Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and True Runner. All opinions–as always!–are my own. I appreciate your support!
This marathon training process has been a huge learning experience for me. Every day feels like an experiment. From injury prevention to gear and nutrition supplements, it’s been fun for me to immerse myself in this expansive world of long-distance running. I went into training vowing it would be a one-and-done. Cross it off the bucket list, never put my body through a marathon again. But … I’m starting to see why people get hooked on these things. The running community is so supportive! I can’t even count how many people have reached out to me, offered me advice, shared their own experience–it’s been amazing. I am 100% sure I will cry tears of overwhelmed happiness on race day haha.
In just one such example of the amazing Boston running community, True Runner offered me a gift card to come shop their store in Chestnut Hill. It’s located in the same shopping center as Sweetgreen, Drybar, Soul Cycle and Equinox so I made a nice afternoon of the trip out to the ‘burbs. 
True Runner carries a wide range of shoes, apparel and gear to support all your running needs, and their staff is super knowledgeable in finding you the right products for your body, running form/gait. Specialty running stores like this are an especially smart choice if you’re newer to running and are unsure of what shoes to buy. I’m in a committed relationship with my Nikes so I decided to use my gift card on some smaller running accessories I need for the remainder of training.
I’ve just started trying out different nutrition/energy supplements during my long runs that are over two hours. I went with the vanilla bean Gu an hour into my 16-miler and liked it, but Double Espresso sounds like the EXACT thing I want in my system at around mile 12, so I got a few Clif shots to try out this weekend. I’d love to hear what your go-to’s are for supplements during long runs!
I’ve been running with my iPhone in my pocket, so the Nike armband is going to be a massive upgrade. The Experia socks have extra padding over the heel and ball of the foot (can’t hurt!), and with the weather in Boston nearing 70 today (!!!) I figure a pair of running shorts might come in handy as I near race day. 
Marathon Training: Week 12
Even though last week was technically my twelfth (just took me four tries to spell ‘twelfth’ correctly FYI) week of training, with all the time off for my knee injury and then being sick, it really doesn’t seem like it’s been that long. Here were last week’s workouts:
MONDAY | Yoga
TUESDAY | Strength Train (Btone)
WEDNESDAY | Run 4.5 Miles + Yoga
I ran a quick loop around the Charles River and then did the same yoga YouTube as Monday.
THURSDAY | Rowing Class
I haven’t rowed since I stopped teaching it so I decided to hop in for a class at Btone. Rowing is an awesome option for marathon training if you want the cardio and lower body strength benefits of running but without the impact to your knees.
FRIDAY | Strength Train (Btone)
SATURDAY | Rest
SUNDAY | Run 10 Miles
Despite taking a rest day Saturday, my legs felt like led on this run. Rowing is a challenging leg workout (Thursday) and Friday’s Btone was also a low-body challenge, so I definitely paid the price on this 10 miler. On the bright side, I’m glad I made the mistake when the “long” run was only 10 miles. I’ve adjusted my plan this week so that my legs will (hopefully) feel fresh in time for Saturday’s 18-mile run.
Runners–what’s your go-to for race nutrition? Gu? Beans? S Caps? Gimme suggestions!
Hey there! I'm Nicole, a group fitness instructor, healthy lifestyle blogger (you probably figured that one out by now) and Certified Personal Trainer living in Boston, MA.
I don’t do well with typical running foods, I also want to eat real food. Through a lot of experimentation, I’ve learned I do really well on baby food packets, dried fruits, coconut water and Honey Stinger Gummies.
I like real food like the previous commenter. I’ve tried Clif Gel Shots which are great and easy. But, I made my own “gu” with mashed sweet potato, banana, and almond butter. I put it in a zip lock then bit off the corner while cycling (I was doing a long brick workout) to get the fuel in. I liked it! You could throw in some raisins too if you wanted.
I’m a poor grad student who can’t afford the fancy fuel so much these days. Luckily, Trader Joe’s makes these knock-off Swedish fish called Scandinavian Swimmers. I put a few in a baggie and use ’em for fuel!
