Running investments

Whoever said you just need a pair of running shoes to run is LYING. I went all out to prepare for the first of two 20 mile runs on my training schedule. I bought new shoes to break in before the race and just about every energy bar/gel/gummy/gu available at the running store. I hadn't experimented with those yet and knew that I would need some kind of energy assistance during the race. I also bought one of those water bottle holders that go around your waist. Holding a water bottle for 2 plus hours is no longer fun.

I broke down and bought an iPOD shuffle too. My iPod mini's battery is finally losing its steam, and I knew I was not motivated enough to simply enjoy the sounds of nature for the three hours it would take me to run 20 miles. (I would love to say I'm the zen-type of runner who does it for the joy of being one with nature... but I'm not. I curse the ground I run on every day. Running is a pain in the you-know-where. Don't let the veterans tell you otherwise. It's their cruel initiation joke.) I absolutely LOVE the shuffle! I don't know why I didn't buy it sooner. It's so tiny and lightweight, and I can clip it just about anywhere on my person! I also love that I'm not tempted to fiddle with playlists because I have to preset my list before I leave the house. I thought maybe that would be annoying to not be able to search by artist or title or whatever, but who wants to be that distracted when they feel like their legs are about to fall off?

Isn't she pretty?