1/2 Marathon & Marathon Training Makes You… + PLEASE Help Me w/ This Question.

In case you missed out last week, the top 3 most viewed posts were:

*Don’t forget this, my new running lessons… and this makes me really excited.

*Monday Matters + The First Day Ever + No Joke!

*Friday Favorites!!!

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Skye tried yanking out Brooke’s bow as Andrew was snapping the picture above…

Brooke has been loving the fact that she is getting better at carrying Skye around (with me right there with them:).

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Brooke told me that she wanted to paint her nails before going to church which made me realize she is pretty much a teenager now.

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Fast forward until dinner time and we went over to my sister’s house for some deliciousness.

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Trying to squeeze in as many bbqs as possible before it gets too cold!

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Knox came back and they did their normal ‘measure themselves to see who is taller after being away from each other for 48 hours.’

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And my mom had shortcake for us for dessert.

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There are a few things that marathon training makes me do and I would love to hear what race training makes you do…

*More laundry than I thought possible.

*It gets me out and exploring the cities around me more.  I feel like it is so easy with the kids and me to just stay in our little bubble at home (or at my mom’s and sister’s home;).  With marathon training I go to places that I’ve never really paid attention to before and I get to explore.  I find roads that are perfect for running and take advantage of the fact that new running routes make all of the marathon training miles so much more fun.

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*My brain is thinking so much about the number 26 (.2) because of the marathon that the other day I was convinced that there are 26 hours in the day.  Maybe I need to stop thinking about the marathon so much.

*Think of doing everything possible to help aid your recovery… sit in a tub of ice, put on huge compression recovery boots, wear OOFOS religiously, roll the heck out of your legs, bcaa’s… you name it, I want to recover FAST so I can get out there and do it again.

*Become an expert on your mental game… I swear we become SO much tougher mentally from our training.  I loved the way that Matt Fitzergerald explained physical fitness and mental fitness:

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*It makes me close my eyes during a run for a few seconds and say a little prayer that I can finish the long run/workout;)   PS I carried my phone for the entire NYC Marathon.  I wanted to take pictures and videos of the course because I couldn’t believe I was there.  I also put my fuel in a little baggy and put that in my shorts.  I didn’t listen to music the entire 26.2 miles and just soaked in the entire experience.

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*Plan your weekends all around how many miles you have to do and figure out a way to make it socially acceptable to get in bed at 7 pm on a Friday night.

*You become the neighborhood morning mascot.  I’m just out there roaming our street 6 mornings a week and I think they think I’m crazy.

*Become a math expert.  Maybe it’s just me but during a run, I become quite good at math equations (unless I’ve hit the wall… then all of my math skills go out the window).  Sometimes I think about what percentage of the run I’ve accomplished… i.e. I just hit 4.25 miles of my 8 mile run which is around 53% completion.  Or if I turn here then I will get back home with 1.3 miles left and I can go do that hill a few streets away before I finish my run.   Or if I just run this mile 7 seconds faster than the last then I will hit my goal average pace for the run.  It’s weird, but I love thinking about the numbers during a run.

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*Spend way too much money on gear and fuel and food.

*Dream about running… I have had about 10 dreams already about the St. George Marathon.

*Your family (is forced) to become experts on all things training related along with you;)  Skye is a big fan of my latest water bottle love.

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*Marathon training makes me learn a lot more about myself.  It teaches me over and over again that I’m stronger than I thought or that I have so much passion for things and will do what it takes to get there.

*Eat all day long.  This bowl of pesto tortellini came after many meals (steak and sweet potato fries for dinner) and snacks throughout the day.

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*Look a little different by the end of the run… drenched in sweat, dying from the humidity, exhausted beyond belief… yep.  From my brother:

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I have a very important question for you… I need help!  I am really not wanting to run with my phone during the marathon.  It’s large and I just don’t know if I want to have it on me (also so I can pour water all over my head without worrying about it during the race).  When Andrew rides his bike with me he has my phone and it is so nice to not have it on me while I run.  I need music (I start it about half-way in during the marathon) and I need it to have bluetooth so I can use wireless headphones.  I want to use my Garmin (for the stats and I’m just used to it) and I’m wondering if any of you know of a way to solve my problem:)  How do you listen to music during a race?

During a race—>  What do you carry with you?

What are some things that training makes you do?

Who has a September bday? 

