I was so excited about all of the comments on my running post from Saturday that I thought I’d continue by asking for some advice. I’ve finally learned that getting advice from others is often better (or at least easier) than learning on my own. So, I’d love your thoughts on:
- Flavors of GU/energy chews.
- Favorite “power” song. You know, the one (or five) that makes you love running.
- Flavors of Gatorade.
- Favorite sports bras (and why)…I’m discovering that I don’t love any of mine.
- What watch you use, if any, and what you like about it.
- Pre-run and post-run meals.
- If you’ve run St. George, any things you wished you had done differently in your training, or things that you felt worked really well.
- Fuel belts (brands and types).
Please feel free to share as much or as little as you would like. And if you’re not a runner, but have heard anything from your friends who are, please pass those along, too. I’m determined to make this marathon training as enjoyable an experience as possible!
existential dilemmas 
and yes, body glide is a girl’s best friend.
i definitely agree with holly about drinking water with your gu. keep one flask in your belt full of water and then three with gatorade. you can even keep your watch attached to the belt so you don’t get a tan line! ha. that is me in a nutshell. i try to take gu every 5 miles. especially during a marathon … it gives me something to look forward to and makes sure i am fueling on a consistent basis.
Hi Chloe – I came upon your blog a few months ago but haven’t ever commented until now. Love your blog and your honesty! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts online.I’m not a runner (should be!) but here are some favorites from my iPod’s walking playlists: Streetcorner Symphony by Rob Thomas, Fergalicious by Fergie, I Need to Know by Marc Anthony, Jaded by Aerosmith, The Anthem by Good Charlotte, Caught Up by Usher, I Hate Myself for Loving You by Joan Jett, Sorry by Madonna, Finally by CeCe Penniston, Everybody Wants You by Billy Squier, Be My Lover by La Bouche, Battlestations, Wham Rap or Young Guns by Wham, Ohio (Come Back to Texas) by Bowling for Soup, and Love Will Never Do by Janet Jackson. Okay, so I’m a little eclectic in my musical tastes but all of those songs give me a great energy boost for lots of reasons (memories…sigh…)
Ooh, your fuel belt looks awesome. I like that it has two pockets. I love the sweatband when I wear it, especially on days like yesterday when i’m dripping sweat off my brow, my nose, my chin…pretty much every surface. I feel totally old school when I wear it, but I draw the line at a sweatband headband. That’s going just a little too far.Yes, they have Mango Gatorade, I think it’s called Mango Extremo and it is so very good. I also love the Melon flavor. I bought a pack at Costco with Melon, Strawberry and Grape. All very delicious.Thanks for posting this…I’ve gathered a lot of great info.
Hi Chloe! I found your blog and couldn’t help myself…gotta talk about some running. I like Espresso Love Gu, but I’m addicted to all things coffee. Drink plain water with gels, at least a few good sips to help your tummy absorb/digest. I also like Clif Shot Blocks. They are like large gummy cubes, not as messy as gels. After 45-60 minutes of your run, you should have something.Pre-medium to longer run, I have 1/2 english muffin or wheat toast with almond butter. Clif protein bars are awesome. I usually have 1/2 before and the rest after. A small banana is good too.I like plain jane lemon lime Gatorade.I use the Fuel Belt system, but might try something new this season.Buy some Body Glide as soon as you can. YES, it helps prevent chafing in all areas. Or you can use good ol’ vaseline. I use a Garmin 201 Forerunner when I run outside. I also have a Timex interval sport watch.Sports bras: I have one by Moving Comfort and one Glamorise, both are good. I need some serious control. :)Hope some of this helps. Good luck with your training!! I think it’s fantastic! Have you heard of USA Fit? Great training programs if you are looking for a running group with great advice and support. I’d like to do a running music post soon.
Thanks everyone so much for your comments…Julia, I love “le disko”. Shiny toy guns is a fabulous new find.And I bought a belt…I purchased it online…cheaper than in my running store, and they were out of it. I got the Nathan Speedbelt. I’m kind of excited about it…although it won’t be here until Monday.The pink Helium only comes in the two bottle model…sad.Now, for a personal thing…will body glide help with chafing from the sports bra? This is a new problem for me.
