Random Question of the Day: Running Accessories

Wisks

So after a failed attempt yesterday, today I am going to the NYC Marathon running expo and I am very excited to be around so many people and vendors who love to run. There will be hundreds of retailers and vendors there with everything under the sun in terms of running. My question is for long distance running, what do you think are smart running accessories to purchase? I’ve heard that any run under an hour you really don’t need to take and food or drink with you but over an hour you should be eating gels and taking water every 20 to 30 minutes. Currently I do neither of those and I fear that my long runs are suffering because of it. I use to have a water bottle belt on long runs years ago but I really don’t like the feeling of all that liquid sloshing around and the extra weight on me.
Also thinking about getting one of those rolling sticks to apply to your leg muscles after you run to stretch them out and get the lactic acid out of them. Anyone have one of those? Any other suggestions of random running accessories that really pay dividends?

Thanks!

BeautyFromPain

bump

crux

Foam roller for sure.

Running tights if you go out in the cold.

LED head torch for runs after the light fades or before the sun rises.

Garmin 305 :bigsmile:

Onthedecrease

I love my water bottle belt. It can take some getting used to though so make sure to train with it before you race!

Wisks

What in the world does "bump" mean? I see it all the time and I don't think it's a good thing.

helma123

I hate wearing a fuel belt too. I have started carrying a water bottle with me & leaving the fuel belt at home. I have a clip-on pouch for my gels that works great. I have seen water bottles with pockets & handles on them. I'm thinking of getting one of those. I really want a foam roller too.

crux

bump is when you want to follow the thread but have no time or nothing productive to say right then...

Posting anything puts that whole thread in to 'my topics' make finding it again at a later date easy.

marthafox1

BUMP - Bring Up My Post - it puts the link in 'my topics' if you have put a reply on a post and makes them easier to monitor.

I always work on the basis of re-fuelling after 60-90 minutes because glycogen stores will have generally been used up in that first hour. I know what you mean about the water bottles and I guess if you dont want to carry them either in your hand or on a waist belt then you could always buy the water bladder ruck sacks that are generally smaller and more comfortable than normal ruck sacks and easier to run with - plus it is adding a bit of resistence if you are carrying extra weight at the beginning.

I wouldn't be without my headlight or my mp3 player or my knee high support compression socks.

BerryH

You may need water before an hour is it's hot or you're working hard, but I definitely recommend gels or sports drink instead of water for anything 90m minutes or more, but not both! If the big-bottle belts don't appeal to you, you could try one with two or more smaller bottle distributed around the belt or a Camelback - a mini backpack with integrated water pouch that you sip through a straw as you run.

If you want to ditch a belt altogether for a race where water is supplied, my Ironman triathlete friend tucks a few gels into her bra strap!

Beware - foam rollers do great things for you (especially ITB syndrome) but hurt like hell if you do it right!

Perhaps invest in recovery drinks for after your race and other long runs. They do seem to help.

Headlights, reflective bands or vests and hats are al good for your winter running, and if you need to stock up on any running clothes they usually have some good offers at race expos.

BeautyFromPain

So after a failed attempt yesterday, today I am going to the NYC Marathon running expo and I am very excited to be around so many people and vendors who love to run. There will be hundreds of retailers and vendors there with everything under the sun in terms of running. My question is for long distance running, what do you think are smart running accessories to purchase? I’ve heard that any run under an hour you really don’t need to take and food or drink with you but over an hour you should be eating gels and taking water every 20 to 30 minutes. Currently I do neither of those and I fear that my long runs are suffering because of it. I use to have a water bottle belt on long runs years ago but I really don’t like the feeling of all that liquid sloshing around and the extra weight on me.
Also thinking about getting one of those rolling sticks to apply to your leg muscles after you run to stretch them out and get the lactic acid out of them. Anyone have one of those? Any other suggestions of random running accessories that really pay dividends?

Thanks!

So... I'm fairly new to running...
what are foam rollers and what gels do you eat? :S