by Monica on June 14, 2010
Ignorance is no longer bliss…my recently purchased Garmin watch
is my new best friend (I got the Forerunner 405 CX). This week I went from zen runner to the slightly obsessed wrist watcher. It took the urging of a new running friend (“this is a ‘need’ for you Monica, not a ‘want’ “) and a sale at REI to push me over the edge. And although this new tightly wound persona may take some adjustment for me (and my LDFs), it’s making me a more efficient runner. I thought a Garmin would force me to work harder, but it never occurred to me that it would give me a break. As an aging runner, efficient training is becoming key.
In the quaint town where I live, there is a Starbucks less than a mile walk from my house. We pass it everyday on the run as it sits in the center of all running routes. I wore my new Garmin for the first time on Sunday for a gruelingly hot, humid 20 mile long run. I had to do the whole thing in town (we usually hit the beautiful trails for these long ones, but motherhood was calling) and for various reasons, I was out on my own. I pieced together the miles of several routes, monitoring my Garmin as I ran. Then the most amazing thing happened…I hit mile 20 right at the door of Starbucks. It was then that I realized I loved that Garmin. It allowed me to stop guilt free and head in for a double iced soy latte (with the disgustingly sweaty five dollar bill in my pocket) and enjoy the walk home. My usual guesstimating of distances and pace was eliminated by my Garmin. I know I would have continued past Starbucks and run home had I not known the exact mileage.
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“Training mode” requires a restructuring of a casual life…obsession must take hold. Part of this change involves products that aid us on the journey of soreness and fatigue caused by repetitive workouts and long hours on the run. Running is a relatively low cost sport (unless you travel to races in far away places), but we love any gear that get us through the tough moments. Sometimes discovering such things as ‘freezing your Gatorade the night before a long run on a hot day’ can be a revelation. But more often, it’s the discovery of ’a running bra that doesn’t chafe’ or ‘a recovery drink that you can no longer live without’ that brings momentary bliss. My children refer to these as “mom’s new running thing” when they discover them on a counter or in my running cubby. Training for the San Francisco marathon has begun and although some of these items have been resurrected (partially tested from another training session), these are my favorites of the moment (we are affiliates for some of the products listed below, however, we only recommend products that we personally use and enjoy):
1) KT tape : I have been using this on my foot and knee as I got back into training. I no longer need it on my knee, but continue to use a strip of it each day on my foot. On the site it claims: Supports sore or injured muscles, joints, and tendons without restricting motion like compression bands or wraps. KT Tape is like a brace, but better, and even more comfortable to wear.
2) This Wooden Foot Massager sits under my desk and really seems to loosen my foot muscles as I wo
rk. I just slip off my shoe and roll the heck out of the inside fascia. It really feels good…I mean, hurts so good:)
3) Nuun natural hydration Gogi Berry/Green Tea tablets: I add these tablets to my 
water when working out or after a run for the vitamins and electrolytes without the calories. I like the light taste and appreciate that I can keep the tablets in my bag and just add to my bottle of water.
4) Trader Joe’s Almond Butter with Roasted Flax Seeds on crusty whole 
wheat bread, Trader Joe’s Simply the Best Trek Mix and roasted and salted almonds from Wegman’s. All becoming staples in my pre and post run meals.
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by Monica on February 7, 2010
LDF Helene and I decided testing out our new YakTrax this morning was the perfect medicine for cabin fever after a day inside (“snowmageddon”!). I even gave her the courtesy text in the evening offering up an excused absence, but she wouldn’t have it. Helene is the mother of three small (beautiful!) children under four–enough said. After figuring out where to put the car when there is only a few feet of street, we got her set in her YakTrax and off we went. We started cautiously over the icy-cold road, but became confident after the first few miles that we were not going to slip. We discussed the possibility of over estimating the effectiveness of YakTrax (Helene also happened to mentioned that I looked like a socialite in my parisian scarf…OK, I grabbed whatever looked warm in the dark!), but we had no problem increasing our speed. Although the ice on the road was chunky in some places and slick in others, we felt no sense of slipping. Not worrying about the road gave us a chance to take in the glorious quiet and picturesque scenes we passed. If you live anywhere where the snow blasted these past few days, these are worth the investment ($21.95 on Amazon for SZ sm). They make a snow, even one like the recent “snowpocalypse”, no excuse for not getting your run in…we are giving them the big thumbs up!
![Post image for No Time [for] the Present…Jamie’s gift ideas for running friends](http://www.remanents.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/img_1250179203438_321.jpg)
by Jamie on December 16, 2009
The LDFs vow to scale back, but inevitably there are holiday gifts to be given. A lofty goal; connect with the inner elf and provide a little joy to the runners in our lives without breaking the bank (an obsolete phrase!)
My suggestions:
The buzz in athletic wear this year is Lululemon, thanks to funky designs, alluring textures and their claim that everyone’s butt looks fantastic in Lululemon pants. The prices are quite steep….. there is an alternative though, the Lucy stores (and user friendly online site.) The colors are vibrant, the design, quite hip and the prices…much less expensive. What’s more, there are frequent and considerable sales.
Even back of the pack runners like me fancy our Garmin’s. The watch happily feeds my OCD/running tendencies. It’s instructive to see how far I’ve run and how fast (or most likely, slow.) It’s simple to use. After the run, I plug the watch into my computer for recharging and the Garmin provides a nifty chart detailing the workout (and a running log.) I purchased the less expensive model, the Garmin 205, on Amazon for about $100.00 dollars (no tax, free shipping.)
If the runner in your life is on the fence about a running skirt, provide the impetus they need. The skirts are quite smart and easy to find. After all, professor and running guru Rachel Toor considers the running skirt her BFF.
For those runners with aches and pains (every one of us out there?), a gift certificate to Newton Running would make our hearts glad. They are currently the “it” sneaker, as people embrace the barefoot running philosophy or seek the next big thing in running. Personally, I love my light and responsive Newton’s. I will never go back.
Consider purchasing running gloves or a hat for all of those harried moms who grab their kids’ stuff on the way out the door. They will value the silky feel and wicking properties.
And finally, as we look towards the new year, what fun Monica’s run in the stocking (a race entry) would be!
