…i have answers!
i had been asked some questions in my comments lately, so last week i asked if anyone had other questions so i could address them all on one post. a couple were addressing the same topic so i just separated them into sections. feel free to add your tips in the comments section as well as ask any more questions you might have. here you go!
marathon training essentials:
onelittletrigirl: What are the must haves for marathon training? I am on a tight budget but I know there are some things I MUST have. What would you suggest some of these things are?
i definitely think you can get by without spending too much money… my biggest expense is my shoes and going through them so quickly! once you get the basics in gear you are good to go.
gear: the right shoes are hugely important, plus some good moisture wicking socks. i am a big fan of wright socks, and i know there are lots of other brands out there. i am also a big fan of moisture wicking clothing, and think they are key on long runs, actually any run for me (cotton hurts!). i know a lot of people are big fans of the target running clothes which are very reasonable, and i always find great stuff on sale at sports authority or roadrunners.
if a garmin is out of your budget, just get a cheap watch with a stopwatch on it. when i first started running i didn’t have a garmin, so i used mapmyrun to measure my distance and a $9 stopwatch from target.
fuel is high on the list too… something to carry your fluids (see below) and whatever sort of fuel works for you (gu, beans, raisins, etc). and don’t forget bodyglide!
san francisco:
caronae: where are the best places to run in san francisco? (I’ll be visiting in a few weeks and want to do lots of running!)
my favorite run is starting at either the giants stadium or the ferry building on the embarcadero and running along the embarcadero towards the golden gate bridge. it’s pretty much the first portion of the san francisco marathon course. you run through pier 39, fisherman’s wharf and aquatic park… just be cautious if it’s later in the day on a weekend because it gets crammed with tourists! you can run all the way down to where it dead ends and the bridge will be way high above you and you can touch hoppers hands. from the ferry building this is about an 11 mile run round trip.
i also love running across the golden gate bridge and think everyone should do it at least once! there are a couple ways to get up there from near marina green/fort mason and just before you go down to hoppers hands. its a pretty big climb up but its worth it. its pretty easy to follow and people are usually really nice if you ask where to go.
golden gate park/the great highway is another hot spot for runners. i have a tendency to get lost in golden gate park and can find it a little bit confusing, but its beautiful and has a lot of cool things to look at. there are usually a lot of runners here as well and if you follow the main streets it shouldn’t be too hard to stay on track 
water:
seejessrun: you mentioned that you carry your own water. Do you use a fuel belt? Are they annoying?
Candice: Also, it may be on your blog somewhere, but what kind of bottle are you carrying?
in the past i always used my fuel belt for anything 10+ miles, and would use my handheld water bottle for between 6-10 miles. anything less than that i was fine without water.
i use the nathan speed 2 fuel belt and love it, it doesn’t bounce and isn’t annoying, but it is something strapped around your waist. i think the key for this one is that its elastic and has velcro so you can get it tight.
ever since san diego marathon though, i just haven’t wanted to wear it. i started running with my handheld only and that’s all i have used. it holds just as much water and it doesn’t bother me to have something in my hand. i have to remind myself to switch hands though because i tend to keep it on one side. i use my spibelt to carry my phone and the pouch on the water bottle to hold my gu.
protein:
runningcommentaries: You’re a vegetarian. How are you getting enough protein?
Jo Lynn: What are your sources of protein?
this was one of the main reasons i started using the daily plate and tracking my food, i didn’t think i was getting enough protein. well turns out i get PLENTY, more than 100%, usually above 150%. yesterday i ate 121 grams which is 242%! my typical main sources of protein are: milk, cereal, walnuts/almonds, cheese, egg whites, yogurt and a bar (larabar or clif nectar bar). so as you can see i am definitely not vegan
fuel:
kristen: I know you have a couple of posts dedicated to fueling, but briefly – what is your fueling strategy. Sounds like you alternate gu’s and salt tablets. Do you hydrate with only water? What kind of salt tablets do you use?
this has changed over time, but currently i am using water, salt tablets and gu only. sometimes on my weekday medium long runs i will bring nuun with me since i don’t use my salt tabs then.
i use these salt capsules. i stick them in whatever i am using that day (fuel belt, handheld, spibelt) and i can take them while running… its just like swallowing a pill.
i feel best when i am taking a gu every 4-5 miles on a long run, and i try to take a salt capsule around every hour, but not at the same time as a gu.
check out my how i fuel posts too: pre-run and during run.
dogs:
stacy: How old are your dogs? I’m thinking about taking out our little Maddie out for a run. She’s 9 months old. Did you start them off slow and take it from there?
marathonmaiden: you’ve prolly answered this before but how many miles do you dogs run a week? i’ve always been curious as to how owners increase the doggy mileage too…
i have been been having a lot of questions about running with my dogs too… what is too much? how much can they increase a week? should they eat before?
