New Favorites

I tried a few new things out on my run today and I officially have a few new favorites:

1. Fuel Belt: I tried out my new four bottle Endurance Fuel Belt and I was really happy with it. It stayed in place and felt really comfortable the entire way.
2. Sharkies: I finally tried these organic energy fruit chews out in Berry Blast (cherry and blackberry flavors). These actually tasted really good - kind of like a gummy candy but not as sweet, and not as salty tasting as the Sport Beans. Plus the small size was more manageable than the Clif Shot Bloks. And the best part? They are shaped like small little sharks!
3. RunningSkirts.com: I took this running skirt out for its first spin and I think this surpasses the Skirt Sports Gym Girl on the favorite list. The fit was great, and no chafing. I may look into getting one or two more these..!!
   

Banff Citizen's Race - my race packet

Last night I went out to Strides Running Store to pick up my race packet for Sunday's Banff Citizen's Race. Right now there are somewhere around 250 people registered for the event. I got my bib - number 26! That number is so low it makes me look like an elite racer...haha! The packet was really neat though - we got a little mini soap from the Rocky Mountain Soap Company, along with a coupon. We also got a pack of Sharkies and a gel pack that can be used either as a hot or cold compress, a magazine, and more coupons for other various things. Oh, and another pack of Goody Stayput elastics. I have gotten freebies of these from my last four races. Between those, and all the ones I bought I now have quite the collection. No race shirt as of yet, we get that at the information booth at the race.

Therefore....must remember - my shirt coupon (drive out to Banff, run my race, and not get a shirt...unthinkable) and money for my park entry into Banff. Need to be sure I make it into Banff!

The weather keeps flipping around for Sunday a bit, but one thing is constant - rain. Yesterday the forecast called for 46 deg with rain, heavy at times. Things have improved today though as the forecast is now 52 deg with light rain. There was a great quote in my e-mail from the Running Room today, in anticipation of the weather on Sunday:

“Conditions are never just right. People who delay action until all factors are favorable do nothing.” -William Feather

A shopping spree

Over lunch hour I went off to Mountain Equipment Co-op to pick up some goodies that I'll be needing for my long runs. When I trained for the 15K I only tried Jelly Belly Sport Beans, but this time I am keen to see what else I can work with. First up I grabbed a couple packs of Sharkies fruit chews - one in fruit splash, the other in berry blast. These seem to have more electrolytes in them than a few other products I looked at, so I'll see how they work out. I also grabbed a couple of packs of Clif Shot Blocks - one in strawberry, the other in lemon-lime. I haven't been able to track down the Cola or Margarita flavors yet, so if anyone knows where to find them in Calgary, let me know. I haven't opted to try Gu or PowerGels yet. I'm just not sure I can wrap my head around the texture... We'll see how these other products work out.

This afternoon I hit the Bow River pathway again for my 4.5 mi run. I started at Edworthy Park (around Bowness and Shagannapi), ran all the way east to the Crowchild Trail underpass, then returned back to Edworthy. It was a nice afternoon out and lots of people on the trails. My pace was super consistent the whole way through, so I was pretty happy about that. I have another 4.5 mi scheduled for Thursday. I'm not sure if I'll head back down to the trail, or if I'll tackle some hills in my neighborhood instead. Decisions, decisions...