Marathon Essentials

Today at work I had a near panic attack when I realized that the marathon is quickly approaching. The best way to calm my nerves is to start checking things off my list so at least I can put all those worries aside. Therefore, tonight as soon as I walked through the door I packed all my race day essentials in one bag so they are easy to access and nothing gets lost.

It’s amazing how much lighter my shoulders and entire body feel now that my bag is packed. I truly feel ready to go! There are no last minute errands I have to run as I have everything I need to rock out 26.2 miles with my race day ladies, Kristin and Meghan!

Race Day Essentials

Since I only trust marathon Sunday with my favorite running gear, I figured I share exactly what gear will carry me across 26.2 miles from top left, clockwise:

  1. CamelBak HydroBak (similar but not exact)
  2. Lululemon Swiftly Tech long sleeve t-shirt already printed from last year’s marathon (FYI, last year I was sponsored by Choose Cherries but love the shirt so much that I figured this would
  3. Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves in neon pink
  4. Lululemon Free to Be Bra
  5. Garmin 405 and charger
  6. iPod shuffle
  7. Glide
  8. CW-X Compression shorts
  9. Sparkly Skirt in neon pink
  10. 3 packs of GU and 2 packs of Shotblocks
  11. Asics sweat band
  12. Brooks Adrenaline 13
  13. Sparkly Soul headband in ice pink
  14. Socks

What piece of gear do you rely on come race day?

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Pre-Marathon Whirlwind

 

The last 18 hours have been a pre-marathon whirlwind with one of my favorite friends, Leslie!

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This morning, we woke up at bright and early for a relaxing pre-marathon yoga class at Lululemon Union Square. The class was small due to it’s early time but this meant we each received plenty of 1:1 from Sarah, this morning’s instructor. The class was the most relaxing yoga class ever filled with lots of hip openers, bends, and block assists.

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We had one thing on our mind after yoga- the expo! We wanted to beat the crowds and have plenty of time to explore the expo. This was my first ING NYC Marathon expo experience and I didn’t know what to expect regarding crowds and attendance.

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The expo opened up five minutes after we arrived the line moved very quickly. The volunteers and NYRR did a wonderful job managing the crowds and moving people through the stations quickly.

Due to the size of the marathon, runners have to go through 3 different stations: registration card verification, bib pickup, and DTag scanning.

 IMG_6783There was a bump along the way due to my driver’s license having a different last name than my marathon entry. Darn wedding! I DEFINITELY need to get my name change done IMMEDIATELY!  

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It’s official! Within a few minutes, we were checked in and ready to check out all the booths. My favorite part of expos is trying and tasting new products.

IMG_6792After a few minutes experiencing The Stick, Leslie convinced me that the stroke is a necessity for any distance. I love that it is easy to use and more portable than a foam roller. IMG_6790IMG_6791

We practiced our balancing with the Power Balance team. IMG_0188

WHAT IS POWER BALANCE?

Power Balance is Performance Technology designed to work with your body’s natural energy field. Founded by athletes, Power Balance is a favorite among elite athletes for whom balance, strength and flexibility are important.

•HOW DOES THE HOLOGRAM WORK?

Power Balance is based on the idea of optimizing the body’s natural energy flow, similar to concepts behind many Eastern philosophies. The hologram in Power Balance is designed to resonate with and respond to the natural energy field of the body.

We may, or may not have invested in a bracelet for tomorrow. 😉 Leslie has seen them at every expo and at this point in the game the marathon is 100% mental. One piece of jewelry, placebo or not, can’t do any harm. Have you ever tried this or something like this?

There were some water and fuel stops along our Expo course, just like tomorrow’s marathon!

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The Odwalla Pumpkin Protein was absolutely delicious. While I don’t normally drink Odwalla it was exactly what we were craving. We forgot to eat breakfast this morning between the yoga and marathon excitement so these samples were definitely enjoyed!

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The new oatmeal raisin Powerbar protein bites were delicious! Can I please have a bag of these tomorrow after the race? 🙂

IMG_6794We both enjoyed a cup of the new grape Gatorade product and some sparkling water. The strawberry kiwi reminded us of summer!IMG_6788

In between fuel stops, we stopped for some fun poses and pictures. Expos are so much fun when you experience them with a friend!

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We also gained some inspiration through the posters, t-shirts, and signs!

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What’s your inspiration? Tomorrow I’m going to focus on all the inspiration I’ve gained from readers comments, friends and family, other runners, and especially my mom and dad’s daily cards. They can’t be in NYC for the race but they mailed daily cards with different inspirational comments and thoughts. Most of all, I know that I’m running tomorrow’s marathon for myself and no one else. My goal, as many people have asked, is to finish and thoroughly enjoy myself and the experience!

