A Noteworthy Run

I had a noteworthy 16-mile training run yesterday.

When I got to the lake well before dawn, I used the portapotty, and then discovered I’d locked my key in my car. With my phone. And all my gear. It was still dark, and my car was the only one in this lot . . . except for a cop car at the far end.

I walked over to ask if the officer could call a locksmith for me, and he looked at me solemnly and said, “No.” Then his face lit up and he said he could actually help me because he recently bought a Slim Jim kit since so many people ask if he can help them get into their cars. And he hadn’t gotten to use it yet and was kind of excited to try.

As we went to my car, I wondered if maaaybe I should have pulled off the Black Lives Matter decal, but it was still pretty dark, so it went unnoticed or unmentioned. I was going to offer to get my ID from the trunk to prove it’s my car (there were a few other runners in the area), but he never asked, and I finally got to start my run. Thanks, DPD!

All of this happened, by the way, with a high surge of anxiety that wouldn’t dissipate for at least 5 miles.

I had been SO looking forward to the forecasted low 50s weather, but it ended up in the low 60s instead. I kept wondering “wtf?” as I passed so many people in sweatshirts while I was basically sweating my tits off.

The run itself was wholly unremarkable . . . except that it wasn’t nearly as torturous as I’d expected! My Vibram FiveFingers just weren’t working for me for more than about 10 miles, so my long runs in recent weeks have all been epic suffer-fests. Yesterday I had on a new pair of Asics, and I’d finally figured out how to lace them to give my toes enough space to spread and keep my heels from slipping.

There was an official half marathon happening on the trail that day, and I arrived before it began, had no trouble parking, finished after it ended, and faced no delays on my drive home. What luck!

I also packed myself an icy cold, post-run egg nog in the car. It was awesome: 10/10 recommend. (I’m so clever) I had a 90-minute massage that afternoon and felt pretty good on this morning’s 2.5-mile recovery run. Who’da thunk?

And then I realized the marathon is just over a month away, and holy crap, that’s kinda scary.

Well, I’m already chowing down on chocolate, trying to suppress the election anxiety, so let’s just roll the marathon nerves in there too. I'm sure it will all be fine.

Essential Gear Recs

When you spend so many hours moving, having the right gear matters for your comfort and performance. I'm not competitive, and comfort is VERY important. Here are some of my favorite and necessary fitness products.

Essentials

RoadID: Emergency contact and ID bracelet
I'm young, healthy, and don't have any notable medical issues that would affect acute treatment. What sold me on this was a testimonial from a woman who was at a regular old race one day when the runner beside her fell, accidentally tripping her in the process. The woman lost consciousness, but emergency personnel were immediately able to contact her family to let them know what happened. And that really could happen to anybody.

The item doesn't just have your emergency info printed on it; it also has a unique serial number on the back that will allow emergency medical professionals to access your whole health history online (that you input and update), including any medications you're taking.

I first bought the Ankle ID, thinking it would be least likely to annoy me, but I took it off when I wasn't working out and would then forget it when I needed it. At a friend's suggestion, I bought the Wrist ID Slim model to wear 24-7, and it has been perfect. The order form had one too few characters for me to put my sister's whole first name and phone number, but when I contacted customer service to suggest altering that for future customers, they went ahead and added the extra character for me!

Bonus: The Road ID app lets you notify a few contacts that you'll be going out for a walk or a bike ride and will be finished in XX minutes. If you stop moving for 5 minutes, the app sends an emergency alert to your contacts with your exact location, in case you got in an accident and are unable to contact them. It's a great design and gives me peace of mind when I'm riding my bike.

Sports bras:
Six years ago a busty runner friend introduced me to the ENELL SPORT, and I've been evangelizing ever since. Folks who wear larger than a C cup just can't wear a simply elastic sports bra, and it's virtually impossible to find actual high-impact support for running anywhere. Even the highly recommended Moving Comfort brand was a huge disappointment when I tried it on. Enell offers serious support and actually keeps everything in place. I can run in it and I can even visit the trampoline park in it. Enell products range from size 32C to 56G, and they offer custom sizing, too. Though the cost may seem steep, it's worth every penny, and busty folk aren't going to find high-impact sports bras for less.

5.65 warm, humid, sweaty, sweaty miles. #runshirtless #swelfie #runlikeagirl #everydayislegday #triathlontraining #marathontraining #ENELL #zombiesrun #vff

A photo posted by Moniqa Aylin (@fierymon) on Apr 26, 2016 at 6:24am PDT

I also recommend Shock Absorber's Ultimate Run Bra. It both encapsulates and compresses. Some people say that it's difficult to get into, but I have limited shoulder flexibility and have no problem fastening the bottom hooks in front, spinning it around to the back, sliding in my arms, and then fastening the top hook. As a short lady, I love love love that the shoulder straps are adjustable and don't slide. My one complaint is that the band runs small, and that's saying A LOT compared to how snugly the Enell band fits, so I had to add a bra hook extender to wear it.

Both these recommendations are wireless and come from a 34DDD runner. I've compiled additional sports bra recommendations from folks of all sizes in another post here.

Running shoes: Vibram FiveFingers
Minimalist running shoes aren't for everyone, but those who like them LOVE them. I started running in regular tennis shoes but got such awful blisters that I'd have to spend time taping half of each foot before every run. I also had constantly dead toenails. I received the VFFs as a gift and have since run two half marathons and a 15-mile Spartan Beast in them.

They've had some bad press lately because people are changing their stride suddenly and getting injured. If you've been landing on your forefoot for a while, you'll be fine; otherwise, very slowly integrate the VFFs into your running, 5 minutes at a time.

Not sure whether you'll like them? Run a lap on a track or down the length of your block in socks or bare feet and see what you think of that. REI and Whole Earth Provision (Texas only) have great customer service to get you fitted for the right VFFs and very generous return policies.

What are your running essentials?