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race ready shorts

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

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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 3rd 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 🙂

My Top Tips

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6/15/11

8 miles easy / 1:12 / 9:00 avg pace

Last night I was scrolling through my list of blog topics (I keep a list on my BlackBerry), trying to decide what to write about.  “My Top Tips” seemed intriguing (to me, at least).  These are marathon/half marathon training tips that I swear by.  My intention is to list the less obvious stuff; maybe things you don’t hear all the time.

Know The Course
The race course, that is.  Check out the elevation profile and do some research.   Ask around, check out marathonguide.com, and find out as much as you can.  But remember, hills are subjective!  Some people think rolling hills are mountains while others think a 1-mile climb is flat.  After you gather your information, train for the worst case scenario.  I’ve gotten burned in the past (“it’s a flat course, no major hills”).  Riiiiight.  I learned my lesson last May.  Now, if I know there’s one small hill, I’ll incorporate hill work just to be on the safe side.

Delete Your Garmin History Pre-Race
Of course, you’ll charge your Garmin obsessively before the race but it’s also important to delete the history so you avoid getting that nasty warning message during a race.  Upload all of your data to your computer and then delete the history on the watch itself.  I’ve never gotten the “memory full” warning during a race but it did happen on a 20-miler once.

How Am I Going To Carry All Of That?
GUs, ShotBloks, oh my.  Add an iPod or water bottle to the mix and suddenly you’ve got a lot to carry.  There are a lot of options out there – fuel belt, SPIbelt, race ready shorts (you know you want them!) – but, as with everything, you need to find what works best for you.  Experiment on long runs and take note of any bouncing, moving around, chafing/irritation, and bruising (yup, some are brutal).  Make sure you test it on a 20 mile run too.  Some things don’t rear their ugly head until the later miles.

Foam Roller + Ice = Your New Best Friends
This is more of an obvious one.  If anything hurts, foam roll it and ice it.  And be consistent – repeat a few times a day.  This could prevent that “twinge” or “tweak” from becoming an injury.  A little time spent with your new BFs can save you lots of time later on in training.  Runner’s World has some great videos on how to use a foam roller.

Refuel After Hard Efforts
Your body will thank you the next day.  Trust me.  A hard effort is a long run, a tempo run, a speed workout, etc.  It’s important to refuel within 30 minutes post-run with a 3:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio food/drink.  Chocolate milk fits the bill and who doesn’t love an excuse to drink more chocolate milk?

What training/race day tips do you swear by?

Random Thursday

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I’ll stop posting about the NJ Marathon eventually…I promise.  Think you have it bad?  Imagine being Matt!  He really can’t wait until it’s over.

Today’s random things are certain race day traditions/superstitions/routines that I MUST do.

  • I have to wear my Race Ready shorts.  I’m a Nike tempo shorts girl 99% of the time but I need lots of pockets come marathon day.  These shorts are NOT for the fashion-conscious; they are pretty hideous but extremely practical.  They store my iPod and Shot Bloks nicely.  I wish Race Ready would come up with a better design.  Or…Nike could design tempo shorts with lots of pockets.  Also, pockets in the back stuffed with Shot Bloks = big butt.  Did I sell these shorts yet?  😉
Hot, right? Mine are this short too. But my only other option were the longer ones and they are even more unflattering. Imagine that?
  • I need to pee at least 5 times before the race begins.  I have no idea where the number 5 came from I think it just became a habit/routine.  I’ve used a porta potty before and then immediately got back in line to pee again.

source

  • I eat Shot Bloks every 4 miles.  So that’s 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, and 24 during a marathon.  These numbers are embedded in my head.  Remember the “numbers” from the TV show LOST?  That’s how I am….neurotic.
Hurley, I can sympathize...

source

  • I wear my “special” socks and foolishly think they bring me good luck.
Check out this short video.  It’s a tour of Nike’s World Headquarters.  Can I get a job there and hang out with Kara all day?  Maybe I can pitch them my idea about pocketed-tempo shorts?

Please share some of your race day traditions/superstitions/routines so I can feel somewhat normal!