SBS’s Marathon Must-Haves

Long run, short skirt: It's a perfect pairing

When it comes to the gear I trust and count on for marathon training, I’m just going to go ahead and quote Julie Andrews but I’ll refrain from singing: These are a few of my favorite things. Anything I’ve linked to is a gotta-have-it for me.

Running skirts, especially the New Balance Bonita 3.0 (pictured above), SkirtSports Gym Girl Ultra, and Runningskirts.com Running Skirt. The Bonita and Gym Girl Ultra have boy shorts built in underneath the skirt, complete with pockets on the legs, while the Running Skirt has underwear-like spankies with a pocket on outside of skirt. I can run chafe-free into the double digits in any of the three beauties.

But,  just in case, I still apply some Asics Chafe Free  (the endurance formula, natch) on the tender spots before I head out the door. It prevents me from getting rubbed the wrong way as the miles–and sweat rates–increase. Another favorite that prevents chafing–and blisters: Drymax Maximum Protection v4 socks. After getting a pus-filled monster on my big toe in marathon #5, I switched to these puppies. Sure, they cost a pretty penny (about $25/pair!), but worth every cent.

Amphipod RunLite Hydration: I swear by this belt now that it packs 10.5-ounce bottles that I refill at mid-run water fountains. (But I start out with nuun-flavored water.) A well-sized pouch holds several of my favorites, including my new-generation iPod nano which gets live, pause-able radio (hello, NPR!) and Blueberry Pomegranate Roctane and Jet Blackberry GU to fuel me.

Plugged into my nano are a product I can’t rave about enough: Yurbuds earphones. These customized earbuds eliminate the discomfort and frustration of ill-fitting earbuds (yes, I’m talking about you, standard-issue Apple ones!). Plus, the cord is four inches longer than standard ones, a godsend for this tall gal. Sure, $30 isn’t chump change, but these babies are worth it.

Dimity turned me on to a new, ahhhh-inducing product called Flex-Power Active Woman. After a hard or long workout, I rubbed this odor-free product into my whimpering hammies and glutes, and the deep-heat sensation and arnica silences them.

For safety’s sake, I now wear a RoadID bracelet. I am pleasantly surprised by how comfortable the nylon and Velcro band is–I haven’t had any issues with chafing or sweaty yuckiness.

And on the other wrist I sport a Garmin 305 on long runs and tempo runs. Sure, it’s bulky, but how else would I know how far or fast I’ve gone when it really counts?