-Knox has a bday on September 27th!

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70 comments

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If you only are looking for music – I use a bluetooth-compatible mp3 player (Stone Ages – I know) from SanDisk. Its $60, maybe cheaper on Amazon https://www.sandisk.com/home/mp3-players/clip-sport-plus. This has survived several 50 mile, 100k, 100 milers without fail, rain or shine.

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AWESOME!!! This looks perfect. So does it go in your pocket, clip on, do you feel it? It is water resistant which is necessary for me too… it looks awesome! THANK YOU LIZ!! Have a great day!

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I also have this! I love it.

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I was going to recommend the same thing! After my phone music died on me during mile 18 of the Chicago marathon last fall i swore it off as a music source. I’ve never had my MP3 player quit on me and it’s soooo light!

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My husband had the same issue and didn’t want to go running with his phone. He bought an Apple Watch and AirPods and now he can go running without his phone but still have music and a way to communicate if anything goes wrong. He loves it!

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Apple Watch was my thought too. I love mine! And they’re introducing a new one this month so older series may drop in price. But it would be another thing to wear on your arm ?

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THANK YOU GIRLS!!! I have the very first apple watch so maybe I should look into a newer one… because my first one doesn’t do the best day with the gps side of things. THANK YOU!!!

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I would be hesitant about purchasing an Apple Watch for running. Yes, you can use it for music and such BUT whenever I run with friends with Apple Watches their watches are ALWAYS very inconsistent with pace and distance … its actually really sad to see my friends get so frustrated with their watches! I would stick with Garmin if I were you! :) I believe they have a watch that you can download music to like the Apple Watch.

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Check out Koala Clip, it clips on to your sports bra on your back and it’s waterproof. Molly Huddle uses it, too. I love mine so much!

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I have thought about that… do you feel it at all?! Is it easy to get used to? THANK YOU!

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2nd the Koala Clip. Several of my friends us one and they love it. They can’t feel it at all when running. If it works for them in the hot, humid Texas summers it should work for race day.

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YES!! I feel like training for races definitely makes me better at math. I also always seem to know what any given date is on what day of the week (like oh, of course, October 13 is a Saturday) in any conversation.

As far as your music situation, though, I don’t know about that one. I never listen to music during races. Wouldn’t it be cool if they had earbuds that already had music programmed into them?! I typically don’t carry anything with me during a race, so I just let my thoughts and surroundings and all of the noise from the people cheering on the streets (if there are any) get me through, and some courses have music at certain spots, which is always fun. But I don’t consistently train with listening to music, so I guess I’m used to not having it. (Haha, sorry—I don’t feel like that was much help.)

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Okay, that would be the best solution ever. Natalie, I think you are on to something!! Good for you to go without music! I should be doing that more often!! Have a beautiful day!

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I love my koala clip! https://koalaclip.com/
I know you said you don’t want to carry your phone, but you can hardly feel it. I just put mine in a plastic bag because I am a very sweaty person. :)
September birthdays are the best! Mine is the 19th.

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GOOD TO HEAR!! Thank you Kelly… I’m glad you can hardly feel it because that has been my biggest concern. Awesome. Have an amazing birthday and please celebrate all month:)

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Great job on your training! It is going to pay off for you! I rarely carry my phone when running. I don’t listen to music much but when I do I use the smallest ipod – i think it is the nano. It is tiny and clips to your clothes.

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Thanks Jo!!! I really appreciate that! I LOVED my nano… I haven’t seen it in a year or so… maybe I need to search the house for it today:) Have an amazing day!

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Speaking of spending all the money on gear… there’s the Garmin Forerunner 645 that you can put music on and not have to carry your phone… and you can connect bluetooth headphones. So…. upgrade time !!

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YES YES YES… this is what Andrew wants me to do… it seems perfect. Have an amazing day Rae-Anne!

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I saw the Garmin 645 at a race expo and instantly wanted it!

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Music sollution- expensive, but if you look at the Garmin 645, it is available with music. I love mine. Wireless headphones + 645 = cord free, light running. Apparently it is picky about the wireless headphones that work with it. My Bose headphones work great.

Cheaper music solution: iPod nanos use bluetooth and fit into any running pocket. They are substantially smaller than your phone and water resistant.

Marathon running makes me hobble. I ran Big Cottonwood on Sat and literally had to slide down my stairs on my rear last night.