i found this great article on runnersworld which helped answer some of my questions.
i had heard you should watch their mileage increase, just like humans do, so i pay close attention to how much i am taking them in total each week, plus how far is the furthest they have run. i take them on days when i am not worried about my pace so much, so i can go slower for them. they are getting better about not pulling hard at the beginning, but they still always want to start off too fast i started them off at about 2 miles each and have gradually increased up. kylie is up to 5 as her “long run”, and emma just over 6. i have been taking them about 3 days a week and try to make one of those 2.5 miles or shorter right now.
some of the excerpts i got from the article that both helped me and help answer some of the questions above:
age:
Smith doesn’t recommend starting to run with a puppy until it is fully grown. “The age depends on the breed of the dog,” she explains. “Bigger dogs mature more slowly, some not until 10 to 14 months. While you can start working many smaller dogs at six months, I wouldn’t start a large-breed dog until a year. Bones and cartilage are not mature until then.”
increasing miles:
Start slowly, even with a young adult dog. Especially if you’ll be running on asphalt. A gradual increase in miles will toughen up your dog’s pads and make him or her less susceptible to injury. Sore pads are usually the biggest indicator that a dog has done too much too fast. Tenderness, raw spots and bleeding are reasons for your canine pal to take a few days off.
overheating:
Most importantly, you need to monitor your dog for overheating. Dogs do not sweat; they cool themselves by panting. “You definitely can kill your dog,” says Smith. “And it happens fast.” Warning signs that your dog might be in trouble include slowing down, an extremely lolling tongue, possible foaming at the mouth and glazed eyes. The dog may become weak and wobbly or even collapse.
this has happened to chris before, so we are both reallllllly careful to monitor them and make sure they aren’t overheating. i don’t take them if it’s too hot and i just bought a fold up bowl that i can attach to their leash and bring with me so they can get water during the run.If you suspect heat exhaustion, get to the closest source of water and immerse your dog. “You need to dunk them,” says Smith. “Offering them water is great but is often not enough.” If immersion isn’t possible, cool the dog’s abdomen with water.
feeding:
Smith also cautions against feeding a dog a large meal before running. “Some breeds, especially large breeds, are prone to gastric torsion,” she explains. “Filled with food and gas from digesting carbohydrates, the stomach dilates and twists back on itself. The dog can die within 12 hours.”But light snacks are okay, even good, if you’ll be running for more than an hour or two with your dog. Milkbones, granola bars and energy bars (except chocolate, which can cause heart attacks in dogs) make good munchies.
this was one thing i was really curious about. my dogs (especially emma) WANT their breakfast first thing. after reading this i am no longer feeding them until they get back, no matter how much i hear about it. i have milk bones or other snacks for them, and they need fuel on longer runs just like humans. plus then they get to refuel with their breakfast when they get home.
one important thing to remember is, like humans, every dog is different. kylie gets tired a lot faster than emma does, which is why she typically doesn’t go as far or as long. i just make sure to monitor them, to take a walk break if they need it, and to get them water or food when they need it too. i have had to stop and walk emma back home before because she was dragging and i could notice a drop in her energy and didn’t want her to push it. just make sure to pay attention because we want happy healthy safe dogs out there running with us!
tired/sleep:
gazelle: The other thing I have lately is the extreme tireds. Does that happen to you?
YES i am tired and i sleep a lot. during marathon training i require a lot of sleep and with all this morning running lately i am in bed REALLY early. i wrote a post on this when i was training for eugene also if you want to check it out.
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i think i got everyone’s questions… if i missed any please let me know and feel free to ask any others in the comments or send me an email!
i am struggling a bit this week with training, so i am not going to go into my runs on this post and will just wait until my next post to vent it out
happy thursday!
Thanks Aron- I feel a lot better now. I often read about things WAY out of my price range. But I do wear the target clothes (and like them!) and use a regular stop watch
I'll check out the wright socks; currently I wear the balega wicking socks.
Oh and Body Glide is my best friend!
Great Q and A! I used to read a blogger (he no longer blogs) who used to take his dogs on long (like 20+ milers) runs, and I've read that many large dogs, if healthy, can put in just as much running as humans. But, as you point out, you have to make the same considerations for them as you do for yourself.
thanks! it's great reading about what you do for training and water and your dogs etc. i'll be sending some good running vibes your way so you can end the week strong
Great practical info! It's always fun to compare notes with others on how to tackle the coming running-related questions. You gave me lots to think about on my run today. Thanks.
Sorry you are struggling!! Thanks for the fun answers. I am off to learn more about Salt Tablets and Nuun..
great q&a! so informative, and i always love a peak into the luxurious life of aron
i did not know about overheating the dogs! scary stuff. makes me feel a little bad for dragging my mom's little schnoodle dog on a 7-miler at times… oops!
