? I’ve made these gains by running slow. I’ve got a weekly run where I do a 20-second pick-up every mile and on the long runs, I’ve recently added in a handful of four-minute surges, but other than that, it’s pretty much been bobbling along at <140.
Plus, testing, by definition, will always be hard. There are different kinds of hard, though.
November’s test for me was physically harder but mentally easier. January’s test? The opposite; physically easier but mentally harder. I’ll be dialing it up again in about two months, and if nothing else, I’ll be waiting to see how the physical/mental balance shakes out that round. (But I’m perfectly fine waiting for two more months. Totally, perfectly fine.)
Katie, making the geese fly, a run we did together a few weeks ago. Maybe they were headed to the track to poop. (Nice synergy, right?)
My next (way more fun) test? Pacing my ultra friend Katie in the Rocky Raccoon 100 miler this weekend. I’ll be accompanying her on the fourth of her five, twenty-mile laps.
I’ll have a (less geeky) report next week: Stay tuned!