Oh honey

...tramps like us, baby we were born to run.  I just realized that my passion for running hasn't received any love here in blogland.   This morning while running the Cherry Blossom 10-Miler, I realized how far I've come since 2008.  Back then, I struggled to finish 10 miles; today, I felt great!  More importantly, two weeks from tomorrow I'll be competing in my third marathon, my dream marathon, the Boston Marathon!  I cannot express how excited I am getting for race day.  In the spirit of getting amped for the race, I thought I'd share my Top 10 running related favorites for any walkers/joggers/runners and want-to-bes out there (for the record, these are my own opinions and I haven't been paid to plug any of the products mentioned below.)  

                                            

1) UnderArmour everything.  I love their Cold Gear, Heat Gear, compression shorts, you name it.  These products wick wonderfully, keep you warm/cool as well as keep your muscles in place.  Speaking of keeping things in place, their sports bras are amazing, and I should know since I've been genetically endowed in that area.  The price point is high but if you can spring for one thing here, get an Under Armour sports bra.

                                                     

2) Body Glide.  No explanation required, but very, very useful in all of those chafeable areas. 

3) A great running hat like this one.  The ideal hat will wick, have SPF built in and sit snugly on your head. 

4) Thorlos Running socks.  These are brand new to me, based on a recommendation from a friend.  The support in the heel, ball and cushion over the toes is literally the best I've found to date.  I ran 22 miles in them last Saturday and had almost no foot pain. Again, more pricey but worth every penny to not have gnarly feet.  

5) Chocolate Milk.  Michael Phelps and Rick, my marathon coach swear by it post workout.  I've found it to be a great way to hydrate after a long run, and the fact that it feels like a sweet treat doesn't hurt either.  

6) Gmap Pedometer or www.mapmyrun.com. These websites make it easy to run whenever, wherever.  Changing your route up helps keep it fresh. 

7) The Sprinter Stick by Intracell.  This is THE BEST for sore muscles.  The individual moving pieces really help the muscles loosen up.  I have yet to find this in stores, so the interweb is your best bet for this one.

8) A great playlist to listen to.  If running isn't your bag try a walk with some great tunes, you may be surprised how far your feet take you when you're singing along.

9) Garmin Forerunner 405.  There are numerous bells and whistles with this watch, including built in workouts, a heart monitor, GPS, pacing tools and a calorie counter.  I love the built in pacing tool, it pushes me really hard.  Really pricey, so make sure you love running before purchasing.

10) Born to Run by Christopher McDougall is so interesting, even for the non-runner.  It's a little bit of everything: history, anthropology, science and pop culture all rolled up into one long distance race.  I found it very inspiring.  

This is by no means a comprehensive list of everything you need to get started, but includes many of the favorites I've found in my years pounding pavement.   Whatever you do, get out there and enjoy it.