Hello hello and happy Friday! I’ve been pretty stuck in a rut of only posting my training recaps, so I thought it would be fun to pop in with a list of my top 5 marathon training essentials for this training cycle. It has been interesting and a little bit different training for my first spring marathon–less tank tops and more warm layers. Here are some of my old and new faves!
Mizuno base layer: I tend to shy away from paying full price for any of my running gear, so I snagged this base layer on sale a few months ago after seeing lots of bloggers recommend it. It is SO worth it if you live in a cold climate!! It’s super soft and incredibly warm, while still being breathable. Plus the blue and orange is really cute.
Salted Caramel GU: I’ve always been a gu skeptic, which I am now realizing had more to do with my lack of acceptable gu technique than the gu itself. Basically, you have to take it down slowly with sips of water, otherwise it feels really icky in your throat. But this salted caramel stuff is the bomb! It tastes like caramel sauce and goes down super easy. I usually do a caramel gu or two and then a peanut butter one, since the caramel has caffeine and I only need so much of that. I digest these SO much better than the shot blocks I used to use!!
Tasty Burger: This is a local Boston burger chain that I absolutely adore–I eat a burger and fries for lunch before my long runs or dinner before races, and it’s the BEST. Just the right amount of carbs and protein, it’s cheap and delish, and they have gluten free buns!! I swear this isn’t a paid endorsement, but I do think I should probably buy this shirt.
Yurbuds: I just found a pair of expensive wireless earbuds on eBay for relatively cheap (see above re: not wanting to buy things full price) and honestly don’t like them–I’ve tried every combo of earclips and tips and they fall out every time. I’m sticking with Yurbuds from here on out! They are super comfy in my small ears and if I tuck the cord into my sports bra strap I don’t even notice they’re there. Plus, they’re super cheap so if they break I just buy a new pair, no sweat!
Trail Toes: If you’ve ever gotten blisters on your toes, get this stuff immediately. It’s actually made for ultrarunners but it’s the one product that lasts for me and keeps any potential blisters at bay. If I’m good about applying before long runs. I can avoid blisters on my hot spots entirely.
What are your top marathon training essentials?
Linking up with Lacey, Meranda, and Rachel for the Friday Five 2.0.
Shorter and Faster 
I am going to have to try Yurbuds!!
They’re awesome, especially if you have small or hard to fit ears. You can get them at Target too–super convenient!
Those salted caramel Gus are so good! When I was training for a marathon (I didn’t train very long, lol) I ate those on my 14-16 milers. I also ate one in my last half and it was good. I don’t know how much it helped in the half but it was a neat thing to look forward to because it tasted good instead of crappy :).
Burgers are totally worth it after a hard run!
Haha totally agreed–might as well look forward to fueling instead of dreading it.
I have that same Mizuno top and I love it. I actually won it in a blog giveaway! It was a great score!
It is the BEST!!
Salted caramel Gu is THE only flavor that I can take all at once without gagging. All of the others, I have to take slowly. Love that stuff! I will have to check out this “trail toes” stuff ..I am always getting blisters on my little toes on long runs. Switching to Injinji socks helped but didn’t eliminate them completely, so I”ll give it a try. Thanks for the tips!
Absolutely! Thanks for stopping by–I hope using trail toes is helpful!!