Hi Nicole! As a former Bostonian (I will ALWAYS claim it as my home…) and current resident of Savannah, I have to say that I love reading your blog–running around my favorite parts of the city and going from neighborhood to neighborhood where I have way too many memories–and I get a little bit of navel-gazing nostalgia when I read it. 🙂
As a RUNNER, I realized that I am pretty devoted to Gu. Not ALL of them–the apple flavored ones don’t work for me at all–but mandarin orange is TOTALLY my jam! There’s a fairly new gel out on the market–huma–that uses chia seeds and that’s supposed to be considered more ‘pure’ in its ingredients list and a good option for people who maintain certain kinds of diets (many of my paleo-happy crossfit friends love huma…). I’m curious to try the ‘lemonade’ flavor, even though I am not in love with its fairly high price point.
After the Boston Marathon is done, look into the Maine Marathon. It was my first full marathon (September 30, 2012), and the temps are delightfully cool without being impossibly cold, and the way the community goes out to support runners is AMAZING. In my marathon training, I opted all summer long to ‘reschedule’ my long runs if it was raining outside…and as a result (Murphy’s Law? Some weird karmic punishment for my reschedulings?), my entire 26.2 mile run was in cold, 48 degree rain!!! What I loved, though, was how much of the community stayed outside to cheer the runners on, make their own impromptu water tables in front of their homes, and just rally WITH us to complete our runs. I may have waddled like a penguin for about 3 days after my run, but it was worth it. Every single moment of training, every long run, every bit of foam rolling…everything!!!
As for running gear, right now I am obsessed with my Be Free knickers from Athleta. The summer I was marathon training I was obsessed with my running skirts from Skirt Sports. My favorite running socks are a toss-up between my Brooks socks (I like the run-in ones that I get as a 3 pack from runningwarehouse.com) and my Lululemon speed socks that my boyfriend got me as part of my Christmas gifts. My favorite TOPS to run in right now are my Under Armour fly-by tank tops–they’re so light-weight that they handle heat and sweat ridiculously well. I also love my Athleta Chi tank tops and the one run swiftly tank I have from lulu. I have a short torso and wide hips (I am a Greek girl…), and these all work very well for me without riding up my hips when I move or feeling awkward and burdensome.
I noticed on an old blog post that you tried a Les Mills Body Pump class. Since you dig yoga, I want to also recommend Les Mills Body Flow–it’s kind of a cheeky extroverted take on yoga that mixes in pilates and tai chi, and it can be a GREAT counterpoint to running (and a fun way to mix up your usual yoga habit). It’s a lot of fun, and it’s a deceptively good workout…
Thanks for a blog that I can’t wait to read every single day!
All the best,
Stephanie (also a Jersey girl–raised in central western NJ!!!)
I love the beans but the sounds they make when running drive me crazy. It’s like running with change in your pocket (unless you are wearing compression gear, then it’s fine) I’m a big fan of honey stinger products. Their chews and waffles are so good and don’t upset my stomach. Nutrition on the run is one of those things that is so individualized! Different things work for different people!
Since my stomach can no longer handle gels, I’ve switched to chews. I love honey stingers, specifically the fruit smoothie and grapefruit flavors. I also drink a lot of nuun – cherry limeade is delicious!
Those energy gels sound amazing! I’m not training for a run but during my long days of teaching I could totally use these!
When I ran my first marathon I also thought it was a “one and done” and here I am training for my second (granted it’s been 2.5 years since the first). I love Powergels from PowerBar! They are not as thick as Gu and I love the flavors! Some have no caffeine, some have 1x caffeine, and some have 2x caffeine. I am in need of some new running shorts so let me know if you found some good ones!
I like either the honey stinger chews or the vega endurance gel. The vega is a bit thinner and easier to get down for me. Most of the other brands have a lot of ingredients that don’t really agree with my stomach.
I’m also training for my first marathon right now, and my go-tos have been lemon-lime Nuun in my Camelbak and acai & pomegranate Honey Stinger gels. I used to do ShotBloks but could only eat half at a time and I find the gels go down easier. I’ve tried the salted caramel Gu and a grape pomegranate gel but have found that lemon lime and the acai pomegranate are the only flavors my body agrees with during a run.
