"Favorite Things Friday" Moving to Pinterest

I decided to be all trendy and join Pinterest, so from now on you can keep up with all my favorite running gear, audio books, recipes, and more by following jblankshain here.  If you need an invite to the site, let me know!

Favorite Things Friday

Sorry I haven't posted in a while (I know you've been anxiously awaiting my return).  I'm home in Wilmette for winter break and have been away from my computer much more than usual, which has been a nice change.  I've also been away from running this past week, thanks to what is probably patellar tendonitis, which has not been so nice.  Anyway, back to it:

This Week's Favorite Thing: Nike Pro Combat Mock Turtleneck

Clearly I should be a fashion photographer

I think this is it, but it's hard to tell online.

This is my absolute favorite winter running shirt.  What I love about it:

• thumb holes
• mock turtleneck collar to keep out the wind
• extra long torso that doesn't bunch up
• soft and fleecy on the inside
• form-fitting enough to be a great base layer without being uncomfortably tight

I got the pink one for Christmas last year, and have been looking for a second one ever since.  So I was super excited when I went to our local running store, gift card in hand (thanks, Mom and Dad!), and found this hanging out on the back of the rack.

Seems to be a slightly updated version

Only one there, and it was a different color AND my size.  Score!  I also got their very last pair of size 8 Adrenaline GTS 11's at 25% off since they're now the older model.  Double score!

Disclaimer: I'm not nearly important or popular enough for Nike to send me free stuff.  I just really like this shirt.


What winter running gear keeps you warm?

Favorite Things Friday

This week's favorite thing: Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11

Adrenalines with jeans = stylin'

I tried a few different kinds of running shoes before I found these and fell in love.  I have flat feet (along with a misaligned tibia, and various other biomechanical issues, apparently) and these seem to provide just the right amount of stability and cushioning to get me through marathon training without killer shin splints.  I have three pairs at the moment, two of which are going to need to leave the rotation before too long.  Can't decide whether to stockpile the 11s or try the new 12s out this winter ...

Favorite Things Friday

This week's favorite thing: Runner's World What to Wear for Runners calculator
Last week I wrote about how much I love getting my print edition of Runner's World magazine.  This week, I'm moving on to one of my favorite features on their website.

We've been having oddly warm temperatures here in Boston, which is nice, but problematic for figuring out what to wear on my runs.  I know what to do when it's really hot or really cold, but the in between temperatures always confuse me.  So I started using the What to Wear for Runners calculator on the Runner's World website.

It's super easy to use.  Just enter the weather conditions for your run ...

... and it tells you what to wear!

At first I didn't trust it at all -- I thought I would freeze in what the calculator told me to wear.  But I went with it anyway, and I was comfortable for the whole run.  The times I've doubted it and put on extra clothes, I ended up being too warm.

You can even play with the "When I run, I like to feel:" setting to customize it a bit.  For pace runs, I like the "in-between" setting, but for slower runs I like the "warm" setting since I get cold easily and sometimes I'm out there for a really long time!

Favorite Things Friday

This week's favorite thing: Runner's World Magazine

Every time I check my mail, I'm secretly hoping that the new issue of Runner's World will be there.  I spend a lot of time on their website, too, but it's just not the same as getting the new issue in the mail.  So you can imagine how excited I was when I checked my mailbox today and found this!

So much more fun than a political science journal

Favorite Things Friday: Thanksgiving Edition

In honor of Thanksgiving, this week's favorite thing: all the people who have supported me since I became a running-obsessed crazy person

My Family:
My mom started running about the same time I did.  Since then, we've run the Race Against Hate 10K, the Hot Chocolate 15K, the North Shore Half Marathon, and the Tavern to Tavern 5K. Most of those races we ran separately (I'll be honest, she whupped me in that first 10K) but we ran the North Shore Half together, and it was probably the most fun I've ever had during a race.  She also joined me for miles 20-25 of this year's Chicago Marathon, which is the only reason I finished in under five and a half hours.  I believe our on-course conversation went something like this:
Mom: I'll give you $5 if you start running instead of walking.
Me: Do you think I'm still 10 years old?  Not worth it!
Mom: Isn't this fun?  Everyone is cheering!
Me: Where the !@#% is the next mile marker??

Looking pretty good post-15K, if I do say so myself.  Must have been the chocolate.

Mom's first (and probably only) half marathon -- she looks so happy now that it's over!

Mom pacing me through Chinatown

My sister isn't super into running, but she's always been the athletic one in the family, so she had no problem joining in for a few 5Ks.  She's started running a little more lately, and even agreed to be on my Reach the Beach relay team!  Plus she let me buy her running gear for her birthday this year, which I think I was way more excited about than she was.

Race Against Hate -- can you tell who ran the 5K instead of the 10K?

My dad thinks running when you aren't trying to catch a ball or being chased by something is just stupid, but he's supported me through all of my racing adventures anyway.  I don't have any running-related pictures of him because he's always the one taking them!  Dad came to the Chicago Marathon course to cheer for me,  pulled the car around as close to Grant Park as he could to pick me up, and then went out to buy me about 20 lbs of ice after the race.  And I can't forget all of the pre-race pasta dinners and post-race pizza and beer celebrations my parents have taken me out for!

