NYCM: My 2013 Training Favorites

I’ve run 15 miles in the past 24 hours, seen Newsies with my mom and am heading off to the Runner’s World Half

Not only am I run-happy, I’m happy-happy. As I’m packing up my entire running wardrobe (j/k, nobody has a suitcase that big) for a weekend of three races, I’m realizing that I’ve accumulated a whole bunch of running favorites this season.

Duane Reade Headphones: Sorry, non-New Yorkers for this one, but I lost a pair of nice headphones on a flight this summer, broke another set of nice ones last year, and I’ve given up on nice headphones for now. Dori told me that she gets her headphones for $10 at Bed Bath and Beyond, and I realized the next day that Duane Reade also sells cheap headphones for $5! I usually only listen with one bud in, so I don’t even really notice if the quality is that good or not. I can hear my music and hear what’s going on in the rest of the world. Win.

Lululemon Pace Setter Skirt: I bought a Lulu skirt two years ago for a half, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I’ve worn one of them for basically every half and every long run since October 2011, so I finally got a new one this weekend for the marathon, but I’m incredibly impressed with how well they hold up.

New Balance Heathered Short Sleeve: Seen above in my MCM picture. I love love love heathered tech tees. I first fell in love with them with Ali’s I <3 Sweat tees, and have been running in them since. I like the more matte look to them, and they’re a little more flattering than a tank for my thick waist.

New Balance 1400 GLOW IN THE DARK: Caps because I love them so much. I’ve been running in 1400s for a little over a year for my short and speed runs, and I am so in love with this line. I found them a really easy shoe to transition to last year because, while they are lightweight, they have a pretty standard drop (10mm), so they’re still fairly supportive. They’re considered racing flats, and I’ve raced in them up to a half-marathon distance. You could wear them for a marathon, but I probably won’t this time around. But I want to.

THIS PAIR, THOUGH. THIS PAIR. THEY GLOW IN THE DARK. You just need to charge them under a light source (artificial light works, too) for 10 minutes, and then they glow in the dark. Not only is this really freaking cool, but it’s a good safety feature to help you be seen in the dark. These were sent to me to review, but I would absolutely throw down my own cash for them in a heartbeat.

New Balance 880v3: I’ve been wearing these since last year, too. I’ve gone through several pairs of these in the past year, and I wear these for long distances above 13.1. They’re solid neutral shoes with cushioning, and they’re fairly lightweight (8.9 ounces.) AND THIS PAIR IS BASICALLY LILLY PULITZER MEETS NEW BALANCE. I know better than to pick running shoes based on color, but if I saw this pair on a shelf, I might have a hard time not picking based on color. These are also really easy to get used to. I wore them for my run-a-palooza day a few weeks ago for the first time, and they were totally fine. These were also sent to me to review, but I would pay for these in a heartbeat, too.

New Balance High-Visibilty Beacon Jacket: This jacket also glows in the dark! Those tiger stripes on the arms and the NB logo both glow. I’ve worn this jacket for both early-morning and evening runs since NB sent it to me…and everyone can see me coming from halfway across the park. It uses the same crazy technology as the sneakers to “charge” the glow-in-the-dark material. It’s also super lightweight, so it’s been a good weight for wearing before and after meeting up with friends, since it hasn’t been cold enough to wear it running for long (yet.) At $175, it is very pricey, but I could see it being a really good option for a relay. You would never get separated from your team. Ever.

Timex Ironman Run Trainer 2.0: Timex sent this to me about two weeks ago to review. I’m still trying to get used to it and try out as many of its features as possible, but I’m really liking it. It’s feature-rich but fairly easy to use (though the start/stop and lap functions sometimes confuse me while running) and its slightly bulkier size doesn’t really bother me. You can also wear it for swimming which just may come in handy for me in the near future. (I sort have tris on the brain?) I’ll do a full review once I get to really put it through the paces with three races this weekend.

What are your marathon training favorites?