Training Supplement – December 1, 2018

It’s been a while since I compiled one of these “training supplements” – the last one was back in October before I started tapering for the 2018 New York City Marathon.  I enjoyed some spectacular views of Washington, D.C. landmarks before winter arrived.

Clothing & Gear

Tights. Saucony Bullet Capri. Last winter, I said good-bye to my blue pair of these capris.  I’d worn them so much that the fabric was beginning to pill.  I bought another pair, in red this time, because I really like the deep thigh pockets. They’re roomy enough to fit my Samsung S8 on one side and whatever else I want to carry in the other.  I put my house key in the zippered rear pocket.

Gloves. SmartWool Cozy Glove. My hands get very cold in the winter.  On many runs, I wear both gloves and mittens!  I thought these gloves might be thick enough to wear alone.  So far, in temperatures just above freezing, they’ve been great.  They’re made of breathable Merino Wool, too, so my hands haven’t been sweaty.

Belts. Amphipod AirFlow Micro-Stretch Plus Belt. I received this belt in a Runner’s World Box a few months ago.  I already had the Amphipod AirFlow Lite Waistpack [Review] but the pocket for this model is mesh, which makes it very light.  It’s very wide and stretchable, so I wore it to carry my smartphone on a run.  It’s very roomy – I had no trouble fitting my Samsung S8.

Shoe Charms. Gone for a Run Shoe Charms. I’ve been wanting a New York City Marathon themed shoes charm for a while now.  (I purchased a “I ♥ New York” one a while ago but that branding is trademarked and no longer made by the company.)  I bought a blue and orange charm with a city skyline instead. 

RunnerBox.  This seemed like a nice assortment of gear and nutritional products.

(My Guide to Running Clothes page and my Guide to Running Gear page.)

Nutrition & Hydration

Electrolytes. Dr. Price’s Electrolyte Mix.  I got these packets in a recent RunnerBox.  I tried the raspberry flavor.  It’s more flavorful than Nuun.  And, I noticed the red color disappeared later in the day, which I thought was strange.  Each serving has 200mg of sodium and 330mg of potassium, but only trace amounts of calcium and magnesium.  Here’s how it stacks up to other products:

Routes

Sights. I had some beautiful views on my runs this fall.

Construction. 14th Street Bridge Improvements. Back in October, the National Park Service began working on the section of trail on the Washington D.C. side of the 14th Street Bridge.  One day, running into work and discovered the bridge was closed due to repair work, which meant a three mile detour to the Memorial Bridge!

Water Fountains. The water fountain in Crystal City was broken for so long that I stopped even trying it. Last week, I checked and it was working!  Meanwhile, the water fountain near National Airport was wrapped in plastic sheeting, which I interpreted to mean it would be out of commission for a while.  The fountain near Roosevelt Island is also out of service.

Media & Motivation

Music. “Tonight, Tonight!“, Smashing Pumpkins and “The Whole of the Moon,” The Waterboys.  I added these two old school alternative rock songs to my playlist for recent races, including my playlist for the 2018 New York City Marathon.

(My “Songs of the Week” playlist on Spotify.)

Podcasts.  “Episode 99: NYC Marathon Recap,” Running Rogue.  In this episode, the hosts recap the race overall and the elite runners’ performances.  My favorite part of the discussion was towards the end (30:30) when they speculate about the New York City Marathon becoming a better overall experience for runners over the Boston Marathon.  One host called it, “the pinnacle of our sport.”  I couldn’t agree more.

“Episode 651: Derek Murphy,” Diz Runs.  Reading stories about cheaters on Marathon Investigations always leaves me shaking my head.  It was interesting to hear the site’s origin story and learn more about the creator’s running life.

News. “Jeff Stein Rebounds at Marine Corps Marathon,” RunWashington.  This is my hometown marathon, so I followed it more closely than some of the other fall marathons.  During my last long run leading up to the 2018 New York City Marathon, I caught a glimpse of the front-runners after they turned onto the Spout Run Parkway at around the Mile 2.5 mark.

While I was doing site maintenance last month, I saw my About page still references running a sub-3:20 marathon as my current goal.  I thought about editing it, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to let it go.