bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens...
I'd like to tell you all about a few of my favorite things! I haven't been running long, but in the short time I've been hitting the road and trail I've found some things that I can't live without. Let me share!
FIRST: Cherry juice
I buy this kind of cherry juice concentrate. You just mix two tablespoons of it into some other beverage like water, juice, or even (my personal favorite) coconut water.
Why cherry juice? It's packed full of antioxidants.. That means it works to repair our bodies, especially those little muscle tears caused by running. I'm not a doctor and don't know exactly how it works, but I can tell you that it makes me recover much faster than I normally would from long runs.
When I get back from long runs, I mix a couple tablespoons into twelve ounces of coconut water and guzzle heartily. I swear, it'll fix all that ails ya.
(Check out here, here, and here for info about the health benefits of cherry juice.)
SECOND: My Zensah compression sleeves
Clearly, those pictured above are not mine--I have charmingly bright white ones--but they're exactly the same, and they're awesome.
From the website:
- The Calf/Shin Recovery Sleeves are made with gradient compression which provides wide ribbing in the front for shin support and tight ribbing in the back for calf support.
The sleeves are made with Zensah Fabric which has silver helping to regulate skin temperature and fight bacteria. The sleeves can be worn during training or for recovery to increase oxygen blood flow to the muscles of the lower leg. The more oxygen the muscles receive the faster they recover, allowing athletes to push the envelope in their training. The Zensah Calf/Shin sleeve is ideal for runners, cyclists and triathletes and anyone else who is on their feet. It can be worn during training, recovery or for traveling.
The Zensah Calf/Shin sleeves are unique in that they provide Pin-Point Compression to the front and back of the leg. The dual action support was developed by a professional athletic trainer.
They do everything that they say they do. On days that I run without them or fail to wear them for awhile post-run, I recover seriously slower than when I'm wearing them. I can feel them supporting my calves and shins as I run, too. I wear them on every run and after every run.
THIRD: My Gracie's Gear tank
You've seen me wearing this in some of my running photos.
Ladies, go get yourself one. It's supportive and functional. The girls stay in place, and there's a front pocket big enough for your phone or iPod. There's also a loop on the side of the tank strap to thread your headphones cord through. It's magical--such a little strip of fabric being so darned nice! Also, it's long enough to hit your waist and doesn't ride up when you run.
Get one here.
What can you not live without? What are some of your favorite things?
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I was reading your blog while I was queuing to register for Ironman Frankfurt (OMG! I'm in!). Haven't tried the sleeves, but I'm in love with the compression socks that I picked up at the IM 70.3 expo. :) Other things that I couldn't live without are Shock Absorber Level 4 sports bras (although with all of the endurance training, I might get away with Level 3 soon); coconut oil (both as a food and for lubricating arms & legs for easy wetsuit removal), and the support of all of my wonderful friends!
ReplyDeleteIs the tank supportive enough to use by itself? Haha, that's a completely foreign concept to me. I may have to invest if it is!!
ReplyDelete@K: Congrats on getting into IM Frankfurt! You're going to rock it! I haven't invested in many sports bras due to my lack of need (still have trouble filling a B cup!), but I'm definitely going to try the coconut oil when I have to break down and do the wetsuit thing!
ReplyDelete@Caroline: The tank, for me, is totally supportive enough to wear by itself! It comes up high and is well-fitted (and quite tight) around the bust. Of course, as I said to K, I barely fill a B-cup, so there's not much to hold in place! I know others with larger assets that swear by them too, though!
That tank is looking pretty sweet! I might just have to buy one. And I could never live without: my ipod. Music makes my runs so much smoother (:
ReplyDeleteI'd say by IM Frankfurt, I won't need them as much either. :P I'm totally ready to rock that race and I just found out that one of my favorite training buddies from IRL will be racing there as well...happy days!
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