This marathon training thing is really official now, long runs are in the double-digits from here on out! I did 10 miles this weekend all by my lonesome since my running buds were either biking 150 miles or at the beach. I woke up feeling a little under the weather, but figured the run would cure what ailed me. It was probably one of my slowest ten milers ever, but I gave myself some slack since it was hot and I wasn’t feeling in tip-top shape. It was hard to stay motivated and keep running, but made sure to take a lot of walk breaks. I was so glad to have it done and have the rest of the weekend free.

I thought I’d share some of my favorite long-run essentials and love to hear what you take on your long runs!

First up, the Bondi Band and dorky sunglasses. I’ve had this Bondi Band since my first marathon three years ago and its the only thing that actually stays on my head and doesn’t move. The sunglasses, I picked up at an expo and these too stay on my head. While they are not stylish, they keep the sun out of my eyes and are pretty light weight.

Next is my beloved Garmin. If you have bony wrists like I do and dislike the feel of the rubber strap, wear a sweatband on your wrist. It keeps the Garmin secure and doesn’t hurt my wrist. I also carry an Amphipod handheld water bottle that I can refill on the run. The shape of it allows me to carry it comfortably and the pouch is the perfect size for my keys.

Lastly, I have my iFitness belt, which is a new addition to my running gear. I picked this up at the half I ran in the spring and I must say I am in love. I usually throw my gels and my phone in here and it stays secure during the run.

I didn’t receive any compensation for this post – these are products I use and love and wanted to share. I’d love to hear your long run or exercise essentials!

This is all mish-mash bullet style because I’m a bit frazzled about putting full sentences together.

• I somehow broke two brand new contacts this a.m. and they were my last ones. Opps. Made an appointment with the eye doctor and he commented on my large pupils. I hardly ever need eye drops and I learned the drops for pupils called belladonna drops, which is Italian for beautiful lady. So, my large pupils are beautiful since I don’t need drops to enhance my eyes. : ) Also, my prescription went down so I guess all this healthy eating over the past year has helped!
• I’ve been feeling under the weather and seemed to have caught that weird summer cold. Think I’ve kicked it for good though, but I hate that I lost two good workout days because of it.
• I’ve changed my marathon training plan again. Wasn’t feeling the one from Runner’s World so I decided to go with Hal Higdon. Sixteen weeks, oh boy.
• I leave for NYC on Thursday and cannot locate my suitcase. I don’t think I moved it from my mom’s house, so I’m hoping I can find it tomorrow. Otherwise, I am checking a garbage bag.
• Somehow passed my economics class. I was so worried that I was going to fail one of my first grad school classes because the final was so entirely different than what I was expecting. Did awesome in my other class and mailed off my books for Amazon credit. Which will then be spent on my $140 accounting book.
• I am in love with overnight oats. I have no idea how I managed to live the majority of my life without eating oatmeal. Speaking of, its time to go prep tomorrow’s breakfast.

Doesn’t the start of a new season seem like a chance to start fresh? So, with the start of October and fall, I wanted to post my goals on the blog for accountability and support. I’ll post how these things are going throughout the month and post a wrap up at the end of the month.

Fitness
* Start running again – I’m running a half-marathon relay with a friend at the end of the month. We’ve already signed up, so there is no backing out.
* Work out 5 days a week. This should be easy with with running and my twice-weekly aerobics class with a local adult education program.

Food
* Try new recipes with fall foods – apples, pears, pumpkin, butternut squash.

Blog
* Update the layout and get moving on changes/ideas that I have in the pipeline.
* Post more!

Career
* Keep applying for jobs and be more proactive in follow-up. Since the G-20 was in Pittsburgh last week, things were kinda slow for a while. Things have picked up again and I am optimistic.

Fun
* Expand my social circle and don’t be afraid to put myself out there.

Well, there they are. Stay tuned. What goals do you have for October?