Just remember what you told me– we all have bad weeks and they're usually before a breakthrough. So keep on keepin' on.
Great Q&As- tons of good info. I'm also all about the handheld. HATE the fuel belt.
Thanks for the great post. I recently found your blog and have enjoyed reading it.
I'm following you now on twitter too – I'm AprilBinTX. happy running!
Great questions and great answers! Thanks for the post, def answered some questions I have had but kept forgetting to put out there!
great q&a
i liked your info on running dogs. you point out a lot of essential information that some dog owners might not know. we can only take our dog out on runs of about 2 miles at a time – that's all that he can handle (he's big and black and we live at high altitude)
What great questions and answers! All of your precautions and care for your dogs is good to hear. My puppy has gotten overheated before and it's pretty terrifying, so it's good to know how you run with them so well!
this post makes me realize all the diff phases we have gone through in terms of gear/nutrition/etc
I love that Kylie and Emma are turning into quite the little runners!
Boomer almost ran himself to death a little over a week ago. I'm not lying. He had all of those (overheating) symptoms. Keith had to carry him, his eyes were glazed. Before Keith picked him up, he layed down on his side on the trail coming down from Mission Peak and when we had him stand up he was wobbly. It was really scary. Damn squirrels!!!
Great Q&A! Thanks for spilling a little.
Sorry to hear about some rough runs this week. Here's hoping for a positive turn.
Great post, and answers! I cannot wait to run in SF! Hope your runs get better for ya soon
It's always fun to compare notes, now I know that pb and js are my best friend along with the little belt
YAY!
Thanks for your answer and also providing the link. Looks like my fuling techniqu is very similar to your and it's working grat! Great questions in there.
Great post! I might switch to the salt pills you take – I started Endurolyte but they have v little sodium for some reason…
Ana-Maria
Definitely crazy to think about all the different things we've all tried in terms of fuel. Also, I can't believe I used to run all my runs in t-shirts–yikes!
Good info on doggie running. I haven't taken Zoey out for a run in awhile, her pulling was too much for me =).
What an awesome and comprehensive post! Thanks for taking the time to write all that out. It's definitely great to hear tips from such a great runner.
Great Q&A's!
Another great brand of socks is UnderArmour. I started wearing them when I bought by cycling shoes, because they had a leetle bit more of a band around the ankle to protect the ankle from rubbing on the hard shoes, and love 'em. I wear them for cycling and running!
Fab Q&A! Answers to questions I didn't even know I had.
) Hopefully I can make it to San Francisco to run some day.
Thanks for posting all that great info about running with dogs. I just cringe everytime I see someone out jogging with a young large-breed puppy.
there's so much good info in here.thanks for posting the q&a!
i love the Q&A. i'm still curious about the salt tabs, i need to look into them. do you use them to replace drinking gatorade? hmmm, less calories too i bet. thanks for all the good info!
I love this post– and i love your advice!
I'm so trying the salt capsules!
thanks for posting -= lots of protein !!
Nice Q&A; bet you've never been told that before
Thanks Aron! Wow you get a lot of protein!
Thanks so much for answering questions! Good luck with the runs this week. Sometimes you just have a bad week.
Very cool! And the stuff about running with a dog was interesting (even though I don't have a puppy to run with…yet!). That item about gastric torsion caught my eye, because it sounds like cholic, which happens to horses for generally the same reasons.
great answers!!!! i especially liked the marathon essentials– brilliant question
i don't know how you do it getting up so early all the time with so much on your plate. and what an eye opener about the amount of protein you can get as a vegetarian. i don't track it, but as a vegetarian i wonder sometimes, but i eat everything you listed, and also greek yogurt and protein-y veggie burgers– so i must be totally fine!!!!!!
Thanks for sharing all that! It was fun to read and very helpful. I love that fuel belt and water bottle. I hate the feeling of the belt so maybe a water bottle like your might be better! Hope you have a great weekend!
Lots of great questions and answers up there! That's like the marathon training basics
good stuff!!!
also – very happy to see you get enough protein (or…242% haha, whoa!). I'd say there are non-vegetarians that don't even get that much!! impressive!
For any runner who is committed to running (meaning someone who isn't just "giving it a try"), I think that a garmin is a definite investment! I'm not sure how I ran without mine.
I never knew that there is so much information about running with you dogs!
Thanks for posting this – I've been looking for some good moisture wicking socks, I have to try the wright socks
ok I feel woefully behind on posts but I'm trying! I always love learning more about training habits!
Wow, what a great and helpful post! You're awesome!
Even though I don't have dogs (YET!) that was my favorite part to read about. ♥
Wow, what a great and helpful post! You're awesome!
Even though I don't have dogs (YET!) that was my favorite part to read about. ♥