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HUGE CONGRATS to you Kathy… this is AMAZING. That course is TOUGH. I hope you are soaking in the post-race high (and that stairs become easier soon;)
YESSSS this is what Andrew wants me to do. Question… the thing that holds me back about the 645 is that spotify doesn’t work with it. What do you use to stream music through it? Good to know about the headphone portion too. I’ve been thinking about the nano too. I hope you have an amazing day!

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I wish Spotify would join a wearable market! On the 645 the only current streaming option is iheartradio. Deezer has been promised but doesn’t seem to be happening. What I’ve been doing is using the songs I own and uploading playlists. Also, podcasts. It basically functions like an old school MP3 player.

It does sync beautifully with iTunes. I was worried that the interface would be clunky, but it’s not. The menu on the watch is easy, too.

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They have! Look up “Mighty” music player. It has really mixed reviews, which is why I haven’t pulled the trigger on it yet, but I LOVE that it uses Spotify!

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I have a Mighty and I LOVE it!!! It’s not awesome with blue tooth headphones, but regular headphones work great with it. I’ve never had any issues.

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Interesting about the blue tooth headphones… I wonder if the air pods would work well with it?! THANKS everyone!

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Oh man, this may have convinced me to finally give it a whirl! Thanks for the feedback!

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I runs with all my feul in a belt and a bottle in my hand. I take Rehidrat and 32 GI endure tablets. I mix the Rehidrat in my bottle.
My husband’s birthday is tomorrow and my birthiday is the 22nd. Have a great day

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONTH to you and your husband! I hope you guys celebrate big time:) Thanks for sharing what you take on the run… it’s so interesting to learn from everyone!

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I just end up carrying my phone in my roosport. It’s not Waterproof though. You could put your phone in a ziplock bag and then in your belt to help protect it. I assume the Bluetooth function would still work, and where your air pods survived the was I wouldn’t be too worried about them getting wet with dumping water.

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HAHA I WASHED THEM AGAIN TOO… they definitely handle water. Thanks Jenny!!! I hope your day is a great one!

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I personally haven’t tried it yet, but my husband uses the Mighty. It plays your Spotify playlist without needing your phone! He loves it! https://bemighty.com/products/mighty?variant=16822777665

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Okay, this looks perfect! THANK YOU KATRINA!!

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I have a Mighty. https://bemighty.com/ It downloads your Spotify playlists and you can use it without your phone. It’s tiny, about the size of the Nano? It’s not perfect but they are improving. I don’t buy music, only Spotify, so this works for me. Five hour battery time, strong clip on the back, and works with bluetooth headphones.

I just bought a Koala Clip last week. Still getting used to it but it works great! I’ve ripped too many FlipBelts trying to get my huge phone or water bottle in and out. I haven’t mastered the getting the phone in and out while moving, but I will say it doesn’t bounce!

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THIS LOOKS PERFECT FOR ME!!! AHHH thanks Jamie. I think I’m going to try out both. THANK YOU and have a great day!

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I’m so glad you asked this question, Janae! I have a marathon coming up and am looking for a way to run without my phone, too. I haven’t done the research yet so all these comments are helping!

I just want to say that I have learned so much from you about running and training, and love to read all your running thoughts! I ran my first marathon and qualified for Boston while reading your blog and I swear part of the reason is because I borrowed your mantra “I can do hard things!” Your positive perspective has helped me on many runs and inspired me to push myself. Thank you!

And I’m looking forward to the St. George Marathon recap! You are going to get that sub-3! I am excited for you!

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KELLY!! Thank you so so much for your sweet comment… It really means a lot to me. HUGE CONGRATS on qualifying for Boston at your first marathon, you are incredible. THANK YOU and keep me updated on everything. PS what marathon?

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Thanks, Janae! I’m running Twin Cities for the second time. It’s a beautiful course! It can’t compare to St. George from all your amazing Utah photos, but it’s filled with fall colors since the course goes around the Mpls lakes, Mississippi River, and then along beautiful Summit Ave in St. Paul ending at the capitol building. I recommend it!