GU: try lime or triberry, espresso is really good as well.”Power” song: depends … i like running to dashboard confessional when I’m feeling contemplative, shiny toy guns “le disco” when i want to get pumped up. “they don’t want music” by BEP is really good too.Flavors of Gatorade: try the Rain flavors of Gatorade. Super fresh.Favorite sports bras: Honestly, Champion sports bras at Target are freaking awesome. Soft, supportive, and cheapish.What watch you use: My husband Jona bought me a Garmin GPS watch for graduation last year. It rocks, but around $300. I like the slim Ironman Watch for women. Pre-run meals: whole wheat bread, natural peanut butter, and jam if i’m feeling it. yes, a pbj. you get good carbs, a bit of protein, and sweetness to get it down.Post-run meals: anything you can get your hands on. protein is best.haven’t run st. george.fuel belts: fuel belt is an actual brand of hydration belts! i personally love the endurance 4-bottle belt … plenty for marathons. but it looks like they’ve got a new helium model that comes in pink! sweet.
I’m loving the advice!!!Allison – thanks for the word on the uphill. That’s all anyone has been telling me, downhill, downhill, downhill. Glad to know that’s not sound advice. Oooh, and I forgot about the jelly beans. I have tried them, but only after a 5k, not during a long run. I’ll have to try those out.Zacharia – I’ll have to try the Ryan Shupe action. I have never thought to run to their music. Oh, and thanks for the word on the type of G the SGM is using. Much better for training, so I’m used to it.Cristin – Which Jamiroquai song? Babs and Donna? Really?Anne – I’ve never thought to use a sweatband. Do you like using one, when you do? I love that you are too chicken to try GU…I think I feel the same. They have mango gatorade??? How many ounces does your belt do? I’m loving the list of songs (most of which I have now…thanks again!).It’s sounding like Cliff bars are good pre-long run.
i love the new banner — especially the purkage font ;)and no running advice… but i like the light purple gatorade.
Have you tried the sport jellie bellies? Not bad. Gus are all bad. Make sure you train uphill for St. George. Everyone says it’s all downhill, but they are lying.
I love the new Header by the way…Since I don’t run, I dance while doing the dishes and other housework to songs like Jamaroquai’s overplayed Napoleon Dynamite song and “No More Tears” by Barbara Streisand and Donna Summer. Those are good power songs if you ask me.
GU = YUM! Vanilla Bean or Banana are the best, although I like all of em (except chocolate -think chocolate frosting…)Power Song = Don’t really have one, but I love Ryan Shupe adn the Rubberband’s stuff… especially “Never Give Up”Gatorade flavors = Gatorade “Rain” – Tangerine… although I will also drink any of them, powerade too. A note: the SGM is using Gatorade Endurance formula… it’s a little less sweet and a little saltier than regular gatorade. Still yummy, but you should try it before the race to see if you like it.Sports Bra – Um….Watch – Garmin 101, or on routes where I know the mileage and the mile markers, I’ll wear my Highgear Axis altimeter watch with 100 lap memory :)Pre-run “meal” Clif bar with gatorade.Post Run meal – almost anything. I’m usually starving by then, so I’d eat almost anything you put in front of me.Fuel Belt – Amphipod 4 x 8 oz. It’s AWESOME.By the way, you should check out the forums on Runnersworld.com… I hang out in the beginners forum over there. Great place, even if you’re not a beginner. Tell them “baldmanrunning” sent you. š
I’ll be checking back for other responses because these are all things I am curious about too. In the meantime, here’s my contribution…GU = GUross in my book. But really I’ve only had one taste. I’ve been asking around and have heard Chocolate as a goodie as well as vanilla. I have those varieties but am too chicken to try them out. Someone on the chat boards recommended swishing it with water to make it go down easier.Power song: My “official” power song is B.O.B. by OutKast, but other favorites for those tough times are: Feel Alive by Benassi Bros., TwilightBack by Justin Timberlake vs. 2 Unlimited, Naxalite – Asian Dub Foundation, IntenCity – ATB, Good Luck – Basement Jaxx, Viva (Orion Mix) – Bond. I could go on and on, but I’ll stop here. Pretty much, if it’s on my “marathon machine” as I call my trusty ipod it’s a song that makes me love running.Gatorade flavors: Riptide Rush, Grape and Mango. But I will drink any flavor after a run.I bought a cheap-o Champion seamless sports bra at Target that I’m pretty pleased with. I’ll be interested to see what others recommend though.I don’t typically run with a watch, but I do have a nike sweatband watch I sometimes take along with me. It’s great as a sweatband, not so great as a watch with its black face with clear numbers. Don’t really have good pre or post-run meals, although for my long runs I eat at least half of a clif bar, either chocolate mint or peanut butter flavor, about a half hour before I run. I often crave fruit after running. You know how I feel about the fuel belt. I don’t know if I ever specifically said what brand, but it’s the fuel belt brand :)Can’t wait to see what others have to say!