North Face Stow n Go Sport Bra

My Strange Addiction

July 12, 2012 by Kristy 18 Comments

Apparently eating salt on the run is strange? This isn’t a common practice? Should I be on My Strange Addiction with people that eat couch cushion and sniff pine cleaner?

I did receive a few questions and it’s worth mentioning on the blog.

First and foremost, I sweat a lot. When people say they are dripping with sweat, I literally am. After last Saturday’s run, my shoes were soaked from all the sweat that poured off of me. I threw them directly into the washer when I got home.

I have come close…(via)

Second, I have visible salt lines on my skin after runs. If I wear a black visor, you can really see it.

Third, that horrible hungover feeling generally haunts me after long runs.

My Shot Bloks contain sodium and potassium but it’s not enough. I’ve tried Gatorade, Nuun, and salt tabs…still not enough. I’m a serious sweater.

So last summer I brought in the big guns and went straight to table salt. I was amazed at how much better I felt during and after a run. I was hooked.

To clarify, I don’t stash a salt shaker in my Stow-N-Go bra. I take a small amount of salt and put it in a baggie. Every 5 miles or more, I eat a very small amount of it (small amount as in I dip the very tip of my pinky finger into the bag and eat whatever sticks). I don’t mind the taste probably because I’m so salt-deprived.

Overall, I consume a small amount of salt. Probably on par with runners that dip boiled potatoes in salt. And I don’t use salt every time I do a long run, just on the hot and humid days.

I definitely attribute salt with getting me through Boston in one piece.

My advice would be to not jump to salt without trying other things first: Gatorade, Nuun, salt tabs, etc.

Now you know my strange addiction…

I haven’t been recapping my 50K training consistently so here’s a look at last week’s runs…

MON: 4 miles Garmin-free
TUE: 8 miles, 9:52 avg pace. Ugh, GI issues strike. Once in a blue moon my stomach revolts.
WED: 8 miles, 9:22 avg pace
THU: rest
FRI: 4 miles Garmin-free
SAT: 22 miles, 10:30 avg pace. Hot as hell.
SUN: 10 miles, 9:54 avg pace

56 miles –> a new mileage PR! Not by much though…only 1 mile.

Are you a serious sweater like me and rock the sexy salt lines post-run? To clarify, I rarely sweat outside of running. I’m more likely to be the person with a hoodie on in the summer.

Back In The Day…

July 4, 2012 by Kristy 13 Comments

Happy 4th of July!

During this morning’s super sweaty 8-miler, I was thinking about how far running gear has come since my first marathon way back in 2004.

So what has changed?

All hail to the Garmin
My first watch was a $20 Timex I bought from Target. I used to tediously map out my runs on USATF routes to see how many miles I covered. That seems like many moons ago. Mr. Garmin came into my life in December 2009 and has forever changed the way I train for a marathon.

Better fuel
I remember using GU gels to train for my first 2 marathons. I despised how they tasted. I used to eat them like I was doing a shot – get it in and get it down as fast as possible. During marathon #3, I discovered Shot Bloks and was hooked. I can’t believe how much there is to choose from these days: chomps, sport beans, energy chews, waffles…and how many different brands there are.

I also sucked down Gatorade during long runs and then just dealt with the heaviness and sloshing in my stomach. Now I use NUUN (which I originally didn’t like last summer but I gave it another try) during and after my runs to replenish electrolytes.

How am I supposed to carry all of this?
I used to safety pin GUs to my Nike Tempo shorts. That little pocket in the front is essentially worthless (even a car key will jab you in the pelvis). Running clothes have become more practical and smart over the past few years. There are more pockets to stash fuel and hidden holes to loop your earphones through.

I love Oiselle Distance shorts (just ordered their Roga shorts – can’t wait to try them out)! Lots of pockets and super comfy without the “diaper” look. I can also stash 26.2 miles worth of Shot Bloks into my North Face Stow-N-Go Bra.

Tools of torture
What foam roller? If anything was sore I would just slap some ice on it and pop some ibuprofen. Now we have the handy dandy foam roller to massage our aching muscles and help prevent injury.

Ill-fitted tanks
Thanks to my freakishly long torso, finding a tank that was long enough was impossible. I would give up looking and just run in T-shirts. Yes, T-shirts…100% cotton…in the summer. Eww. Now I’m an avid lululemon Racerback tank wearer.

It may sound like I just plugged a lot of gear. I can assure you that in no way, shape, or form am I getting paid to endorse any of these products. I simply love them and cannot believe I used to run without ‘em!

Your turn – what has rocked your running world? After everything I listed above, I would have to say the Garmin.

Random Thursday

July 6, 2011 by Kristy 7 Comments

I love these posts since, on any given day, I have a number of random running thoughts in my head. Nothing significant enough to warrant an entire post…just random musings.

Apparently, many of you wear underwear (thongs) with your running tights (if you have no idea what I’m talking about see here). I’m shocked! I’m in the minority! I still don’t think I could do it; I would be so uncomfortable. I feel like I’m left out of a secret club! Who knew?!
I finally finished Born To Run. LOVED it. I won’t do a book review or give anything away though. All I’ll say is this book should be on your must-read list. I really had no idea what it was about (and I think it’s better that way); all I knew is that everyone raved about it. Now I know why!
Many of you were interested in the North Face Stow-n-Go Sports Bra that I reviewed last week but were concerned about size. The bra is recommended for A/B cups. Amanda suggested another pocketed-bra from Gracie’s Gear. I’ve never tried them but they come in all sizes.
Please help out fellow blogger Claire win the Cheribundi Vegas Marathon Challenge. She’s currently in second place!! All you have to do is “like” the Cheribundi FB page and then “like” Claire’s picture.

What is your favorite running book? Or a running book on your must-read list? I keep hearing that Running On Empty is good.

Product Review: North Face Stow-n-Go Sports Bra

June 29, 2011 by Kristy 17 Comments

8 miles easy / 1:15 / 9:22 avg pace (done on Wednesday night)

I saw this North Face sports bra on Tina’s blog a few months ago and had to have it. This is exactly what I was looking for; the solution to my RaceReady shorts. I wrote about my love (not really love, but practicality) for RaceReady shorts a few months ago and I got some flack about it. Yes, they are ugly but they hold everything!

I tested out this bra last Friday (on a 20-miler) and buh bye RaceReady shorts! It held 4 Shot Bloks perfectly and easily could have held 2 more (the exact amount that I carry for a marathon). The pouch (not sure what else to call it) is huge and even has a separate compartment for your key.

The Shot Bloks didn’t move an inch; I hardly knew they were there.
You can’t beat the accessibility…I mean they are right there!
Did I look like I had a 3^rd boob with all those Shot Bloks stuffed down my bra? Yes. Did I care? No. I do wear RaceReady shorts in public so you know I don’t care!
Stuff gets pretty warm in that region so if you’re a fan of freezing your GUs, this may not be the best plan for you.
The bra runs small. It’s intended for A/B cups (according to the description). If I ordered online I would have gotten a small (I’m not so well-endowed). Luckily I was near a North Face store and tried on the medium and it fit perfectly; a small would have been too small.
I guess I should mention that it also does everything a sports bra should: supports, wicks, doesn’t chafe, etc.

I’m so, so happy with this bra! I can finally wear normal shorts for a marathon (Lululemon Willpower shorts, of course)!

Front view:

I cut my Shot Bloks in half so I can eat 3 of them at a time (every 4 miles). It makes them easier to carry too.

Deep pouch:

I bought this bra myself and was not asked by North Face to do a review. However, I am willing and able to accept any products in exchange for a review 🙂