Running Essentials

In preparation for The Paris Marathon, I completed my first 20 mile run / hobble last Friday. It went remarkably well and now the reality is setting in that Paris is actually happening. GULP.

Friday

After my run on Friday, I needed to eat pizza and stretch immediately. So here I am, the minute after I got home, with my legs up the wall (or stove).  While I look ridiculous, stretching like this helps release toxins.  And the pizza is self explanatory!

OMG

O.M.G. It is really happening. And I cannot wait. LOOK AT THIS DREAM! My GOAL!

The following items are things that I cannot live without on my long distance training runs.

Sport Jelly Beans

Sport Beans, developed by Jelly Belly, are the perfect treat during a long run. It is like eating candy! They taste like normal jelly beans, and help sustain energy.

sport beans

The Sport Beans have electrolytes, which are important for maintaining your fluid balance. They also have vitamins B1, B2 and B3 that help burn carbohydrates and fat. They have been specially formulated to fuel and replenish the body during exercise.

FLAVA-FLAVE!

FLAVA-FLAVE! All the jelly beans are made of natural flavors and colors, sweetened with tapioca syrup and real fruit juice, and are all gluten free. HOLLA!

My stash.

My stash.

A water belt

OH MY GOD, I have become a running geek! Seriously! WHO KNEW? Every long run, I get dressed up in this get up that is so nerdy and so runner-geek, and then I put on my belt and I become STEVE URKEL! BUT…..I would not be able to do a long run without it. So it is key to my training.

Nathan

I am particularly fond of the Nathan water belt as it holds two 10 ounce flasks, and has a large pocket with a zipper closure which can hold my phone and credit card.  There is also a shock belt for gloves, and an adjustable waist that makes the belt comfortable and easy to wear.

The belt is a Limited-stretch elasticized Titanium Belt with double-adjust buckle and is extremely comfortable on the waist.

My nerd belt

Lululemon Tops

I like everything that Lululemon makes. Seriously, going into Lululemon is like walking into a candy store as I can’t control myself.

LULUI am absolutely in love with their long sleeve shirts. Just the right amount of fabric, stretch, and the perfect fit.

Warm enough on its own, or the perfect base layer for the coldest of cold days. And extremely colorful, fun, and a pop of happy on a long run.

Warm enough on its own, or the perfect base layer for the coldest of cold days. And extremely colorful and fun.

A small foamer

KEY for all athletes (can I call myself that?), a foam roller stretches  muscles and tendons through self massage.

rejuvenation

This foam roller, made from Rejuvenation, is AMAZING. Not only because of its awesome lime green color, but also because of its compact size.

essence

TRUE STORY! Me rolling (again, in the kitchen) in Natori Essence PJs.

roller

I have a love/hate relationship with the foam roller. It hurts so badly that I hate it, and I dread rolling, but it is SO good for me and the results are amazing. Sounds kind of like running in general.

Coconut Water

I am obsessed with Coconut Water. Even if I were just sitting on the couch watching TV (love doing that), I would drink coconut water.

harmless harvest

But after a long run, there is nothing more than I want than a big jug of Harmless Harvest Coconut water. The coconut water is a great source of electrolytes, which helps proper hydration and muscle contraction.

tada

Plus, it tastes delicious. And the bottle looks super cool

Levain Cookies

BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT TOOL IN MY RUNNING TRAINING is the big fat cookie at the end of the long run. And no cookie is comparable to the Levain Bakery Cookie.

 

Levain

 

I don’t just want the cookie, but I need the cookie. So, in all seriousness, the day before or day of the long run, I somehow manage to get to Levain Bakery to buy 4 of the cookies.

Box of DELICIOUSNESS.

Box of DELICIOUSNESS. If I blink, I can eat the whole cookie (or box of cookies) in one sitting.

cookie

Check out the thickness of these bad boys!

So, Par-eeh, here I come!

Paris

Have a great week! Happy March.

Anika Yael Natori, aka, The Josie Girl

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Josie Girl

8 Comments

  1. “Sport Beans” definitely does not make me think of food.. ha!

  2. Love the essentials and the pizza-stretch combo. You look ready to kick some Parisian butt!

  3. I. Am. So. Impressed. And humbled! And excited for you!!! And jotting down some notes In case I ever get off the couch… Xxx.

  4. A foam roller is cylindrical device constructed from dense foam. Originally, athletes used foam rollers to compress and massage very specific areas of muscle tension and pain. These areas, called trigger points (or more commonly known as a knot) develop over time and must be untangled to recover muscle to its original length. A muscular knot is a muscle that’s tangled-up in the fascia of our skin. Regular massage of trigger points sends signals to the brain to start a process called myofascial release, which frees your muscle from your surrounding fascia.;.

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