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Can you maybe switch to a newer Garmin or Apple Watch that allows you to put your music on that? More $$ I know but it might be worth it in the long run. I just keep my iPhone in my running belt and deal with it, but I don’t run full marathons so I can see how you may want to be free of that. I pay for Apple Music so I can create pretty much any playlist with any music I want – so I’m clearly a big supporter of the Apple products!
Training makes me way more aware of my nutrition and sleep. If I don’t eat well, I pay for it on my runs! And if I don’t get enough sleep, I feel even more crabby than usual and I usually struggle through my runs. Hard lesson to learn sometimes! But on the other hand, it gives me major endorphins – especially with the cooler weather we have right now .

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I have given up carrying my iPhone on my run by getting an Apple Watch with LTE. I gave up my Garmin and Fitbit. This may not be a great solution for you…my Apple Watch is an inferior running device to my Garmin. But I was crazy with all my devices so this works well for me.

Good luck!!

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I laughed reading the part about doing the math because I’n the same way… especially calculating how many miles I have to make up if I turn around early. Lol. Another one I noticed lately (or someone may have pointed out ?) is answering questions like “What are you doing this weekend?” or “What did you do yesterday” in numbers.. “I did 15” LOL.
Sorry I can’t help you with your dilemma b/c I don’t run with music, or my phone. For races, and training runs, I run with my Garmin 225, handheld water bottle and fuel (which I keep in my water bottle) I wish I didn’t have to even carry that, but I can’t do a belt, I’ve tried it before and I hate having anything around my waist. Someday I will come up with a way to ditch that too, but I right now it’s my only option!

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I never run with my phone, just my ipod nano in my sweet armband holder. I have bluetooth headphones, but usually use ones with a cord and tuck the rest in the armband and run them under the strap of my bra. It has never chafed and doesn’t flap around in the wind. Some of my races have poor bluetooth bc they are in the country with lots of hills.

I run with my ipod armband, handheld nathan bottle (although you dont really have to hold on to it), gel and chapstick in water bottle pouch, and a bandana wrapped around my hand to wipe away sweat. Keys are either in water bottle pouch or tied to my shoes.

There are 26 letters in the alphabet….just saying….

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Plus, my nano still has nike app, which is obsolete but it still tracks distance and pace for me!

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I’m running my first half marathon (and race ever) in a couple of weeks, and I’m planning to use my running belt with my phone for music and throw a gel in there, stop at water stations when I need. I have a garmin 235 that I use when I run to track my pace/distance, so hopefully that works okay. I have never run far without music, so I’d be too afraid to ditch my phone. Reading all of these posts is very interesting, but it makes me very nervous. Newbie alert!!

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AHHH DANIELLE!! I am so so so excited for you! This sounds like the perfect plan, you’ve got this! Seriously… please keep me updated with your training the next few weeks and how the race goes. I’m cheering you on, you are going to rock it!

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This doesn’t help for this marathon but you should look into running a rock n roll marathon and they’ve got live bands each mile playing music!
I’m glad you have good running routes around you. That is a negative about my small town. So I’ll just enjoy the courses I travel to that are scenic.

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I couldn’t swing the price of a Garmin so a few weeks ago I ordered the Amazfit Pace https://us.amazfit.com/shop/pace?variant=25112
It holds a ton of music/podcasts & uploads workouts to Strava or keeps it in its own app. GPS, blue tooth earbuds, I think it has everything you asked for. I really like it but I did find once I start the run I can’t skip a song without stopping the run & starting it over, I may be missing something but a pause button would be nice, lol. If I had a playlist I liked I wouldn’t need to skip it. I’m still learning my way around it though! I know you love your Garmin but with a coupon code I got this one for $104 ;)

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I’ve never heard of this brand but am very curious about it now. How can they sell it for so cheap? Did you do research on it, read other’s reviews or anything? What a great CHEAP alternative!!

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I saw several people recommend it on Reddit so I comparison shopped a little & the reviews were good, I’m tickled with it :)

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I have the same questions as Dana! This is CRAZY CHEAP and looks amazing! Thanks Amy, seems like a really great option!

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I guess its time to upgrade to a Garmin Music! I’d like one myself!

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The mini iPods are great, but they’re not bluetooth.

During a race, I always have my phone for emergencies and meeting up afterwards, Gu, and that’s it.

