Guest Blogger and a Giveaway!

For any of you who have read the blog for a while, I need not introduce my friend  K-stan.  However, for the newbies, Kstan is a friend of mine that lives in Brooklyn.  We met on a cruise ship in 2006 and have been friends ever since.  What you really need to know about her, though (other than her love for roosters, her boyfriend's knack for making up the most absurd life mantras, or her crazy holy-water-throwing grandma), is that she is a phenomenal runner.  Kstan ran the NYC marathon in November in sub-3 hours.  She was the 27th woman to finish out of eleventybillion runners.   On top of it all, she is my free personal running coach and answers all 43 of my daily retarded questions with the most astounding patience.  She knows more about running than anyone I know, and I wanted to share some of her wisdom with the running readers.  So, without further ado, Kstan the Swift:

Running is my pastime and my passion. And I truly believe anyone can be a runner. So you can imagine my excitement when Stephanie started to run as well! As Steph and many other runners move beyond the 5K realm onto 10K’s and relays (and perhaps a marathon soon…I hope!), training runs inevitably get longer, with your longest run usually falling on the weekends. How should you tread into this new mileage territory? Are there things to eat or wear that make your running life easier? I think so. Here are a few of my favorites:

Eating and Drinking on the run- And no. I do not mean a burger and one hand and a beer in the other. Let’s start with hydration. As the warm weather fast approaches, it is more and more important to stay properly hydrated on runs. This means that if you are running for over 45 minutes in warm weather, it is time to strap on the energy belt. It is typically a strap that Velcros around your midsection and holds 2-4 water bottles, as well as a pouch for food, ID, cell phone, or other run essentials. It will not be your most fashionable accessory, and it does add a bit of weight to your run, however, having your water right on your hip during your summer run is a valuable resource! My favorite is the Road Runner Sport 2 Energy Speed Belt. It is the running equivalent of my huge satchel purse; I can pack everything I would ever need for a run and zoom away. If you prefer a smaller bottle, there are also hand held water bottles as well, like the Nathan Quick Draw. If you are a true outdoors person, you may own a Camelback pack, which works just as well!

Eating on the run is a bit trickier. Before I started long runs, I never had any clue that you had to take in calories during a run, what to eat, or even when to eat. A rule of thumb is if you are running over 45 minutes, then you should have some sort of energy intake, either right before you start running or 30 minutes into the run. My preferred method of energy intake: GU Gels.

If you have never used it before, Gu is a packet of instant energy that sort of tastes like frosting. If the thought of eating a frosting like substance is not appealing, you can get energy in the form of fruit snacks like Gu Chomps. And if you want to go for an even simpler option, gummy bears can help give you some much needed sugar in the middle of your run. Enjoy it! Where else can you get a free pass to consume gummy bears?! Gu gels are the most portable and best way to get your energy mid run. Just two warnings: 1. Try any sort of gel or chews on a training run before you ever use it in a race to make sure it works without causing any discomfort. 2. Stop running as you eat it, because attempting to do everything at once may result in a tumble. This may seem obvious, but this also may have happened to me. Moving on…

Running Socks – Running socks will change your life. I discovered this when I was away from home and about to go on a run, but had forgotten socks. A quick trip to the local running store and $10 later (yes, more on that in a second) saved me. When I returned from my sweaty stinky summer run (glamorous, right?), I took off my socks, and my feet were dry. Bone dry! Not a drop of sweat! I may have made everyone feel my feet because I was so excited. Yes, I know that is weird. Am I the only one who finds this exciting? Other than my weird excitment about dry feet, running socks have other benefits. They hug your foot, offering compression and arch support. Special running socks offer no movement during runs, which is another cause of foot irritation. They offer slightly more cushioning on your runs. The wicking material that keeps your feet dry also keeps them odor free, so you won't clear the room when you remove your running shoes! Alas, let's get to the one uncomfortable part of special running socks: the price. Yes, they are expensive. And yes you can go to Target and buy 5 of their socks for the price of one pair of Feetures socks (my favorites). This is certainly a valid concern, so I suggest just buying one pair to try at first, and save them for your longer runs on the weekends. This is how I started, and I became hooked. Hi, my name is Kristan and I am a running sock addict.

Body Glide- While we are on the topic of irritation, I have a true story for you. I ran my first marathon last fall and was rather perplexed to find tubs of Vasoline with popsicle sticks pocking out of it at the start. Any questions I had about why I would find this here were answered when the other runners started globbing it all over themselves. Communal Vasoline not your thing? Thank goodness for Body Glide.

While running in warm weather, you will find that some of your running attire may rub you the wrong way and cause irriatation. Remember the episodes of the Office where Any Bernard experiences some bleeding during the Dunder Miffilin Fun Run?



Yeah, you want to avoid that. In addition to respecting your personal space and your health, Body Glide helps you avoid any discomfort/chafing that may occur while running. It looks like a little stick of deodorant and it glides right on. Rub it on feet, legs, arm pits, anywhere. Don’t be shy about buying it. Irritation happens to the best of us.

Finally, the best way to learn more about running is to be open to experimenting with what works best for you on your runs, as well as not being afraid to ask questions to other more experienced runners. I am always learning from other runners around me and can assure you that no question is stupid, inappropriate, or too gross. For those of you who like to read, The Runner’s World Complete Book of Women’s Running is a great resource.

In addition I cannot go on enough about the benefits of running with others. If you are currently running solo, go to the Road Runner’s Club of America website and find a club near you. Joining a club and meeting new people can truly be a life changing experience.

Seriously good stuff!

And lucky for you, I am giving one super lucky reader a copy of The Runner's World Complete Book of Women's Running, a stick of Body Glide, and some Gu-u-u!

4 ways to enter:

1. Leave a comment with your absolutely cannot do without exercise/fitness item

2. Twitter this giveaway-o-rama.  Leave a comment that you did so

3. Blog this giveaway and link back to this post.  Leave a comment that you did so

4. Leave a question for Kstan in a separate comment.  It could be a running question, question about her marathon, how she trained, or about her love for roosters.

Giveaway deadline is Wednesday, March 10 at 5pm central.  This is my first giveaway, so if no one decides to enter, I am keeping the stuff for myself.