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After a few more purchases and pictures, we headed back towards Eataly to meet Bo and his mother, who is in town this weekend for a friend’s birthday. Paragon Sports was kind enough to provide free transportation back to their Union Square store which was right where we were heading.

Within minutes of leaving the expo, we finally had the fresh juice we’d been craving all morning, compliments of Equinox.

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Unfortunately, we weren’t able to enjoy lunch at Eataly with Bo and his mom due to the crowds and lack of table space. After a busy morning, we were hungry and ready to get some R&R!

We decided to walk back towards home and find a simple sandwich shop instead. We’re both hesitant to introduce any new foods or heavy meals before tomorrow’s marathon. Press was a perfect alternative!

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After choosing your dough, they press it into a warm flat bread and fill it with your choice of fresh vegetables, proteins, and sauces.

I filled my whole wheat wrap to the brim with fresh, crunchy vegetables, barbeque chicken, and barbeque sauce!

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IMG_6816We enjoyed this delicious lunch with our feet propped up back at home before diving through our marathon bags and finishing up some last minute chores like ironing my name on my Lululemon shirt.

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Ironing letters on a shirt, especially a Lululemon shirt, is harder than it sounds. This process took FOUR attempts to get right!

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Now that this bib is in my hand, I feel like the dream is finally coming true! IMG_6820

I am in Green Wave 3 – Corral 60  – Number 153 – all that together means my bib is #60153 if you are planning on tracking me. If you want to track runners ahead of time, it costs $2.99 unfortunately, but you can track up to 3!

In addition, there is free tracking starting tomorrow at 7am at www.ingnycmarathon.org.

If you’re out cheering tomorrow and see a gal run by in this outfit, please say hello!

IMG_6833This is my first marathon so I have no idea what to expect of my body. But, I know that any happy screams or cheers along the way will be very WELCOME! 🙂 In addition, if you’re running tomorrow and hanging out on Staten Island feel free to say hi. We can stay warm together. 🙂

Here goes nothing….

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Who Was Your First Celebrity Crush?

I apologize for my lack of post yesterday. I was in Cincinnati on business travel and didn’t get back to my hotel room until 8pm to begin completing my REGULAR work. I had the opportunity to spend an entire day brainstorming with some wonderful people within my company but it was definitely work that falls under the extracurricular area. Do you have the opportunity to work on any extracurricular projects in your current job?

I walked in the door a few minutes ago after a long day at the office. I flew back this morning on the 6:30am flight from Cincinnati in hopes of being at my desk by 10am. FAIL.

Obama’s visit to NYC meant that the road were already shutdown and traffic was backed up all the way to Queens. It took an hour and 15 minutes to reach the office from LaGuardia. Oh well. Luckily I was sitting comfortably in a black car reading my latest novel, Something Borrowed.   This happens to be the same movie that is being filmed in my neighborhood! I saw Kate Hudson the other day in my building and then found out via some research and googling that she is the star. A perfect fit!

Today’s food was all over the place but overall enjoyable. Starbuck’s Perfect Oatmeal has become my go-to breakfast when I’m in an airport as it’s easy, safe, and very portable.

I enjoyed this with only a quarter of the fixins and a venti iced unsweetened Green tea. Absolutely delicious!

The rest of today’s eats included the usual Toasties salad and dinner was some delicious brown rice sushi while finishing work. I think i’ve finally found my favorite “whole in the wall” sushi place as the fish was fresh, the brown rice was in perfect proportion, and they included plenty of ginger. Tonight I enjoyed 3/4 of a Rainbow Brown Rice roll and an eel roll. Scrumptious!

Now, it’s time for Three Questions Thursday ala Iowa Girl!

1. Do you believe in ghosts? Believe it or not I really do. I think that spirits can stay behind. But I really don’t spend much time thinking about them.

2. Who was your first celebrity crush? Patrick Swayze, Dirty Dancing, black jeans, and a tree across the stream. Need I say more? 🙂

3. What’s your biggest pet peeve? People who aren’t hard workers. My parents raised both my brother and I with a very strong work ethic.

How about you? What are your answers?

Okay, it’s time for bed as I have 6 miles on the docket before a long day of meetings. Do you have anything fun planned this weekend? I have a Soul Cycle spin class Saturday morning compliments of the fabulous Fit Chick In The City, a playground build up in Harlem with the NY Junior League, a long run of at least 10 miles, and hopefully dinner with some friends.

Happy Friday!

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