And then there's my brother, who contributed to my marathon effort by helping me hydrate the day before the race.

He didn't even make fun of me for drinking Gu Brew instead of beer

Even my extended family has gotten in on the action, asking me about races, following me on twitter, and liking all of my running adventures on facebook.


My Local Runner Friends:

If it weren't for one of them convincing me to run the B.A.A. 5K in 2010 and another convincing me to sign up for the 2011 Disney's Princess half marathon shortly thereafter, plus inspiring me with her kick-ass marathon performances, none of this would have happened.  (You've created a monster!)  From local 5Ks to trips to Disney World to (hopefully) Reach the Beach, these guys really make racing weekends fun.  Especially the part where we go out for food and beer afterwards.  Some of my housemates even have a once-a-week running group, which gives me a reason to jump out of bed and run first thing in the morning.  They push me to run faster than I would otherwise, and they make pretty awesome post-run breakfast companions.

Post-race at the Tufts 10K, where I learned that training really does pay off

Freezing our butts off before the NYC half

Hanging out at the Tavern to Tavern 5K post-race party

The Online Running Community:

I've been amazed at the support I've gotten from other runners on Twitter and Daily Mile, many of whom have never even met me.  And some of whom have and are totally awesome and would fall in the local runner friends group if I could just move back to Chicago (I'm looking at you, McL).  Their training tips and injury advice have probably kept me from killing/maiming myself on multiple occasions, and their general encouragement and amazing accomplishments make me want to keep going, even when I'm exhausted.

My Non-Runner Friends and Coworkers:

They ask about my races and my training, and make me feel like I'm doing something impressive every time I go for a long run.  And they don't even judge me for the massive quantity of food I eat while I'm in training.  Honestly, I'm constantly amazed that they still tolerate my company given how often I talk about running and how annoying it is.

A huge, huge thank you to everyone who made 2011 such a great running year for me.  Bonus points to those of you who actually read this far :)

Favorite Things Friday

This week's favorite thing: GU Brew electrolyte drink tablets lemon lime flavor

I've tried a few different brands and flavors of low-calorie electrolyte drink mixes, and this is by far my favorite.  I put a tab in my water bottle for shorter runs (around seven miles or less) and sometimes when I'm sitting around at my desk.  I can't make claims about it improving my performance or anything like that, but I don't really like plain water, which leads to me not drinking it. I don't know much about hydration science, but I figure drinking electrolyte beverage is better than drinking nothing.

Favorite Things Friday

This week's favorite thing: iPod shuffle + audio books
I know this is a hot topic in the running community, but I am definitely a pro-iPod runner.  I don't generally wear headphones during races (although I did for part of my first marathon) but I don't think I could survive training runs without them.  I especially love my shuffle since it's super easy to carry whether I have pockets or not.

Plus, it's pink!

Of course, if you're going to run with an iPod, you need something to listen to.  I occasionally listen to music if I'm doing a tempo run or interval workout (including lots of Britney) but most of the time, and especially on long runs, I go for audio books.  I have a monthly subscription to audible.com that lets me download two books a month -- had to upgrade from one a month during marathon training!

I should probably be embarrassed by this collection, but I'm not

For running, I usually go with young adult fiction series.  They're fast-paced enough to keep me entertained, but don't require a ton of concentration.  Some of my favorites:

• The Hunger Games trilogy
• Percy Jackson and the Olympians (finished this and starting on The Heroes of Olympus)
• The Kane Chronicles
• The Leviathan series (just discovered the third book has been released!)

Unfortunately, I'm running out of books in these series, so let me know -- what do you listen to while you run?  Do you have a favorite audio book I should check out?

Favorite Things Friday

Some people love running because it's so simple--you can run almost anywhere with very little equipment.  I am not one of those people.  I am all about the running gear.  I can easily kill an hour or two wandering around a running shop or a race expo.

"me at a race expo" = "kid in a candy store"

So when my little sister told me that for her birthday this year she wanted "running stuff", I was thrilled.  And not just because this means that my plan to convince her to run a half with me this spring might be working.  My brain was overflowing with ideas.  Tights?  Shirts?  Socks?  Jacket?  Watch?  Water belt?

This got me thinking about my favorite running-related things, which inspired this series of posts.  I'll try to post about a different running-related-thing-I-love every week until I run out of things, which may take a while.  Note: I am nowhere near important enough to be sponsored by anyone, so anything I mention here is just stuff I like to use.

This week's favorite thing: Shirts with thumb holes

Sleeve rainbow

I love, love, love long-sleeved running shirts and jackets with thumb holes.  So cozy!  They're especially great for days when it's not quite cold enough to wear gloves, but you know your hands are going to be cold at the start of the run.  Or when it's so cold that you want to make sure no air gets in between your gloves and your sleeve.  Or when your office is freezing but you need your fingers to type ...

Thumbs up for the thumb hole