I think I cried more than 26 times during the NYC Marathon this year. It’s a super emotional experience and kind of unbelievable that your body is running for so long.
As far as fuel goes, I actually really love apple sauce in those squeez-y kids packs plus sports jelly beans and honey stinger chews.
I do GU every once in a while, but I usually stick with applesauce packets (the ones you squeeze that are usually made for kids!), fruit snacks, and crackers. I also REALLY love Stinger Waffles – yum. But I’m definitely not opposed to gummie candy or jelly beans..I’ve eaten both.
Yeah, those gels definitely make me have to shit (you’re a candid person, so I feel like I can be real with you on this). I tried them multiple times and my digestive tract just can’t do it. Honey stinger products never upset my stomach… I like their chews and always buy myself a waffle at every expo to keep as a treat for post-race. If I can’t get my hands on honey stinger chews I’ll do the shotblocks, but as someone above mentioned they’re really big and tough to get down in one bite and really can mess with my breathing. As a tip, my running coach always recommended to get a good drink in when you take your fuel – the dehydration can further exacerbate the upset stomach that a lot of the different gus and chomps can cause. I think what’s most important is just trying a bunch of different things before racing to find your favorite! 🙂 So jealous you’re doing Boston – definitely on my bucket list.
I really like huma energy gels! They have awesome flavors and the texture is good too. Some of them also have caffeine in them for an extra boost. My favorite flavors are apple cinnamon, lemonade, and cafe mocha. Would love an update on how the armband works out. I had trouble finding a fitting armband when I had the iphone 4, so when I upgraded to the iphone 6, I figured finding and armband that wouldn’t fall off would be a lost cause.
I’m a huge fan of Shotblocks–the texture of gus really grosses me out. Keep in mind that some have caffeine and some don’t–for a 16+ mile run I’ll do a pack of the tropical punch (with caffeine) and then switch to a pack of the mountain berry (no caffeine). Like everyone else has said, definitely do lots of experimentation during training–you don’t want any surprises during the race!
The Boston marathon is the best experience! I had so much fun. Brookline was the longest part – you’re on a high coming into Boston at BC and then back out of Boston. If you don’t do training runs with the gu I wouldn’t use them on race day – like other people mentioned I feel like they make you go the bathroom. I kept some salt packets and some sour patch kids in my shorts. A friend’s wife had Popsicles on the route which were great but we ran in 2012 when it was 87 degrees. Good luck with training!
I have experimented w/ lots of fuels for my long runs! I like to eat toast w/ pb & banana before and during training runs have been doing most of my runs w/o any fuel and I’ve been feeling great-longest run like this has been 13 miles! During my last marathon I used espresso gels every 5-6 miles and also felt great and finished in my goal time of sub 4 hours. I enjoy dates w/ pb for something more natural and raisins have also worked well for those super long 20+ mile runs. I think every person is different so try them all out and find one you like; the fruity gels make me gag-hate the texture/taste! Good luck and keep us posted w/ what works for you!
Toast + pb + banana is my fave, too! I’m the same–if the distance is a half marathon or under, I don’t even think about gels/supplements beyond breakfast. 🙂
I’m a big fan of GU. Fav flavors are Salted Caramel, Vanilla, and the chocolate flavors. I did try the “plain” flavor of GU lately because I was intrigued by it. It actually had a very light sweet flavor. I would definitely use it again!
During a run I’m a big fan of Huma chia energy gels. GU used to be my go to but the texture is so thick and they would make me too thirsty. Huma has more of an applesauce texture and I like that a lot better. I like all the flavors but I try to stick to the ones with caffeine.
Before a run I always have a Stinger waffle. They are delicious and give you a lot of energy.
I feel that way with Clif — they make me so thirsty! Finally tried Huma and LOVE the mocha one. It’s like caffeinated chocolate frosting. Stinger is next up on my experiment list. 🙂