These are so true for what marathons make you do! They also force me to figure out how/when/timing on doing certain runs. And of course going to bed early so that I can get up at awful times to complete said runs ;)

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I always carry my phone with me for safety since I run alone most of the time (though if I had an iPhone I would seriously look at the new Apple Watch). I recently got a pair of Oiselle pocket jogger capris and they’re my new favorite way to carry a phone! I put my phone in a ziploc and slip it into the back zipper pocket (since I sweat a ton), and on a 14 mile run this weekend I carried all my fuel in the other pockets. Nothing bounced or moved! Debating just doing that for my marathon and carrying a handheld bottle rather than wearing my hydration vest (which is usually what I use to schlep all my fuel, phone, keys, etc.). I only listen to music using my phone, though I have a super old playlist on my old iPod shuffle that I bring out on occasion for old times’ sake :) If you don’t want to carry it though, I second all the many other votes for the Garmin 645. It’s supposed to be great!

Happy early birthday to Knox! He and I share the same birthday – I always say my birthday is at the BEST time of the year :)

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I keep my phone in my sports bra! Senita athletics has some great sports bras with phone pockets in the back. Plus if you have an iPhone 7, 8, or X then it is waterproof and you can still dump water on you.

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Oh that is a really great idea… I’m going to have to try one out. THANK YOU STEPHANIE!!

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I run with my phone in my Nathan’s hipster running belt…that you recommended! ha
And I read that part of How Bad Do You Want It 2 nights ago. It reminded me of Dwight doing the fire walk on The Office!

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My running friend wears both her Apple Watch (for music) and her Garmin (because she loves their data) for long runs/long races!

I’ve been wearing my Apple Watch for a while now only (my Garmin died a couple years ago) and have learned to love it! There are some features I miss (setting my own splits, easily switching between meters and miles for track workouts) but the ability to have a “phone” without carrying a phone has been the best!

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That’s a great idea to try both too. I am SO glad the Apple Watch is working so well for you… that is so great! Have an amazing day!

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I use my FlipBelt- put your phone in a Ziploc bag first, and then you don’t have to worry about it getting wet! I do that when it rains too :)

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Lol just re-read that and you DON’T want to run with your phone…maybe borrow someone’s Apple watch?

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Oh that’s a good idea to borrow one… I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks Amy and I hope you are having a great day!

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The apple watch! It is life changing =)

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My mom’s birthday is September 27th!

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Oh that is awesome!! Tell her happy birthday month and I love her birthday:)

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While it’s a little outdated, an iPod Nano works awesome♥️ I would steer clear of using your watch for pace & times. An iPod Nano is tiny and clips where ever you put it!!

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You’re so inspirational with your running! I have a 5K this weekend and that’s a challenge for me! I can’t even imagine a marathon.

My stepdaughter will be 7 on September 27th! I find that funny because my son’s birthday is August 15, same as Brooke’s (they are also both 6 so they were literally born the same day) :) We have 2 birthday twins!

My other half’s birthday is also September 22nd :)

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Isn’t there a running Garmin with music? I want one. I have the newest Apple Watch and it’s fantastic, but I’ve been thinking about selling it and getting a Garmin, I just don’t know which one to get.

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Where is that Lacey top or dress thing you are wearing from?

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What flavors do you like for your Bcaas linked above? Thanks :) Love love love all your training posts!

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thanks for sharing those podcasts! awesome, i have to get to them.

music solution for marathon:
can you use an ipod that can clip to your shirt? not sure if that has wireless capabilities!

but you’re not going to like my answer b/c it’s $$$ – but i use my garmin fenix 5s – it has 15 G of storage and i listen to podcasts while easy and long running. just have to switch back and forth between the music controls and the run face. there are other garmin models that hold music as well. not sure if you want to do the upgrade for the race…! i hope you figure something out.

ETA and i see you have SO many good suggestions. i am going to have to bookmark b/c i’m concerned the watch battery won’t last for a marathon and playing music/podcasts.

during a race i’ll carry fuel, metrocard, credit card, two keys (reduced key chain), and that’s it. i’ll wear my foldable hat from outdoor research – if i need to get rid of it, i can fold it easily and tuck it into my shorts.

marathon training makes me check the weather obsessively/compulsively and plan my runs around that. i take a look at my week and what i need to get done, and i skate by if i can. i.e.: if i can get up later and easy run to work i will. if there is rain in the morning, i guess i’m doing an evening run! hah. that sort of thing. for anything i have to stay on pace i try to pick a non-hilly route. my current conundrum is that today i’m off – but tomorrow i have 5 easy but we are getting all the rain from hurricane florence tomorrow. not really sure what to do here…!

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